How to Freeze Pie Dough

Freezing pie dough is a great way to save time when preparing for busy holidays! This post will show you how to freeze pie dough and how to freeze unbaked pie crusts.

It will also answer questions about freezing and thawing pie dough, and shares some of my favorite pie recipes.

Why it is a Good Idea to Freeze Pie Dough

Here are a few reasons to start freezing pie dough (and pie crusts!): 

• Oops! I the recipe that I prepared made more dough than I needed for my pie crust. Freezing pie dough will extend allow you to extend the shelf life so you can use it later. It also helps prevent food waste!
• Don’t you love it when butter and flour go on sale and you can stock up on them? Making pie dough in advance with your bulk ingredients is a great way to use up butter before it spoils. Tip: You can also freeze butter!
• Homemade Pie Crusts are so much better than store bought! But, they can be time consuming to prepare. Prepare pie dough ahead of time and store it in the freezer until you’re ready to use so you can save time at a later (and busier) date.

Tools Needed to Freeze Pie Dough

You’ll need to have a few different items to use this frozen pie dough tutorial:

• Pie Dough
• Food Processor or tools to Cut Butter Into Flour
• Rolling Pin
• Plastic Wrap
• Freezer Bags (quart or gallon sized) or a Vacuum Sealer with Vacuum Bags
• Foil – I like the heavy duty aluminum foil because it is thicker and stronger.
• Permanent Marker for labeling
• Extra Freezer Space

The above is simply a quick summary of this tutorial. Check out the free printable card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

How to Freeze Pie Dough 

Can you freeze pie dough? Absolutely! The thing I really love about freezing pie dough is that it make future pie making so much easier and quicker to do.

Pie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after being prepared, but if you want it to last longer than that you will need to freeze it.

I’ve been known to throw a ziplock bag of pie dough in the freezer from time to time, but there is really a little more to it than that! 

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to freeze pie dough: 

1. Prepare the pie dough as instructed in the recipe, stopping before you roll the pie out into individual portions for preparing crusts.
2. On an un-floured surface, turn the dough out and shape it circles (I use a kitchen scale to make sure they’re evenly sized), approximately 6″ in diameter, kneading as little as possible.
3. Make 1 circle for each pie crust you are preparing, or whatever your particular recipe instructs the yield will be.
4. Dust both sides of each circle with a bit of flour and wrap in plastic wrap.
5. Then, transfer each wrapped dough round into a freezer grade plastic zip top bag, removing as much air as possible when sealing it.
6. Label each with the contents, date, and any notes or instructions you might need to cue you in later when you remove the frozen pie dough from the freezer.

How to Freeze Unbaked Pie Crusts 

Did you know you can also freeze unbaked pie crusts? 

If you have the extra time after preparing the dough, it is an even bigger time saver to roll the dough and prep the crust in the pan before freezing it. Read on to find out how this method works!

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to freeze unbaked pie crusts: 

1. Prepare the pie dough as instructed in the recipe.
2. On an un-floured surface, turn the dough out and shape it circles (I use a kitchen scale to make sure they’re evenly sized), approximately 6″ in diameter, kneading as little as possible.
3. Make 1 circle for each pie crust you are preparing, or whatever your particular recipe instructs the yield will be.
4. Dust both sides of each circle with a bit of flour and wrap in plastic wrap.
5. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for an hour.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator or freezer. Set it aside while you dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour.
7. Unwrap one dough circle and roll with a rolling pin until the dough has formed a circle about 12″ in diameter and slightly thicker than 1/8 inch.
8. When the dough is the proper size, wrap it gently around the rolling pin to transfer to the pie plate.
9. Press the dough into the 9″ pie plate (metal works best because glass can shatter in the freezer.
10. Then, shape the edges according to your desired design.
11. Transfer your pie plate with the rolled crust in it into a freezer storage bag or a vacuum seal bag. If your pie plate is too larger for either of these options, then I recommend double wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap. After the plastic wrap, then wrap again with foil.
12. Just like the other method, you’ll want to do the same labeling before you place the unbaked pie crust in the freezer.

