Can the pie crust be refrigerated?

Have you ever started mixing the pie crust and got distracted and couldn’t finish making it?

Or maybe you’ve mixed up a bunch of batter, not quite sure how much you needed, and you’ve got batter left over. You didn’t want to throw it away and waste it!

There are a few ways to store pie crust for short periods of time if you can’t use it right away. Most solutions are meant to be short-term solutions when you need something quick to help.

Can pie crust be refrigerated?

Yes, you can refrigerate the pie crust. It is intended for short-term use, but you can use it when you need to keep the dough for a day or two. This is a really great solution if you know the steps you can take to keep your dough fresh and safe until you can use it. 

In this guide, we will share with you how to refrigerate pie crust. We have some specific tips for properly storing pie crust that you can use.

Keep in mind that these solutions are short-term, but they should come in handy when you’re in a bind and need some way to store your pie crust for a while.

How to refrigerate pie crust

Ideally, you should try to use the batter when you mix it. However, we know that things happen. Whether you’ve mixed too much dough or have had to stop and rest, you can store the dough in the fridge for a day or two.

We have already mentioned it, but storing the tart dough in the refrigerator is only good enough to last a couple of days, 48 hours maximum. You can also freeze the dough, but it can affect the quality of the dough.

Here are the steps to know how to refrigerate the pie crust:

1. Leave the dough in the mixer bowl or transfer it to a plate that seals and closes. 
2. Make sure if you leave it in the bowl that you cover the top tightly with plastic wrap. Either way, you need to make sure it’s airtight and closed. 
3. Place the pie crust in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. 

It really is that simple. Refrigeration requires very little effort, as long as you make sure you’ve stored the pie crust airtight in the meantime.

The main reason you only have 48 hours is because of the ingredients in the dough, but also because it will rise better fresh than if it sits. 

When you’re ready to take the dough out of the fridge and bake it, you can do it cold.

You can also let it rest for about 30 minutes so that it reaches room temperature . Give it a stir to make sure nothing has settled while it was in the fridge.

When cold baking, keep in mind that it may take a few minutes longer than normal to bake, so keep an eye on the cooking progress and slightly adjust the baking time if necessary.

Other than that, you shouldn’t have any problems using the fridge for a couple of days.

How long can pie crust last in the fridge?

If you think about pie crust ingredients, you have things like eggs, milk, oil, flour, sugar, etc. All of those things stay fresh in the fridge, as long as they’re not in there long enough to spoil.

It is recommended to use the refrigerator to store the tart dough only for about 48 hours.

This deadline is not really to prevent it from going bad, but because your dough is going to lose air and the more air it loses, the less it will rise when baked.

Even in an airtight container, air will escape the dough. It’s not something you’re doing wrong, it’s just the way it works. Basically, the less time you refrigerate the dough, the better the cake results will be in the end.

There’s nothing wrong with refrigerating the dough, but you’ll definitely only want to use that solution when necessary and you’ll only want to use it for short periods if possible.

We recommend a few hours or even overnight, but then continue to use the batter if you can.

Can the pie crust be stored in the freezer?

If you really want to save that cake butter but know you won’t be using it for 48 hours, go ahead and pop it in the freezer.

You should keep in mind that it will not be exactly the same after it has been frozen, but it will still cook well when you take it out of the freezer.

This is a great way to avoid wasting your pie crust. Here’s the trick. We do not recommend that you refrigerate the dough for 48 hours and then try to freeze it . Remember that during all that time, its quality is degrading.

However, if you freeze it when it’s fresh, it will maintain that same quality. Will it affect the dough? Yes, it will do it slightly, but not drastically. It will continue to cook well, especially if you stir it well after thawing it.

Follow these steps to freeze and then bake the pie crust:

1. 1. Transfer the pie crust to a freezer-safe plate or freezer bag. 
   2. Be sure to seal all containers well. If you use a freezer bag, it wouldn’t hurt to double bag it just to be safe. 

1. Label and date the container. 
2. Place it in the freezer and store it that way for up to 3 months. 
3. When you take it out of the freezer, you’ll need to let it thaw completely. 
4. Put it in the fridge and give it 24 hours to thaw. 
5. Before pouring it into a baking pan, we recommend that you put it in a mixing bowl. 
6. In the mixer bowl, mix the batter again to make sure it’s all mixed. This will help the baking process. 
7. Now, you can bake your cake as needed. 

The most difficult thing about freezing pie crust is that the freezing process can affect the texture or quality of the crust. However, if you mix it again as we have mentioned in these steps, you will most likely not notice any difference.

Can we leave the dough at room temperature?

You should never leave the pie crust out at room temperature for more than an hour. The reason is that your cake batter probably contains things like eggs. You can even have milk.

Both milk and eggs are meant to be refrigerated and cannot be left out at room temperature for long.

If you won’t be able to use the pie crust within an hour, we recommend that you come up with a plan to store it safely until you use it.

This is the time when you can go ahead and bake it, put it in the fridge, or freeze it for later.

Related questions

We hope you find this guide on how to refrigerate pie crust a valuable resource. You can definitely use the fridge or even the freezer to help preserve your pie crust, as long as you know how to do it correctly.

We invite you to review the following question and answer sections for additional information.

Can I make the cake batter ahead of time?

If you can, you should make the dough just before using it.  However, if you need to do it the night before to make your life easier, that’s fine too.

You just have to make sure you cover it well and put it in the fridge in the meantime and stir it when you use it.

Will baking soda affect my pie crust in the fridge?

The baking soda produces some of the air in the dough which causes it to rise. If the pie crust is only in the fridge for a few hours, you probably won’t notice any problems.

However, the longer it sits, the more air will escape and the cake won’t rise as much when you bake it. 

Can I bake a cold pie crust?

Yes, as long as the dough is not frozen, you can bake it. If you prefer, you can let the dough come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.

If not, you can cold bake it. If you bake it cold, keep an eye on it during cooking. You may need to bake a few more minutes.