Ah, apple pie. A timeless classic that most of us grew up with and love. Whether you make yours from scratch or get it from the store, the truth is that most apple pie lovers will not be able to eat the whole dish in one sitting.
With leftover deliciousness leaving your house smelling like a fresh Fall celebration, you are probably wondering how to store apple pie.
Apple pie can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, depending on your needs and the ingredients used. If you need to store it for more than 2 days, a refrigerator is a good storage option. To keep apple pie fresh, it is best to cover it with foil or plastic wrap.
If you are wondering about the best possible way to store apple pie, look no further. We have done a ton of digging and have asked a beloved grandma for her family secrets on storing this delicious dish. With thoughts of ripe apples, warm pastry, and cinnamon drifting through our thoughts, we bring you the best tips of the crop this season.
Full details on how to store apple pie.
Related: Apple Pie Spice Alternatives | Types of Apple Pie | Dutch Apple Pie vs. Apple Pie | What Goes with Apple Pie | Thanksgiving Pies
Does Apple Pie Need to be Refrigerated?
The truth is that apple pie can be stored both at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Making the call really comes down to your needs and what ingredients were used when baking it.
If your apple pie is made with sugar, the great news is that you can store it at room temperature overnight or for up to 2 days. If it has been cut, it’s best to cover it loosely with foil or plastic wrap.
Suppose your pie has been made with cream, custard, or egg. In that case, you will need to keep it in the refrigerator, as these ingredients promote the growth of bacteria at room temperature. This also goes for sugar substitutes like Equal. If the pie has been cut, it will also need to be loosely covered with foil or plastic wrap.
Why Can Pie Made with Sugar Be Stored at Room Temperature?
The US Department of Agriculture says that fruit pies made with sugar are safe to keep at room temperature for up to 2 days.
The reason for this is pretty scientific and pretty cool. Simply put, the sugar used to bake the pie and the acid found in the fruit work together. The result? A winning combination that not only tastes amazing but also helps to slow the growth of the bacteria that would otherwise ruin your pie!
How to Store Apple Pie: Baked vs. Unbaked
Knowing how to store your apple pie could just mean the difference between enjoying your favorite pie for days or being left with a soggy dish riddled with bacteria. It is not that difficult to store apple pie correctly, and there are some best practices we can use, whether it is cooked or still raw. Let’s unpack our top tips for storing cooked and uncooked apple pie.
How to Store Baked Apple Pie
We managed to get a few family secrets from baker and grandma, Granny Helen. Her most important tip for storing cooked apple pie is to store it at room temperature.
“If you want your pie to be crisp when you eat from it again, don’t wrap it up still warm.” She advises. From our research, this is pretty sound advice.
When you wrap up or refrigerate warm pie, condensation forms on the wrapping or container. When those drops of moisture fall onto your pie, it leaves it a little soggy and not so enjoyable. But, enough of what not to do, let’s have a look at the correct way to store your baked apple pie.
Our Step-By-Step Guide to Storing Baked Apple Pie:
- After baking, allow the pie to cool to room temperature
- Once cooled, wrap the pie loosely with foil or plastic wrap
- If you are environmentally conscious and would like to use a more sustainable option, use a container rather than foil or plastic wrap. You can store your pie in an airtight container, a pie dome, or pie box
- For short-term storage (up to 2 days), keeping your pie at room temperature, out of direct heat, or sunlight is entirely acceptable. (This applies to pies that have been baked using sugar, and not sugar substitutes, eggs, or cream.) The kitchen counter makes a good spot
- For storage up to 5 or 6 days, it is best to place the apple pie in the refrigerator or even the freezer
While cooked apple pie can be frozen, Granny Helen did recommend against freezing pie that has been fully baked. Your best bet, she says, is to freeze partially baked or raw apple pie before use.
How to Store Unbaked Apple Pie
If you are an amazingly prepared host and have prepared one, or a bunch of, apple pies ahead of time, we drop our jaws in awe of you!
Now let’s look at the best ways for you to store these delicious pies until the big day.
The best method for storing uncooked apple pie is to freeze it. A frozen, uncooked apple pie will be good for up to 4 months! While the thought of having apple pie, un-eaten, lonely, calling to us from the freezer for 4 months seems… unlikely, cruel even, we do appreciate the option to store it for as long as we need. Let’s look at the best ways to store it.
Our Step-By-Step Guide to Storing Unbaked Apple Pie:
- Assemble your apple pie
- Place the unbaked pie on a baking sheet
- Tightly wrap the pie using foil, a freezer bag, or plastic wrap
- Choose a spot in the freezer and gently position the pie where it will not be crushed or squashed by other frozen goods
How to Heat Stored Apple Pie
If you have done all the hard work of creating the perfect apple pie and have stored it perfectly in the freezer, the next step in the process of deliciousness is heating it up to enjoy.
Our best advice for re-heating or heating frozen apple pie from scratch is to heat it from frozen. Allowing the pie to thaw before heating it could leave it a little less than crispy.
Heating apple pie from frozen can be done using one of 3 ways. The best option is the oven, but can you believe that it’s also possible to re-heat apple pie in the microwave and even an air fryer? Let’s have a look at all the options and how to use them.
Heating Apple Pie in the Oven
This is our favorite option and the one that keeps the crust the most crispy.