How Long Does Frozen Pie Dough Last? 

If stored correctly, frozen pie dough (and unbaked crusts) will last about 3 months in the freezer when they are packaged correctly. Incorrect packaging could lead to freezer burn.

By freezing, you are significantly extending the storage life of prepared pie dough from 3 days to 3 months. Just think of how many pie recipes you could bake in 3 months with just a little extra work ahead of time!

How to Thaw Frozen Pie Dough (2 Ways!)

There are a couple different ways to thaw frozen pie dough. Choose whichever thawing method is best for you depending on how much time you have and the recipe you are preparing. 

Thawing Pie Dough in the Fridge  

To thaw the pie dough in the fridge, you’ll need to do so overnight.

Then, when you’re ready to use the frozen pie dough, remove it from the fridge and allow it to sit on the counter while you prepare the filling for the pie.

After preparing the filling, your dough should be soft enough to be rolled and shaped.

Thawing Pie Dough on the Counter

You can also thaw pie dough on the counter if you need it ready sooner.

For frozen pie dough, you will need to let it sit out on the counter for about 60 minutes (depending on how warm your kitchen is) before it is soft enough to roll and shape the dough for your pie plate.

Do You Have to Thaw Pie Dough Before Using It? 

No, not always! If you’re just freezing the dough you will need to let it thaw before preparing the remainder of your pie recipe.

Pie dough that is ready to use should still be cool, but also pliable. If you try to roll the dough when it hasn’t thawed enough it can crumble, break, and crack.

However, if you chose to freeze unbaked pie crusts that have already been rolled and formed, you don’t usually need to thaw them before baking unless the recipe specifies. But, you can always thaw them in the refrigerator overnight if you prefer.

Other Tips for Freezing Pie Dough or Unbaked Crusts 

Here are a few extra quick tips for this tutorial: 

• Proper Materials — Make sure you use bags that are labeled as freezer bags.
• Disposable Pie Plates — Don’t want to lose your pans to the freezer when freezing unbaked pie crusts? Try using disposable pie plates. 
• Freeze the pie filling — when making fruit pies, you can also freeze the pie filling if you make a large batch or what it make it ahead of time. Cool it completely, then transfer to a freezer bag. Flatten the bag and remove as much air as possible without spilling the contents. Label and date. Thaw to room temperature before baking.
• Always make extra — Next time you make pie dough, try doubling the recipe so you can stash a little extra in the freezer for another day.
• Crumb topping — Next time you make a pie with a crumb topping, make extra of that as well and stash it in the freezer in portions for future recipe usage. Using a crumb topping is also a time saver when it comes to freezer pie dough.

More How to Freeze Tutorials:

Now that you know everything there is to know about freezing pie dough and freezing unbaked pie crusts, here are some more helpful freezer tutorials:

Did you know that you can also freeze kale? Here’s How to Freeze Kale 4 different ways, depending on how you want to use it!

Freezing cranberries is a great way to take advantage of winter’s offerings year-round! This post will show you how to freeze cranberries, answer questions about freezing and thawing cranberries, and shares some of my favorite recipes to use frozen cranberries.

Can you freeze butter? Absolutely! In this post, I walk you through how to freeze butter and how to defrost it. Plus, I answer other FAQs about freezing butter. 

No matter what season it is, you need to know How to Freeze Cookie Dough. Spoiler: it’s super easy to do!

Knowing how to freeze soup and which soups freeze well makes meal prep a breeze! In this post, I share the best ways to freeze soup, plus how to defrost soup and which soups you can and can’t freeze.

Yep, you can freeze spinach too. Here’s How to Freeze Spinach, plus a yummy smoothie you can make with it.

Who doesn’t love a good kitchen tip? Looking for more kitchen tutorials? Check out the entire Kitchen Tips and Tricks archive for lots of great ideas!

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