Whether you’ve seen one of your local police officers eating them or you pass by some store every morning that sells doughnuts, you must know what donuts are because they are one of the most popular sweet treats in the United States, alongside brownies and some other sweet stuff.
And there are just a few strongest who can resist their sweet flavor and moist, crumbly, and fluffy texture. That is the reason why most people eat them immediately after they buy them and there is no problem with that.
But there can be a situation where you must buy a lot of donuts for some kind of event or party and the question arises of how long are donuts good for. And that is really a legitimate question but it has a little bit of a complicated answer.
I have to be honest and say that donuts’ shelf life is not very long but it really depends on various factors and, in this article, I am going to go through those factors and will try to answer your question the best I can.
How Long Are Donuts Good For?
Well, the answer to the question of how long are donuts good for, i.e. how long do donuts last, mainly depends on one thing and that is the type of donut. There are regular donuts that include plain, topped, powdered, and glazed donuts.
And those kinds of donuts that most of us who love this sweet treat eat the most can last 1-2 days at room temperature, if they are wrapped properly.
But, there is also another type of donut and that is a cream-filled donut.
It is not recommended to leave cream-filled donuts on the counter because they will spoil in no time. So, it is much better to refrigerate them and, in the fridge, they will last for a couple of days longer, i.e. about 3-5 days.
It is not enough just to put regular donuts on the counter or cream-filled ones in the fridge and expect that they will be good. You have to know some more information in order to know how to wrap them and store them correctly so that they don’t go bad.
And that is exactly what I will be talking about in the continuation of this article, so stay tuned.
How To Store Donuts Properly
As I already said in the beginning, storing donuts depends mainly on their type. Regular donuts can only stay on the counter if they are wrapped properly, but they can also go into the fridge. But cream-filled ones must go into the fridge because they will spoil quickly at room temperature.
Regular Donuts
Although it is best to refrigerate all types of donuts because the cool temperature will save them from spoilage for sure, regular donuts can also be stored outside the fridge if they are wrapped properly.
In order to preserve regular donuts fresh, you must wrap them properly and you can do that by using a single layer of plastic wrap.
If you don’t want to end up with dry donuts, you must make sure that they do not come into contact with fresh air and you will achieve that by sealing them tightly.
Here you can use some kind of storage bag (plastic bag) but honestly, it is best to use an airtight container because topped donuts can end up in a mess.
If you are storing plain or sprinkle donuts, then you can freely use a bag. You just have to make sure to remove all the excess air.
I must also emphasize that, when storing regular donuts, you must find a place where there is no direct sunlight or any kind of heat source, otherwise you will get stale donuts and their topping could potentially melt.
Food storage is one of the most important things in the whole process, so you need to be very careful in the case of donut storage as well.
Cream-Filled Donuts
When it comes to cream-filled donuts, there isn’t a doubt that you need to store them in the fridge immediately because they won’t last very long at room temperature.
Before you refrigerate these cream-filled donuts, it is good to wrap them tightly too. You can do this by using the so-called airtight wrap.
The airtight wrap is something that will prevent air and moisture from coming into contact with your donut. If you have store-bought donuts, you must first take them out of the original packaging, or if you have baked donuts you must first cool them and then the process can start.
Although you can get soggy donuts in the fridge, there is not much of a choice when it comes to cream-filled donuts. There are some differences between subtypes of regular donuts when it comes to this problem.
Topped and glazed donuts do not like the fridge much because of the cooler temperature that can make them soggy.
On the other hand, powdered and plain donuts do not have that problem and they keep very well in the fridge.
As you can see, in order to know how long donuts are good for, you also need to know what type of donuts they are, and how to store donuts the right way.
Can You Freeze Donuts?
Yes, you can freeze donuts in order to extend their lifespan. But there is a risk that the quality of your donuts will deteriorate. The level of deterioration really depends on the type of donuts that you are freezing.
If you are freezing powdered or plain donuts, you do not have to worry because they are well-suited for the freezing process just as is the case with refrigeration.
But if you are planning to freeze Krispy Kreme donuts, topped and glazed ones, there could be potential problems because the topping can get messy after freezing and defrosting.
And when it comes to cream-filled donuts, I really wouldn’t recommend you freeze them because of their cream content that doesn’t freeze well.
But if you decide to freeze your donuts after all, and it is best to freeze plain or powdered ones, you can extend their shelf life for about 2-3 months but you need to know some important pieces of information in order to do this properly.
You first have to package the right number of donuts in a freezer bag or airtight container. Before you put them there, it is best to wrap them with wax paper or aluminum foil.
You can then label them with the exact date of freezing and finally freeze them. When it comes to thawing, the process is not really the same as with some other foods like defrosting chicken, for example, that I described in one of the related posts.
You do not have to put frozen donuts in the fridge, but you can just leave them on the countertop for 15 to 30 minutes to thaw.
Also, you will need to uncover them so that they don’t become soggy.
How To Know If Donuts Have Gone Bad?
The answer to the question “Do donuts go bad?” is a big “yes” and you need to be really careful when it comes to this. There are several ways to know if donuts have gone bad, i.e. the signs of spoilage that you should know.
First, if you see that the donut starts to grow mold on the surface, then that is a sign that it has gone bad and that you have to throw it away.
If you do not see any mold but your donut smells bad, this is also a sign that it is not edible.
And finally, if you are not satisfied with the taste, i.e. if the taste is odd, then you should not continue consuming it. In a nutshell, you should pay attention to any unusual odors, tastes, and textures because these are the signs of food spoilage.
FAQs
How Long Can You Keep Donuts In The Refrigerator?
The answer to this question depends on the type of donuts. Regular types of donuts that include plain, topped, powdered, and glazed donuts, you can keep in the fridge for about 5-7 days.
But when it comes to cream-filled donuts, they can be stored in the fridge for just 3-5 days because they are more prone to spoilage.
How Long Are Donuts Good For After They Are Opened?
The answer to this question depends on the type of donuts and the way you store them. After you open regular donuts, if you wrap them properly, they can stay on the countertop for 1-2 days.
If they are not wrapped, they will spoil very quickly, so it is not recommended to leave them that way at room temperature.
When it comes to cream-filled donuts, they will spoil immediately if they are left open on the countertop so you need to refrigerate them in order to extend their lifespan for about 3-5 days.
Know Your Donuts
Whether you like to eat popular Boston cream donuts, some Krispy Kreme classics, or the little less popular Mochi donuts, you must know how long donuts are good for and how to properly store them in order to preserve their quality.
In this article, you have found out all the important information related to storing donuts and the shelf life of donuts.
So, if you bought a large number of those paper bags containing those sweet and yummy donuts, after reading this text, you won’t have any problems with storing them.
You will also know how long each type of donut can be preserved and, according to that, you will know how to properly handle them.