Firstly, remove any wrapping material, like foil or plastic wrap. If you stored the pie in a container, then remove it from the container. Set it on a baking tray and pierce the top of the pastry to create small vent holes. You will need to bake your apple pie in the oven, at about 450 degrees Fahrenheit, for 15-20 minutes. After that, lower your heat to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit and keep it cooking for another half hour or so until the top is a delectable golden-brown color.
Heating Apple Pie in the Microwave
The downside to this option is that your crust may become a little soggy. Still, the benefit is that you will be able to enjoy your slice within a much shorter time than you would by using the oven.
To heat your apple pie in the microwave, place it on a microwave-safe plate or dish. Heat it on high for 30-60 second intervals until it is warm all the way through.
Heating Apple Pie in an Air Fryer
This may be a lesser-known option, but heating apple pie in an air fryer actually gets the job done pretty well. Not only does it take less time than the oven, but it also keeps the crust crisp, just the way we love it. If you are only looking to heat a small amount of pie, then this may be your answer.
To heat your apple pie in an air fryer, pre-heat the fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap each slice of pie in foil and place them in the air fryer. Air fry your pie for 5-7 minutes or until the filling is invitingly warm, all the way through.
Note: Cooked fruit gets extremely hot, so no matter which method you use to heat your apple pie, please be sure to let your pie cool before digging in.
How Long can I Keep Apple Pie?
The safe amount of time you can keep apple pie depends on the ingredients used, whether or not it has been baked and where you are storing it. Here is a summary of how long your apple pie will last, taking into account the various factors that may affect it.
- Apple pie that has been baked using sugar can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the fridge for 5 or 6 days.
- A pie that has been baked using eggs, cream, custard, or sugar substitutes needs to be refrigerated to prevent it from going bad.
- Once refrigerated, it can be kept for up to 5 or 6 days, as with the sugar variety.
- Apple pie that has not been baked yet can be kept in the freezer for up to 4 months. Once you have baked it, it can then be stored in the refrigerator for another week.
How to Enjoy Leftover Apple Pie
Enjoying leftover apple pie is usually as easy as taking it out of the refrigerator, possibly heating it, and then digging in. Feeling extra fancy, how about a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream to accompany it? But, while many of us simply dig into our leftover apple pie as-is, there are a few among us who are absolute geniuses and have come up with ways to serve leftover apple pie with a new twist.
In a respectful salute to these amazing souls who work so tirelessly to make our lives better, we have selected our top 4 picks of ways to add a new twist to leftover apple pie. We think you will love them as much as we do.
- Cinnamon buns. These are made using about 2 slices of leftover apple pie, cinnamon roll dough, and a few other easy-to-get ingredients that make for a mouth-watering experience the day after a big event.
For the recipe: https://sharedappetite.com/breakfast/leftover-apple-pie-cinnamon-buns/
- Healthy parfait. This healthy alternative to eating leftover apple pie includes the pie, crust, and all, as well as healthier ingredients of yogurt, granola, pecan nuts, cinnamon, and fresh apples. Apple pie for dinner and breakfast? We’re in!
For the recipe: https://www.easycookingwithmolly.com/2019/12/leftover-healthy-apple-pie-parfait/
- Apple pie muffins. Yes, you can literally turn your apple pie into muffins for the next day. The recipe is pretty simple and follows your standard method for baking muffins. Still, the twist of apple pie makes for a hearty, moist, and delicious alternative.
For the recipe: https://www.seductioninthekitchen.com/apple-pie-muffins/
- Apple pie milkshake. Apple pie milkshake turns those leftovers into a new dish completely. Just add the best part: pie with milk, ice cream, and flavoring of your choice. Blend it and top it with cream or caramel for the perfect touch.
For the recipe: https://www.ijustmakesandwiches.com/leftover-apple-pie-milkshake/
What is the Best Container for Storing Apple Pie?
We know the struggle. An overloaded refrigerator bursting at the seams with leftovers leaves so much of your precious stash squashed and forgotten. Being a little delicate, apple pie should be stored in a way that will keep it together and look as inviting as it did when first served.
Loosely wrapping your leftover apple pie in plastic wrap or foil is a great way to store it, but this will not protect it from being squashed by other leftovers. The best way to keep your pie fresh as well as safe is in an airtight container. The great thing about an airtight container is that its sole purpose is to store food.
The sealed lid will help keep your leftovers fresh and free from any added bacteria, while the hard casing will keep your delicious pie from getting damaged.
An added bonus to using a container for your apple pie storage is that having your pie sealed away means it will not take on the taste of any other food that you may have in the refrigerator. Taste contamination can be a serious letdown when you are expecting to enjoy one treat, and it is affected by something else.
Last Words on How to Store Apple Pie
Storing apple pie is as easy as wrapping it up or placing it in a container and stashing it in the refrigerator or freezer. Consider the ingredients used when deciding if the kitchen counter is a good option or if it would be better off in a colder environment.
Even apple pie that has not yet been baked can be stored successfully. If you wrap it correctly and freeze it, you will be able to use it for months to come.
Whether you choose to enjoy your leftover apple pie as-is or turn it into a different dessert, you will need it to be free of bacteria and taste amazing. Be sure to pack it away and store it effectively so that you can reap the rewards of your (or someone else’s) hard baking work for as long as possible.
Resources:
Still Tasty: Storing Apple Pie: How Long Does Apple Pie Last , Baked or Unbaked?
Food52: How to Store Apple Pie
Good Housekeeping: How to Reheat Apple Pie