There are many ways to reheat leftover frozen pie. Whether a dessert pie or a meat pie, it doesn’t matter. It works the same way. If done right, your pie can taste just as good and flaky as when it was first made.
The most important step when reheating a fully cooked frozen pie, or pie slice is to make sure you thaw it in the fridge the night before. It is possible to follow the same steps if frozen, but it will lead to a very burnt or dry crust.
Keep reading to learn how to reheat a frozen pie on the stove, in an air fryer, in a microwave, or the oven, depending on your needs.
How to Reheat a Whole Pie
By far, the best method for reheating a pie is in the oven. It allows the interior to bake while allowing a covering to prevent burning of the crust. With whole pies especially, it is important to thaw them out the night before if they’ve been fully cooked so that the crust doesn’t burn during the cooking process.
In the Oven
This method takes the longest to cook. However, it is the best option for fully heating your pie without burning the crust.
- Thaw in the fridge the night before
- Preheat oven to 350
- Lightly cover with foil
- Bake 15-20 minutes
- Check if done
- Repeat until warmed through
- Take out of the oven, let cool, and enjoy
In the Toaster Oven
The toaster oven is good for single slices of pie. Due to the smaller size of the oven, your pie will heat up faster, but it also risks burning the crust due to the close proximity of the heating coils
If you are going to heat a whole pie in the toaster, make sure you cover the top well with foil to prevent any burning.
- Thaw in the fridge the night before
- Preheat toaster to 350, on bake
- Cover top well with foil
- Bake for 10 minutes
- Check if done
- Repeat until warmed through
- Take out of toaster oven, let cool, and enjoy
In the Microwave
The microwave is the fastest way to heat a pie if you are in a hurry. However, it can lead to the crust becoming soggy in spots and overly dry and hard in others.
- Thaw in the fridge the night before
- Place in microwave
- Set on medium temperature
- Heat in 2-minute intervals until warm through
Make sure that there is no metal from a pie tin or foil. Metal can cause fire and damage inside of a microwave.
To heat the pie faster, you can put a layer of plastic wrap over the top, however, this will make the pie crust even soggier.
In the Air Fryer
The air fryer is another way to heat pie. As long as your fryer is large enough to let the whole pie sit on a level surface with space for air to circulate, it is a feasible option. Since the air is moving around, it makes it easier to avoid the crust burning.
However, if you still want to put foil on it, make sure you wrap the pie tightly to prevent the air from blowing it off.
- Thaw in the fridge the night before
- Set temperature to 330
- Cook for 8 minutes
- Check if warm in the middle
- Repeat at 4-minute intervals until warm
Cooking in the air fryer can be messy. You want to make sure the pie is level in the air fryer and that there is space for air to circulate the pie.
The crust may also cook more than desired. To prevent this, wrap a piece of tinfoil tightly over the top and edges
On the Stove
On the stove might not be the first thought when you think about reheating pies. This method is one that people swear by once they try it. It’s easier for a slice of pie rather than a whole pie, but as long as you have patience, you can reheat your pie on the stove.
People like this method for two reasons. The first is that since it heats from the bottom up, the top crust will never get burned. The second is that it can heat pie faster since it is direct heat, unlike any of the other methods used.
- Heat skillet on low heat.
- Place pie on a pan
- Cook until middle is warm, about 15 minutes
- Serve and enjoy
How to Reheat a Pie Slice
For a pie slice, the toaster oven is the best option. It is still recommended you thaw out the slice the night before, however you risk fewer chances of burning the crust, as the amount of heat is smaller and will warm up faster.
In the Oven
The oven is still a good choice if you are heating multiple slices. However, it can seem like a waste to heat a whole oven just to cook one slice.
I would still recommend covering the crust with foil and placing the slice into a small, oven-safe bowl to prevent any messes.
- Thaw in the fridge the night before
- Preheat oven to 350
- Lightly cover with foil
- Bake 5-10 minutes
- Check if done
- Repeat until warmed through
- Take out of the oven, let cool, and enjoy
In the Toaster Oven
The toaster oven is the best option for heating a single slice. Instead of heating up your whole oven for one small slice of pie, you can do it in a toaster and still maintain the crisp crust. Wrapping your slice in foil or placing it in an oven-safe bowl will prevent any messes from occurring.
- Thaw in the fridge the night before
- Preheat toaster to 350, on bake
- Cover top well with foil
- Bake for 5 minutes
- Check if done
- Repeat until warmed through
- Take out of toaster oven, let cool, and enjoy
In the Microwave
This is the least recommended option for reheating pies. Even for a pie slice, the microwave will likely give you a soggy crust. If you are in a rush or don’t mind a soft top to your pie, then the microwave will work well for you.
- Place in microwave
- Set on medium temperature
- Heat in 30-second intervals until warm through
In the Air Fryer
This is a messy option for a single slice of pie. To properly utilize the convection aspect of an air fryer, you want to leave the pie slice unwrapped. However, doing so can cause a lot of leaking and loss of filling if it is a more liquid pie in the center, such as with fruit pies.
- Set temperature to 330
- Cook for 4 minutes
- Check if warm in the middle
- Repeat at 2-minute intervals until warm
On the Stove
This method would probably be a close second to the toaster oven. It heats your pie faster due to direct contact and allows you to not cook your crust any further while crisping up the bottom, which tends to get soggy due to the liquid. You also don’t have to waste foil to cook a slice.
- Heat skillet on low heat.
- Place pie on a pan
- Cook until middle is warm, about 5 minutes
- Serve and enjoy
Should You Thaw Pie Before Baking
With pre-cooked pies, it is highly recommended that pies are thawed overnight in the fridge before reheating it the next day. This allows your center to cook at a similar time frame as the top of your pie to minimize any burning.
If your pie wasn’t previously baked, you can throw it into the oven frozen, as the crust will also need time to cook.
How Long Does It Take To Thaw a Pie
A frozen pie will take about 6 to 8 hours if you are thawing it in the fridge. If you forgot to place it in the fridge overnight, you can also leave it on the counter for about 3 to 5 hours, depending on your house’s temperature.
Just make sure you bake your pie before it stays at room temperature for too long, or else you risk bacteria growing.
What Kind of Pies Are Best for Freezing
Fruit pies and pies like pumpkin or pecan tend to freeze well as far as dessert pies go. Pretty much all savory pies like vegetable, egg, or meat pies also freeze and reheat well.
Pies that have chocolate, custard, cream, or meringue tend to not freeze well. This is because they can separate during the thawing process and become very watery.
Baked pies can last about 6 months in the freezer, while an unbaked pie will last closer to 3 months.
Conclusion
Pies are a delicious and versatile dish. They can be sweet or savory, and filled with almost anything. Plus, who can turn down a flaky crust?
Sometimes, especially after the holidays, there’s just too much pie leftover. Instead of trying to finish it all in the next three days, or tossing it all away, just freeze your pies.
Not only can they last for 6 months in the freezer, with an assortment of ways to reheat them, but you can also have that flaky crust just like it was freshly made.