Coconut cream pie is a delight, but only when it’s freshly baked and not served thawed, after a month’s time in the freezer. Seriously.
Coconut cream pies, like most other cream pies, do not freeze well, all thanks to the liquid fillings in their center which makes the pie crust soggy after a while. The coconut cream pie filling is a delicate concoction, incorporating freezer sensitive ingredients such as eggs and milk. Likewise the topping, having mostly diary based ingredient as the base.
These typically do not farewell under cold storage, so they do not store for a long time and still preserve their integrity.
Combine a twice soggy pie crust (pre freezing and post freezing), with a tasteless coconut filling and a numb heavy cream topping, and i never have to describe how that’s gonna taste. Unappetizing.
But that isn’t to say, no matter the circumstance, you shouldn’t freeze cream pies. Do it when you have to, for instance, when you’re dealing loads of leftovers after a bake. These rather crumble in the freezer than be fed to hungry fruit flies in the bins right?
Here is how to freezer a left over coconut cream pie
First, transfer the leftover coconut cream pie to a freezer safe bag and pop inside the freezer for upto 6 months. The freezer normally holds items indefinitely, but it does that at a humongous cost, quality. So the earlier you get back to your coconut cream pie, the better for your taste buds.
How to thaw left over coconut cream pie?
Thawing leftover coconut cream pie is easy, take it out from the freezer to the refrigerator, shield away from odorous and dripping items, and then let sit overnight or for 24 hours. Serve pie crusts cold or pop them inside the oven at 375 F on the lowest oven rack for 20 to 30 minutes until they warm.
Happy sogging!
But hey, what about make ahead versions? Is there really no way?
Coconut cream pie can be made ahead, but instead of assembling the entire thing and regretting doing so later, after storage, you should make the filling and crust and leave them as they are contented in their own bowl. Them preserve them separately and assembled when its deal day.
How to preserve pie crust
Bake the pie using recipe instructions, and then allow to cool completely. Now transfer into the freezer and “flash freeze” – the fancy word for quick freezing prior to actual freezing that doesn’t really exist in home storage. The purpose is to eliminate the possibility of moisture accumulation during storage which will cause sogginess. It’s soggy that we hate, and it’s soggy we’ll combat!
Afterwards, you want to wrap it using a plastic wrap or put it inside a plastic bag and then store in the freezer for upto 6 months. For several pie crusts, stack them one ontop of the other with a layer of wax paper severing as an interleave. Of course, that’s after you’ve flash frozen them inside their individual pie pans. Next, place them in a box and pop inside the freezer to freeze
How to preserve pie filling
Coconut pie filling no matter how much effort you put into making them preserve their quality will always disappoint you. The reason is the very nature of the mix – the delicate items that just never freeze well! So when you’re preserving coconut pie filling in the freezer, especially for long, be ready for a disappointment, although you always make things a little less worse by staring with high quality ingredients in the first place.
After making the filling, allow to cool completely, then spoon inside freezer safe bags, label with name and date and then pop inside the freezer to freeze. Make sure to use a quality freezer bag to prevent freezer burn which will only escalate things to greater proportions!
Toppings?
You’re definitely not planning on freezing that too right? If pie fillings disappoint you, toppings will, well, also disappoint, but not to an unbearable degree. Prepare them when you need them to at least have something fresh on the overall cream pie please!. They’re not that hard to make are they!
If you must save them however, drop mounds of them onto parchment paper and freeze overnight. Then transfer into freezer for long term storage.
Thawing
Thaw both filling and crust in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours, and then assemble. Then bake according to recipe instructions or until browned and cooked. Transfer the toping to the top of the coconut pie and let thaw for 15 minutes. Enjoy.
How to refrigerate coconut cream pie
Want your pies to store for only a short while, you should try refrigerating them instead, both leftover and make ahead versions. Just seal tightly and place the contents inside the fridge for up to 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze whipped cream on a pie?
Yes, whipped cream on a pie can be frozen. They may lose some of their qualities but the end result is often acceptable, considering most of us usually get back to our stored whipped cream as quickly as we can.
To store whipped cream, first flash freeze them on a parchment lined tray or even on bare parchment paper. Then, transfer into freezer bags and store for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator over a freshly baked item.
Can you freeze coconut custard pie?
Coconut custard pie do not freeze well due to the liquid nature of their filling which turns watery. However, they can still be frozen by portioning them inside freezer bags and then popped inside the fridge.
Final Verdict
Freezing coconut cream pie is possible, but it’s usually not recommended as cream pies generally do not freeze well. Leftover cream pies soak and turn the bottom of pies soggy in a very little while, and when the storage time is extended and they’re popped in the freezer and then thawed, the sogginess turns even worse.
That’s why if you must freeze coconut cream pie, you should do them separately and avoid freezing the topping at all and only make it on the deal day. That’s how to get something nearly reminiscent of the freshly baked cream pie you love!
