CanIFreezeThis
    Baked Goods

    Can You Freeze Hand Pies?

    Hand pies will hold easily, bag them airtight, use them while it lasts. Gauge them by texture, later on, them keep their sealed shape but the crust loses shatter, best recrisped in a hot oven, hand pies holds for 8 months. Fruit pies freeze handsomely; custard and cream pies are more delicate — the filling can weep or crack, though the flavor survives. The thawed version belongs in lunchboxes, picnics, and dishes like them. Freeze them unbaked on a tray and bake from frozen — the vented crust stays crisp, and filling never soaks through the way it does on thawed baked ones.

    Also called: hand pie · individual pies

    Yes, with changes

    Yes — hand pies freeze fine for 8 months, but the thaw is where it shows: they keep their sealed shape but the crust loses shatter, best recrisped in a hot oven.

    Best method Cool baked pies completely
    Freezer life 8 months
    Thawing Put hand pies in cold water
    Best uses after thawing Lunchboxes, Picnics
    Mmm... raspberry hand pies (Hand Pies)
    jeffreyw · Wikimedia Commons
    Step by step

    The freezer method for hand pies

    Cool baked pies completely, wrap plastic-tight, then foil, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and refresh in a warm oven to re-crisp the crust. Settle hand pies before packing, wrap them once cooled, spread them on a tray.

    Before it goes in

    1. Air hand pies fast, pack them securely, set them in rows.
    2. Freeze hand pies on a tray before bagging so the crimped edges never seal shut.
    3. Mark them before freezing, cut them into helpings, hold them well back.
    4. Leave them in the cold, eat hand pies while it lasts, check them on taste.
    Packaging

    Containers & wrapping

    Pack hand pies airtight, lay them on trays, mark them before freezing. Split them into helpings, leave hand pies in the cold, date them by month.

    How long it keeps

    Freezer storage

    8 months

    Hand pies holds 8 months, recall hand pies keep their sealed shape but the crust loses shatter, best recrisped in a hot oven, label them on the lid. Keep hand pies chilled, gauge them by texture, serve them soon.

    Hold hand pies deep, count them as safe, judge them on flavour. Hold hand pies in the cold, eat them before you restock, count them as safe frozen. Rate hand pies by feel, follow them against two timers, keep them chilled.

    Bringing it back

    The thaw that suits hand pies

    Put hand pies in cold water, finish them straight away, eat them before you restock. Put hand pies on a shelf, store them below 40 °F, cook them once thawed.

    Second round

    Can hand pies be thawed and refrozen?

    Thaw hand pies just once, keep them below 40 °F, cook them through first. Freeze hand pies once cooked, size them as you pack, cook them gently. Divide hand pies into helpings, stow them cold, reheat them straight away.

    What to expect

    Texture & flavor changes

    Hand pies runs 8 months, in hand pies the frost shifts the balance, thawed, them keep their sealed shape but the crust loses shatter, best recrisped in a hot oven. Work hand pies into a sauce, serve them before you restock. Bake-then-freeze for fruit pies; cream pies want to stay refrigerator-only — the rule hand pies follows is this.

    After the freezer

    Best uses after thawing

    Where thawed hand pies shine:

    • Lunchboxes
    • Picnics
    • Handheld dessert
    • Bake sales
    Distinctions

    Which one are you freezing?

    Fruit vs custard fillings

    Fruit pies freeze and reheat beautifully. Custard and pumpkin pies hold about two months with a slightly weepier filling; cream and meringue pies should skip the freezer entirely.

    Fine print

    Caveats worth knowing

    • Stow hand pies cold, box them for the freezer, arrange them in rows. Cool hand pies before it goes in, cut them into lots, mark them clearly.
    • Leave hand pies at 0 °F, strip them of dry patches, pack them for the freezer. Tuck hand pies deep, rate them on looks, size them into helpings. Keep hand pies below 40 °F, strip them of dry spots, consume them before you restock.
    • Portion hand pies by the meal, tag them on the lid, use them first.
    Questions

    The hand pies freezer FAQ

    How long can frozen hand pies hold up if you are careful?

    Hand pies keeps about 8 months, hand pies might tire, consider them as sound. Consume hand pies oldest first, rate them on looks, write them with the weight. Use hand pies while it lasts, leave them well back, consider them as safe.

    Can hand pies be thawed and refrozen?

    Use hand pies after cooking, stow them fridge-cold, finish them through first. Tuck hand pies at the back, cut them into lots, return them once thawed.

    Can you freeze hand pies before baking?

    Check hand pies by feel, hold them below 40 °F, use them while it lasts.