How to Bake a Frozen Pie: Raw, Pre-Baked and Other Tips

Keeping prepared desserts in your freezer is a great idea for dinner gatherings or nights you want a little something sweet without having to do too much work. For example, it's much easier to bake a frozen pie than to make one from scratch.

Store-bought frozen pies usually come with instructions for cooking or reheating them in the oven, but if you're working with a fresh pie that's been frozen, you'll want to pay special attention when baking it.

Here are the steps to follow if you're baking a frozen pie, whether it's a pre-baked pie or a raw pie you made at home.

Making a pie and sticking it in the freezer raw is a great way to prep dessert in advance. That way, the day you want to eat it, you don't have to spend all the time and energy making the entire pie from start to finish.

Follow these steps to bake a raw frozen pie:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. When the oven is almost at the cooking temperature, take the pie out of the freezer, unwrap it, cut a few slits in the top layer and place it in the oven.
3. Bake the pie for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature of the oven to 350 F and baking it for another 40 minutes or until the center is tender and the crust is golden, per the Mayo Clinic.

You can buy a pre-made frozen pie at the grocery store that's already been baked, or you can freeze and reheat pie you baked at home.

Technically, pre-baked frozen pie is already fully-cooked, so you just have to reheat it. It's best to reheat a frozen baked pie in the oven, but you'll want to use a lower temperature and shorter cook time than if you were baking a raw pie.

If you bought your frozen pie at the grocery store, check the packaging for specific reheating instructions.

To bake a pre-baked frozen pie, follow these instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
   
2. Reheat your frozen pie in the oven until it's fully heated through, between 30 and 35 minutes depending on the type of pie. Fruit pies will require more time than crumb pies.
3. The pie is done when the crust is golden brown and the center is soft when pierced with a fork.

No one wants to end up with soggy dessert, so follow these tips when you're reheating or baking frozen pie.

Do not take the pie out of the freezer until you're ready to bake it, as this will change the texture and consistency. Thawing a frozen pie before baking will cause it to come out soggy.

In fact, the frozen pie should also be the last thing you pick up at the grocery store, after you've selected all your nonperishable items — if you're using a store-bought pie that is.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service explains that keeping frozen food out can affect its quality and cause it to spoil.

If you're freezing raw homemade pie, wrap the pie in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer and don't take it out until your oven is hot and ready.

Freeze baked pie leftovers to save them for longer. You can slice the pie and wrap the slices individually for easier reheating.

Different types of pie will have varying cook times. You'll generally need to bake frozen fruit pie, such as apple, raspberry and cherry pie longer than crumb pies. Start to check your pie's doneness after 30 minutes of baking.

You'll know your pie is done when the center is soft when pierced with a fork and the crust turns golden brown. If you notice the edges of the crust are burning, cover them with tinfoil.

Place your frozen pie on a cookie sheet that's been warmed in the oven before cooking. The cookie sheet will help to cook the bottom of the pie crust so it doesn't come out soggy.