Donuts are a delicious sweet treat with so many different flavor options that it is difficult to choose just one when you are at your local bakery or donut shop.
If you make donuts yourself, you probably make them in batches of a dozen or more so it’s important to know how to store the ones that you don’t eat right away so that you can enjoy them at a later time.
Forgetting donuts out at room temperature can, of course, happen regardless if they’re store-bought or homemade. The question is, are they safe to eat?
Most donuts can be left out at room temperature for up to two days. They should be properly stored in an airtight container or wrapping to stay fresh and prevent them from going stale. Donuts with any dairy-based fillings or toppings should not be left at room temperature for more than a few hours because dairy ingredients are more prone to bacteria growth.
Of course, nothing beats a freshly made donut but leftover donuts can still be a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Read on to discover all the best tips for keeping your leftover donuts at their best quality.
How Should Donuts Be Stored?
Donuts should be stored in any manner that prevents air from getting to them. Leaving donuts in a cardboard box or pastry bag allows for too much airflow and causes them to become stale very quickly.
Stale donuts are tough to bite into and taste bland, but when properly stored, donuts will remain soft and tasty for the next day!
To keep your donuts as fresh as possible, put them into an air-tight container. If your donuts are topped with anything sticky, lay them out in a single layer. Plain and glazed donuts can be stacked.
Alternatively, you can wrap your donuts in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, just make sure they are wrapped tightly and there are no gaps. You can also put them in a Ziploc bag or tied plastic bag.
You can then leave your donuts out at room temperature, put them in the fridge, or store them in the freezer, depending on how soon you plan on eating them.
How Long Can Donuts Be Stored?
If you plan to leave your donuts out on the counter, they will remain fresh and taste just as good for a day or two (if they are properly stored).
If your donuts contain cream or a dairy-based topping, you should package them properly and refrigerate them immediately to avoid bacterial growth.
In the refrigerator, donuts can last for about a week. After that time they may still be safe to consume but they will have become stale.
You can also store your donuts in the freezer if you don’t plan on finishing them right away. Make sure they are in freezer-safe packaging and tightly sealed or wrapped.
Once in the freezer, your donuts will maintain good quality for around 2 months. They can be safely kept for longer than that but their texture and flavor might deteriorate.
Is It Safe to Eat a Donut That’s Been Left Out Overnight?
It is perfectly safe to eat a donut that’s been left out overnight so long as it doesn’t contain any dairy-based fillings or toppings.
Plain donuts, glazed donuts, powdered donuts, and donuts filled with jelly or peanut butter (or any other non-dairy ingredient) can be left out at room temperature for up to two days without any risks.
However, items that contain dairy are not as safe to leave out because they spoil a lot faster and can contain a lot of bacteria.
Consuming spoiled dairy can cause stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and headaches. If you leave out a donut with a chocolate or cream topping or filling, your safest bet is to discard it.
How Can You Tell If a Donut Has Gone Bad?
If you’ve left your donuts out on a plate or in a cardboard box for more than a few hours or overnight then they won’t technically be unsafe to eat but they might not be enjoyable anymore.
When exposed to air, donuts get hard and dry. If your donuts feel hard when you pick them up or feel dry when you bite into them, they may need to be discarded because there is no saving them.
If left out for a long time (or if they contain dairy ingredients) donuts can start to spoil.
The easiest way to tell that a donut has gone bad is to look for any color changes or fuzzy spots that might indicate mold growth.
Spoiled donuts may also give off an unpleasant odor. If your donuts smell funky, don’t try eating them and get rid of them to stay on the safe side.
Lastly, spoiled donuts will carry a strange taste that’s very different from what a donut usually tastes like. So, if you happen to eat a donut that has been left out and tastes strange, discard it.
How Do Donuts Go Bad? (What Happens?)
Donuts are generally made of glutinous dough and fried in oil, two factors that create the perfect environment for fungal growth.
These bacteria grow most easily in hot and moist environments so you want to keep your donuts in a dry, dark space of your home if you are planning on leaving them out.
The bacteria will cause mold to grow which you can detect with your eyes or it will cause the donuts to give off an acrid smell similar to spoiled bread.
Donuts can also go bad if they are exposed to moving air because the sugars will begin to oxidize and cause the soft dough to firm up and dry out.
Donuts can go bad very easily if exposed to the wrong conditions but they can also be kept fresh very easily if they are put in the proper containers and stored in a cool, dry space on the counter or in the fridge or freezer.
Can You Freeze Donuts?
If you are making big batches of donuts, or you have way too many leftovers from a party, you can definitely freeze your donuts so that you can enjoy them whenever you have a craving!
To prep donuts for the freezer, you want to make sure they are in air-tight containers and layered individually so that they don’t stick to one another.
Your donuts will remain fresh for up to two months. To thaw your donuts you can transfer them to the fridge for a couple of hours or leave them out on the counter for an hour or two.
You can also defrost and/or warm your donuts by microwaving or popping them into the oven or toaster oven. For both these methods, you should heat your donuts at 15-second intervals to ensure they don’t get tough or soggy.
Be careful if you are using the oven or microwave to defrost donuts with frostings and toppings or cream fillings. You don’t want to overheat them or the fillings could scald and the toppings might melt.