Does Pecan Pie Need to be Refrigerated?

No holiday is complete without a slice of pecan pie. Along with pumpkin pie, pecan pie is practically served in every household during Thanksgiving and Christmas. And pecan pie stores often ran out of pies during the holidays.

That’s why it’s also a good idea to buy pies a day before the holidays if you can’t make your own. But does pecan pie need to be refrigerated? 

Pecan pie like pumpkin and lemon pie are egg-rich pies. That’s why it’s a must to have them refrigerated unless you’re going to serve them in two hours or less. But how should you refrigerate pecan pie? How long will it keep in the fridge? And can you freeze them too? 

You’ll find out soon enough.

Should I Refrigerate Pecan Pie?

Any egg-rich pie must not be left at room temperature for longer than two hours. It is between 40° F and 140° F, where bacteria grow and thrive. 

So leaving your pecan pie at the kitchen counter overnight is a sure recipe for food-borne illnesses.

Pies should be refrigerated as soon as it cools down. Alternatingly, don’t let it sit at room temperature for longer than two hours. 

How about store-bought pies? 

Even if store-bought pies have some preservatives in them, you should still keep them in the fridge. It is still rich in eggs and subject to spoilage when left at room temperature.

Though store-bought pies seem to hold longer at room temperature than homemade ones. But it’s not worth taking the risk. 

How to Store Pecan Pie

But before chucking your pecan pie in the fridge, there is a proper way how to store these luscious divine pies.

1. Move your freshly baked pecan pie from the oven. Wait for it to cool down.
2. Once cool, loosely wrap the pecan pie in plastic or aluminum foil. Don’t wrap it too tightly to preserve the shape of the pie.
3. Store in the fridge. This will be good to eat for three day

Protip

If you’re craving for some pecan pie at night, you can eat it cool or warm it in the oven 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 15 minutes.

Can you Freeze Pecan Pie?

Keeping pecan pie in the fridge can extend their shelf life up to four days.

But what if you made too much pie and want to save some for the week? The good news is, you can still eat pecan pie for up to two months. So you can buy or make enough pies for Thanksgiving up to the Christmas season. 

Frozen pies, when kept properly can last up to two months. And since pies have low moisture content, they keep well in the freezer. 

The pie can hold up pretty well even when frozen and thawed. So you’ll less likely encounter problems with the texture. 

But of course, the taste will not be as fresh as a pie that just came from the oven.

Here’s how to properly store your pecan pie in the freezer.

1. All you need is plastic wrap. And you have an option to wrap the whole pie or wrap the pie slices individually.
2. Then place it in a freezer-safe plastic bag or ziplock and foil. Remember to seal properly and remove the air bubbles. The foil helps prevent the pies from getting the freezer burned.

Protip

Pecan pies can keep up to 2-3 months in the freezer. But we don’t recommend waiting this long to devour your pecan pie, it will not taste as good.

And to serve the pie, defrost it in the fridge and leave it there overnight. Warm in an oven at 350°F until it’s heated through.

How Long Does Pecan Pie Last in the Fridge

When kept in the fridge properly, pecan pies can keep for about three to four days. Store-bought pies, on the other hand, may have a longer shelf life. You can also check with the store where you bought the pie.

If you can’t get a hold of the store, it’s still safe to follow the three to four-day rule.  

Eating an old pie can have different effects, the symptoms can be mild to severe. So it’s still not a good idea to devour a pie that is past its best before date.

How to Tell if Pecan Pie Has Gone Bad

A good slice of pie is always a treat. But old spoiled ones can cause adverse health effects. It may even put you at risk of getting Salmonella.

It’s easy to tell if a pecan pie has gone bad. It will always give itself off.

• It starts to form molds 
• It has an unpleasant smell
• The crust becomes soggy and looks less palatable

So regardless if the pie was homemade or store-bought, once it develops any of these signs, hold the fork down and throw the pie into the bin. 

Pies That Don’t Require Refrigeration

Pies that have milk, eggs, and custard need to be refrigerated or frozen. And while pecan pies refrigerate beautifully and freeze well, if kept too long they might not taste as divine. 

Pies that are high in protein such as savory pies also need to be stored in the ref. This high protein and moisture content are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and food-borne illnesses.

Thus, if you will not be able to store your pies in the fridge, it’s better to choose a different type of pie. 

Fruit pies, such as apple pie, can stay at room temperature for a maximum of two days.

The sugar in the pie can act as a preservative and extend the shelf life of the pies without the need for refrigeration. 

Longer than two days, even fruit pies need to be kept in the fridge. 

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Also, commercial pies or those that you see on the display can be left out at room temperature. These pies will often display an RT label on when it will require refrigeration thereafter. Because store-bought pies have some preservatives and chemicals in them, they can be kept at room temperature longer than homemade pies.

Don’t Let your Pecan Pies Go Bad

Even after the holidays, you can still enjoy a warm slice of pecan pie! 

Enjoy it with your favorite cup of joe or tea. Or go ala mode and top it with vanilla ice cream. There are several ways to enjoy leftover pecan pies. And whichever it is, it’s sure to tickle your tastebuds.

So whenever you have too much pecan pie than you can handle, you can always store it in the fridge to keep it longer.