When it comes to dessert, warm apple pie is about as classic—and perfect—as it gets. Baking it from scratch is quite a process, though. Good thing pies freeze well, making them convenient to pull out for a midnight craving, unplanned guests or a quick hostess gift. It’s quite easy to cook a frozen apple pie if you follow a few simple steps.
If the pie was pre-baked, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If it wasn't pre-baked, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Remove the pie from the freezer and unwrap the covering. If it's a store-bought frozen apple pie, take it out of the box and remove the wrapper.
Leave the pie in its pan. If the pie wasn't pre-baked, cut three or four slits in the top crust and then brush cream on top with a pastry brush to give the pie a golden color. Sprinkle the top with sugar.
Center the pie on the cookie sheet to catch any spills from the bubbly fruit filling.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and heat the pre-baked pie for 25 to 30 minutes. Watch the pie carefully for the last 10 minutes, and if the crust begins to brown too fast, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lay a sheet of foil over the top of the crust.
If the pie was not pre-baked, bake it for 45 to 50 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven carefully with oven mitts and place it on a trivet or wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Tip
To bake a frozen pie that has thawed in the refrigerator, reduce the cooking time by half.
Frozen pies should be heated and eaten within six months.
Writer Bio
Kristie Brown is a publisher, writer and editor. She has contributed to magazines, textbooks and online publications. Brown holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin.