We all know donuts as a favorite snack of Homer Simpson. The thing is, Homer eats all of his donuts at once, as should you. How long do donuts last before they go bad?
Not very long as you might have imagined. Donuts are baked and we all go to the bakery to get things fresh and expect high quality. When you buy some donuts for your colleagues at work and still have some left at the end of the day, you should know what to do with the leftovers.
In this article, we will cover all you need to know about donuts, their shelf life, how to store them, and the signs of spoilage.
Enjoy the read!
What Is A Donut
Donuts are a type of food that’s made from fried dough. Those donuts can be finished or topped with sugar, eggs, butter, frostings, glazes, and so on…
You’ll see them in different shapes and sizes. They’re a sweet dough dessert that everyone should have tried once in their life. The ring donut and the filled donut are 2 popular types.
Donut is derived from “doughnut” and is the simplified version of a doughnut.
How Long Can Donuts Last
We will start with a table for your convenience.
Donuts | Counter | Refrigerator |
---|---|---|
Donuts without frosting or cream | Up to 2 days | Up to 1 week (7 days) |
Donuts with frosting or cream | / | Up to 5 days |
Homemade donuts | 1 day | Up to 3 days |
As you can see, donuts don’t last for a long time, 1 week if you’re lucky.
We will talk about different types of donuts in the way that we’ve talked about cupcakes before on our blog.
How Long Do Donuts Last: General
When you leave the donuts unrefrigerated on the counter, don’t use them after 2 days. They’ll last up to 2 days at room temperature.
They won’t last longer than 1 week (7 days) when stored in the fridge. This period shortens as there’s cream involved, thus depending on the used ingredients and environment.
Just for your own sake, they’re best consumed within the first 2 days, if you want to have a tasty donut that is.
Think about it, do you go to the bakery or bake desserts at home, just to eat them later? No, because we want the best experience for ourselves and the ones we want to comfort.
Storebought donuts may have some extra additives to prolong their shelf life, but again, try to consume them within the first 2 days.
Homemade donuts also should be finished within the first 2 days.
We will go deeper into some specific donuts with cream and with frosting.
How Long Do Donuts With Cream Last
Donuts with cream will last up to 5 days when stored in the fridge. This is already a wide range, some will go bad sooner. Don’t expect them to be good after the 5 days.
When there’s cream involved, there’s also dairy involved or eggs. Those will shorten the shelf life of your donuts and make them more vulnerable to classic external threats like heat, air, bacteria, moisture, and so on.
How Long Do Donuts Without Cream Last
Donuts without cream will last for up to 7 days when stored properly in the fridge or up to 2 days when stored on the counter at room temperature.
Try to finish them within the first 2 days.
What About Frosting
When you finish or top your donuts with frosting, you should know that it’s very likely that your donut will spoil faster because of this. Try to finish it within 2 days.
How Long Do Homemade Donuts Last
You shouldn’t leave them on the counter for more than 1 day and in the fridge for more than 3 days.
As always, try to eat them within the first 2 days if possible.
All these times are indicative and depend on the environment and the way they were stored.
How To Store Donuts
You should store your donuts in an airtight container or seal them tight into a plastic bag (freezer bag) or 2 bags (double-bagging them). Store them this way in the pantry or refrigerator. Always place your donuts in the fridge when they contain cream.
You can store your donuts on the counter, in the pantry, in the refrigerator, or freezer, depending on the ingredients they have and how many you have.
You don’t need to refrigerate all of your donuts. Just think about it before you buy them.
The important thing is that you shield your donuts from external threats like air, moisture, bacteria, heat, direct sunlight, and so on… Think about it, leaving them open and with access to air will dry them out, so seal them tight.
Storing them sealed tight directly in your refrigerator is also a good option.
Depending on how many donuts you have can opt for a bag or container but storing them in an airtight container might be the best route for you as it can get messy in a bag.
Always store your homemade donuts in the refrigerator, that’s a good habit for storing foods in the fridge.
How To Store Donuts Refrigerated
As we’ve said before, you should seal them tight, be it in an airtight container or in a bag. You should always store them in the fridge when they contain anything cream or dairy-based (frostings, toppings…).
The downside to storing them in the refrigerator is that some of these toppings can melt down and get absorbed in the donut. This means that your donut will get wet and sloppy and really don’t taste great.
That’s why it’s best to finish your donuts as soon as you can or in 2 days.
If you’re sure you won’t be able to eat all your donuts, there’s always the possibility of freezing them.
Can You Freeze Donuts
Yes, of course, you can freeze your donuts. You can freeze every food or donut you want but the question is: should you freeze your donuts?
We on GoodOrGoneBad are not a fan of freezing your donuts as it all comes to this: when you make or buy desserts like donuts, you want them to have the highest quality for a great experience. We say you can better leave some space for other products in your freezer as your freezer capacity won’t be endless.
Freezing your donuts also means thawing your donuts. Thawing is known to have an impact on the texture and consistency of your donuts, even more for the ones with frosting and other things on them.
Try to do the following:
- Try to freeze your donuts separately and store them away like this. Wrap some plastic foil or put them in separate plastic bags in an airtight container.
- Don’t forget to label it with the correct date and time of freezing. It also helps to write down the date when you made them or bought them. This requires some effort but will enhance your decision-making when it comes to discarding them or not.
- Freeze your donuts
Always check after thawing your donuts overnight in your fridge for signs of spoilage.
How Can You Tell If Your Donuts Have Gone Bad
You can see this easily by using and trusting your senses and using some general principles or guidelines.
There’s a saying that you start eating with your senses, that’s true for the most part, and that’s why checking spoilage can be really easy.
Try to detect it before you need to taste it and avoid the bad mouth taste.
Some guidelines when checking for spoilage signs in donuts:
- Does the donut have an off-color? If yes, throw it away immediately. Some will try to cut away the “bad” pieces, don’t take that risk.
- Are there any black spots on the donuts? This can be a sign of mold. Throw it away immediately!
- Does the donut have a sharp smell? If you smell something funny or unpleasant, discard it straight away.
- Is the taste somewhat off or unpleasant? Please rinse your mouth with water and discard the donut.
When you notice something strange on the donut or you’re in doubt, don’t hesitate to get rid of it. On GoodOrGoneBad, we always say to be better safe than sorry. Spoiled food is bad news. Okay, fancy donuts aren’t that cheap but in the end, it’s pretty cheap when you compare it to your health and well-being. Get rid of it and buy a fresh donut of high quality, that’s what you deserve and nothing less!
Enjoy your donuts!