DecodedGuides

Baked Goods: Bakery

Fresh bread, cakes, muffins and cookies dry out or turn stale within days at room temperature, and any dampness in the packaging speeds up mould growth. Baked goods with cream, custard or fresh fruit filling behave more like dairy and need refrigeration rather than a bread box.

Baked Goods: Bakery
FoodPantryFridgeFreezer
Bagel(2 kinds)1 to 2 days3 months
Bread3 to 5 days2 to 3 months
Cheesecake3 to 6 months
Chiffon piesNot recommended
Commercial bread products14 to 18 days3 to 5 months
Commercial cakes and muffins3 to 7 days6 months
Cookies(2 kinds)2 to 3 months8 to 12 months
Cream piesNot recommended
Dairy filled eclairs3 months
Doughnuts1 to 2 daysNot recommended
Fruit cake6 months12 months
Fruit pies1 to 2 days8 months
Macaroons1 to 2 days3 months
Muffin(3 kinds)3 to 7 days2 to 3 months
Pastries, danish5 to 10 daysNot recommended
Pies(3 kinds)8 months
Quiche2 to 3 months

Signs baked goods: bakery have gone bad

  • Fuzzy green, white or black spots anywhere on the surface
  • Musty or sour smell instead of a baked, yeasty scent
  • Hard, dry crumb that crumbles instead of springing back
  • Sticky or slimy patches on cut surfaces
  • Filling that separates, weeps liquid or smells sour

Storage habits

Keep bread and cookies in a paper bag or bread box at room temperature for a few days, or freeze in an airtight bag for longer storage. Refrigerate anything with cream, custard or fresh fruit filling, and let frozen baked goods thaw at room temperature before serving.

Questions people ask