Ever wonder how to make that fall feeling last? Good news: You can freeze pumpkin pies. The rich custard filling (read: high fat content) of pumpkin pies means they freeze beautifully. In fact, the same is true of other pies with custard filling, including sweet potato pies.

We polled pastry chefs and other baking pros to get their top tips for making and freezing pumpkin pies, whether you're in baking mode now and eager for a surplus later. This guide has everything you need to know about freezing pumpkin pie.

The Best Pumpkin Pie for Freezing

Bake a Classic Pumpkin Pie

While there are a lot of great ways to change up the pumpkin pie — alternate crusts, for example, or adding fruit or chocolate to the mix — regular pie dough filled with classic pumpkin custard are the best to freeze with this method.

Bake the Pumpkin Pie In a Disposable Pan

To keep your pie in as pristine a condition as possible, Vanessa O’Donnell, owner and pastry chef of Ooh La La Dessert Boutique in Houston, recommends baking the pie in an inexpensive or disposable pie pan. “Since aluminum pie pans are thinner, the pie will freeze faster and avoid developing ice crystals on the surface of the pie,” she explains. (Excessive ice crystals can cause your pie to become soggy once it thaws.)

How to Freeze Pumpkin Pie, Step-by-Step

Step one: Bake and cool the pie. Fully bake the pie, then allow it to cool completely, which can take up to three hours. (Freezing a warm pie will create ice and compromise the flavor and texture upon thawing.)

Step two: Wrap the pie in plastic wrap and stash it in a freezer bag. Once it’s fully cooled, O’Donnell recommends wrapping and tightly sealing the pie in several layers of plastic wrap. Carl Walker, the general manager at Brennan’s of Houston (who learned his pie-making skills from his mom, a blue-ribbon-winning baker) takes it one step further. He slides the plastic-wrapped pies into a resealable bag for added protection against freezer burn.

How Long Does Frozen Pumpkin Pie Last?

If wrapped tightly, pumpkin pie should last up to one month in the freezer.

“When it comes to freezing pies at home, the biggest variable is that home freezers have longer and more frequent defrost cycles than commercial freezers. This causes ice crystals and frost to develop,” explains Krystle Swenson, pastry chef at Crawford & Son and Jolie in Raleigh, North Carolina. “I recommend to visually observe the pie if it’s been in the freezer for more than a month before using.”

How to Freeze Pumpkin Pie Filling

If you're unsure what you crust you plan to use, or are constructing a meringue-topped pumpkin dessert like our Mile-High Pumpkin Pie (recipe below), you can prepare pumpkin pie filling in advance. Make and cool your pumpkin pie filling, then store in an airtight zip-top plastic bag. Try to squeeze as much excess air out of the bag as possible when you seal it. Frozen pumpkin pie filling will last up to five days in the freezer.

How to Thaw Frozen Pumpkin Pie

To ensure that your pie defrosts evenly, allow it to thaw slowly in your refrigerator. “Take it out 8 to 12 hours ahead to let thaw in your refrigerator — not out on the counter,” Walker says. “Once thawed, you can pop it in the microwave or oven for a short time to take the chill off — just don’t leave it in the microwave but for a few seconds at a time, testing the temperature as you go.”

Pumpkin Pie Recipes

Make-and-freeze all or parts of these fan-favorite pumpkin pie recipes and serve once Thanksgiving rolls around.

Best Pumpkin Pie

This classic version is a perennial crowd-pleaser. Its velvety custard filling is made with pumpkin puree, eggs and warming spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pumpkin-Coconut Pie

For a riff on a classic, try this coconut-studded version wreathed in a toasty, sweetened flaked coconut topping.

Pumpkin Pie with Spiced Crust

This clever twist incorporates pumpkin pie’s signature spices in the crust instead of the filling.

Mile-High Pumpkin Pie

While you can't make the marshmallow meringue in advance, you can prepare and freeze the classic spiced pumpkin filling in this show-stopping dessert.

Maple Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie

The bake-and-freeze method is equally successful with other custard-filled pies, such as sweet potato.

Related Links:

24 Pumpkin Pie Recipes You'll Want to Make Every Thanksgiving

125 Thanksgiving Desserts Everyone Will Gobble Up

50 Pumpkin Desserts Perfect For Your Feast