Never place a cold Pyrex or a glass pan directly into a hot oven. It can shatter. [1] X Research source If you froze your pie in a glass dish, thaw the pie first to reduce the chance of shattering the dish. However, it’s best to play it safe and use a disposable metal pie pan when baking a frozen pie. Some people suggest thawing the pie for about 25 minutes before you place it in the oven because it helps the pastry flour cook better. [2] X Research source
One trick that may help if you have raw bottom crust is to preheat the baking sheet before you place the pie in the oven. Put the empty baking sheet into the oven as you preheat it. [4] X Research source A preheated pizza stone will also work. Another tip is to place strips of foil around the edge of the pie. Keep the foil in place until the middle of the pie begins to brown, so that you stop the edges from over-browning. Or, you can “tent” a piece of foil over the top of the pie.
The length of time you will have to bake the pie depends on how cold your freezer is, how hot the oven is, and the amount of filling in the pie. A good general rule is to bake the pie for 20-45 minutes longer than the recipe specifies for cooking normally. [5] X Research source If you added foil around the edge of the pie, remove the foil edge pieces when the middle starts to brown. If the top of the pie starts to brown before the middle or bottom is cooked, make a tent with foil over the top of the pie. [6] X Research source
When it’s done, allow the pie to cool slightly before serving.
While some will argue in favor of it, most bakers seem to agree that it’s best not to freeze a homemade fruit pie after baking it. Prepare it raw, then bake it from frozen. [7] X Research source However, instead of assembling the pie before freezing, you may want to try freezing it in parts—the prepared filling and the (unrolled) dough. In this case, you will let the components thaw to the point that they are workable. [8] X Research source
Some pies, like a Dutch apple pie, may need to thaw for hours before cooking, while a pumpkin pie might need only 20 minutes. Other pies, like berry, strawberry, or peach, might not need to thaw at all.
To help the bottom of the pie cook thoroughly, place it lower in the oven, and/or preheat the baking sheet. Or, try to make a tent with foil to cover the top so it doesn’t burn. [9] X Research source To keep the edges of the pie from browning too much, wrap the edge of the pie with strips of aluminum foil.
For best results, rotate the pie 180 degrees halfway through the cooking time. This will ensure the pie cooks evenly.
Uncooked or undercooked meats could pose a serious health hazard.
Some cooks recommend cooking the filling and freezing it and the (unrolled) pie crust separately in labeled freezer bags. In this case, you would allow each element to thaw to the point to which you could assemble the pie. [11] X Research source Others, however, prefer the method of assembling the pie then freezing it whole. That way, you can pop it straight from the freezer into the oven. In this instance, don’t freeze the pie in a glass dish as it could shatter in the oven.
For example, one pot pie recipe recommends baking unfrozen at 400 °F (204 °C) for about 30 minutes, and frozen at 375 °F (191 °C) for up to 45 minutes. [12] X Research source If you’re concerned about not getting good browning on the bottom crust, start out at the regular temperature for the first 15 minutes or so, then reduce it. If the edge crust is getting too brown before the center of the pie heats through, you can also try creating a ring-shaped heat shield out of aluminum foil, which you can (carefully) place over the edge of the pie. Use another pie dish as a template.
Pasty recipes abound online, so try several variations and see what crust and filling combinations hit the spot for you.
If you made the pie, note that the frozen baking time will increase a bit and the baking temperature may need to be slightly reduced. Of course, with experience, you may find that adjustments to baking time and temperature produce a better result with a particular frozen pie brand. As instructed, make sure the center of the pie is cooked through. Use a knife—or for more certainty, a meat thermometer—to test the center.
