How to Bring a Pie to Thanksgiving Without Ruining the Crust
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You spent Wednesday on that pie. The crimp came out even for once. Now it has to ride forty minutes down the highway to your sister-in-law’s.
We’ve shown up with plenty of pies that didn’t make it. Cracked tops, filling slumped to one side, a bottom crust gone soft. Almost every time, it was something small we did (or didn’t do) before we left the house. So this is our list of what actually helps.
a little pie planner
Where’s your pie headed?
Your plan
Pick your pie and how far it’s going. Everything is also written out below if you’d rather scroll.
1Bake it Wednesday
A pie that comes out of the oven Thursday morning is still warm and jiggly when everyone’s piling into the car. Bake it the day before. The filling sets up overnight, the crust firms, and Thursday morning gets to be about coffee and the parade.
Don’t pull it early, either. A crust baked to a deep golden brown holds up much better than a pale one. If the edges are getting dark before the middle is done, wrap just the rim in a strip of foil.
2Let it cool. All the way.
If you only remember one thing from this post, make it this: don’t cover a warm pie. The steam has nowhere to go, so it goes into the crust, and by the time you arrive the bottom is soft.
Fruit pies need at least 4 hours on a wire rack. Pumpkin, pecan and custard pies sit on the counter for about 2 hours and then go in the fridge overnight. They come out firm and cold, which is exactly how you want them for the ride.
3Keep the cover loose
For fruit pies, we just drape a tea towel over the top. Pies coming out of the fridge get a loose foil tent, as long as the foil isn’t resting on the filling.
Toothpick trick: poke 4 or 5 toothpicks around the edge of a pumpkin pie and tent the foil over them. The foil stays up off the top, and the top stays smooth.
4Use a carrier
A pie on your lap means one hand on the dish every time the car brakes. A carrier keeps it covered and snug in its dish, and gives you handles to hold instead of the rim of a pie plate.
So we made one.
5Floor, not the seat
Car seats slope backward. Put a pie on one and it rides the whole way at a tilt, which is how the filling ends up piled on one side. The floor is flat. Passenger side works, or the trunk, with a folded towel or a piece of shelf liner underneath so it doesn’t slide.
If it’s on the floor, turn the floor heat off. And maybe take the turns a little easier than usual.
6When you get there
Find the host before you find the snacks. Pumpkin, custard and cream pies go right into the fridge. A fruit pie can sit on the counter, and if the oven’s free before dessert, 10 to 15 minutes at 350°F with foil laid on top warms it through.
We like to tuck a recipe card in with the pie that says what it is and how to warm it. It saves the host a text, and somebody always asks for the recipe anyway.
How long can pie sit out?
Which pies need a cooler and which ones can hang out on the counter:
| Pie | On the counter | In the fridge | In the freezer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit pies apple, blueberry, cherry | Up to 2 days, loosely covered | 2 more days | Up to 4 months |
| Pumpkin and pecan and other pies made with eggs | No more than 2 hours | Up to 4 days | Up to 2 months |
| Cream pies cream, custard, meringue | No more than 2 hours | Up to 4 days | Skip it, they don’t freeze well |
Storage times from Iowa State University Extension.
Crust rescue
Sometimes a pie has a rough ride anyway. It happens to us too. A few quiet fixes:
- Cracked top
Whipped cream. Or powdered sugar tapped through a small strainer. Both hide a lot.
- Dented edge
Before you leave, bake a few leaves or stars from the dough scraps. Bring them along and set them over the dent.
- Soggy bottom
Fruit pies only: 10 minutes on the lowest oven rack at 375°F firms it back up.
- Foil stuck to the top
Peel it off slowly. Whatever tears, a scoop of vanilla ice cream will cover.
Pie packing list
Check them off as they go in the car.
0 of 8 packed
Still need a pie?
Our classic New England apple pie is the one we make every year, and a double crust fruit pie is about the easiest kind to travel with. If you’re picking apples for it, our apple guide says which ones to get. Hosting this year instead? This is how we set our fall table.
What we pack
Everything that rides along with the pie.
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New in the shop
Blueberry Pie Carrier
Quilted, with handles that tie on top.
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Tea Towels
Pie cover, car floor liner, napkin.
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Blueberry Recipe Cards
The pie’s name and how to warm it.
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Market Tote
For the server, whipped cream and foil.
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Our pick
Blue and White Bakeware
A pie dish nice enough to put on the table.
See it
“Our pick” items are affiliate links. Everything else is from the Berry & Blue Shop.
Pie travel questions
How do you transport a pie without ruining it?
Bake it the day before, let it cool all the way, keep the cover loose, and put it on the car floor in a carrier. Nine times out of ten, a wrecked pie was either packed warm or rode on a seat.
Should I bake my pie the day before Thanksgiving?
Yes. Fruit and pumpkin pies both slice better the next day anyway, because the filling has time to set. It also means Thursday morning is just coffee and the parade.
How long should a pie cool before I cover it?
At least 4 hours for a fruit pie. Pumpkin and custard pies get about 2 hours on the counter, then the fridge. Cover one while it’s warm and the steam has nowhere to go but into the crust.
Can I put plastic wrap on a pie?
Only once it’s completely cool, and keep it loose. We usually skip it and use a tea towel or a foil tent instead.
Where should a pie go in the car?
The floor. Passenger side or the trunk, on a folded towel or a piece of shelf liner. Seats tilt back, and so will your filling.
Does pumpkin pie need to be refrigerated on the way?
On a longer drive, yes. Pies made with eggs and milk, like pumpkin, pecan and custard, shouldn’t be out of the fridge more than 2 hours. Put it in a cooler with an ice pack and hand it straight to the fridge when you get there.
How long can apple pie sit out?
Up to 2 days on the counter, loosely covered. The same goes for blueberry and most fruit pies made with sugar. After that, into the fridge.
Can I bring a pie on a plane?
You can. TSA lets pies through in your carry on, but they might pull it aside for a closer look, so leave a few extra minutes. Keep it on your lap or under the seat in front of you, not in the overhead bin.
Should I warm up the pie when I get there?
A fruit pie, sure: 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes with foil laid loosely on top. Pumpkin, custard and cream pies are meant to be served cool, so those go right in the fridge.
What if my pie crust cracks on the way?
Whipped cream covers a lot. So does powdered sugar, or a few little crust leaves baked from the scraps. Honestly, nobody at the table is looking that closely.
Keep the season going
Happy Thanksgiving, and drive slow.Berry & Blue
