On Thanksgiving morning, the turkey has the oven and the sides are waiting for their turn. If pumpkin pie is on the menu, move the baking to Wednesday. Leave the pie plain in the fridge and add the whipped cream when you’re ready to slice it.
Bake the pumpkin pie on Wednesday and chill it overnight
Set aside a flat spot in the fridge before you bake. When the pie comes out of the oven, let it cool on a rack, then refrigerate it within two hours. Once chilled, cover it with a lid or wrap it for the night. FoodSafety.gov gives baked pumpkin and pecan pies three to four days in a fridge at 40°F or below. Count from the day you baked the pie. USDA’s cooling guidance allows small amounts of warm food to go into the fridge, so there’s no need to wait for the pie to reach room temperature if that would take longer.
Save the whipped cream for Thursday
Keep the cream cold and whip it while someone clears the dinner plates. Spoon it onto each slice so you can cover any leftover pie without flattening the topping. If you’re bringing the pie to someone else’s house, pack it in a cooler with ice packs and ask the host to make room in the fridge. Bring the topping in a separate chilled container.
Choose a backup based on the appliance you have free
If the oven is full on Wednesday too, try our Instant Pot pumpkin pie. If you want a dessert that sets in the fridge, King Arthur Baking’s pumpkin mousse pie needs at least six hours of chilling before you add the topping. Assemble it the night before and leave a shelf clear so the pie can sit flat.
When dessert is over, put the leftover pie back in the fridge before you start on the dishes. If you expect people to come back for seconds later, put out a few slices at a time and keep the rest chilled.