How to Store Pumpkin Pie

If you stick to baking fruit pies throughout the year, you may not be familiar with the rules of how to store pumpkin pie or other custard-based pies. Can pumpkin pie be left out overnight like apple pie, you might wonder, or do you need to refrigerate pumpkin pie? How long can you keep pumpkin pie in the fridge, and can you freeze pumpkin pie? Read on for the answers to all these questions, and more.

How to Store Pumpkin Pie: Homemade or Store-Bought

Your local supermarket is stocked with a ton of pumpkin pies this time of year, and you may have noticed them lined up on tables, rather than sitting in the fridge or freezer sections. That's because store-bought pumpkin pie has preservatives. If you buy pumpkin pie that's been sitting out, you can continue to store it on your kitchen counter until the sell-by date, and generally a few days past that. (Get more information about how long pumpkin pie is good for.)

Homemade pumpkin pies should cool to room temperature once out of the oven. Then, if you are not planning to eat the pumpkin pies within two hours, keep them loosely covered in the refrigerator. Pumpkin pie can be stored in the fridge for three to four days. (Get more information about how long pumpkin pie can sit out here.)

Refrigerating your homemade pumpkin pie is the easiest way to store it. While you can freeze pumpkin pie, it is a bit finicky. If you want to bake your pumpkin pie ahead of time and store it in the freezer—where it will stay good for a month or two, at least.

Can Pumpkin Pie Be Left Out Overnight?

Pumpkin pie is a custard, made of eggs and milk, so for storage purposes, think of it more like a quiche than a fruit pie. Would you leave cooked eggs out overnight? Not likely—and definitely not advisable. The refrigerator is a friend to pumpkin pie. And luckily, pumpkin pie tastes great served cold, right out of the fridge.