How to Make (and Store) Your Pies in Advance

The easiest way to not freak out on the big day? Get a jump start on dessert.

Wouldn't Thanksgiving be so much less stressful if you could make the whole meal in advance; freeze it, Han Solo-like, in a perfect bronzed state; then reheat the whole thing when guests arrive? Alas, turkey doesn't respond well to that treatment.

But pies? They do.

I picked the brain of Phoebe Lawless, owner and chef of Scratch Bakery in Durham, NC, to unearth the secrets to making pie ahead—and storing it so that it tastes like it was made that day. While Lawless made sure to note that nothing beats a fresh pie straight out of the oven, she did say that you can successfully freeze them to ease kitchen tension on the big day. Here's how:

Custard or Nut Pies

If the pie filling contains egg (looking at you, pumpkin and pecan), don't freeze it before baking—the uncooked egg filling can sometimes curdle when thawed. Instead, bake and cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. To serve, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. "Then just put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 375°F—it will refresh the pie pastry and bring a little crispness back to it," says Lawless.

Photos by Charles Masters, food styling by Sue Li

Fruit Pies

"For fruit pies, particularly apple, I prefer to freeze them unbaked," says Lawless. Assemble the pie fully, then toss it in the freezer. "Be sure to double- or triple-wrap it with plastic wrap so that no moisture can get into it," recommends Lawless.

To bake, let the pie partially thaw for about an hour on the counter. Bake it at the temperature stated in the recipe, but expect to add about 10 minutes to the baking time. "What you want is a golden bottom and top crust. You might also want to pierce it with a fork to make sure the fruit is tender," says Lawless.

You can also freeze your fruit pie baked. Just follow the same instructions for the custard and nut pies, making sure to refresh it in the oven before serving.

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Katherine Sacks

What about freezing just the crust?

If you're insistent on baking a fresh pie but still want to save yourself some of the headache, you can just freeze the pastry dough. Make the dough, form it into a disk, wrap it tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap, and freeze it until you need it—it will keep for a couple of months. When you're ready to use it, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight before you roll it out.

You can also freeze your pastry already rolled, if freezer space permits. Rolled out and wrapped tightly in plastic, it can be frozen for about a week. "You can use this dough straight from the freezer. There's no need to defrost it since it's already rolled out and it's ideal to work with cold dough," says Lawless. Just let it warm up briefly on the counter so it's a bit more malleable, then start lining your pie dish. Cool, huh?