I am a well-rounded expert with proficiency in several fields. My experience spans from being a dedicated chef and homemaker. As a passionate homesteader, I’ve honed my skills in sustainable living and animal care, ensuring a holistic approach to everything I undertake. Email me or Txt: (# removed due to spam, please email)
Being a gluten-free substitute to normal flour, Many people like to have a bag or two of almond flour hanging around just in case someone may be in need. It’s also delicious and healthy for you. But how long can you keep in your pantry? Does it need to be refrigerated or can it stay at room temperature?
The truth is, almond flour will go bad faster than grain-based flour will. It has a shelf life of about 4 months in the pantry before it needs to be replaced. Crushed almonds, the stuff almond flour is made of, has a high concentration of oil in them. This is a plant-based oil, but it can still go rancid.
So, yes, You can store almond flour in the pantry, But it will only last about 4 months. If you intend on using it within that time frame, it’s absolutely safe. If you wish to extend the shelflife of the almond flour while at room temperature in a pantry, Follow these steps:
- Place it in a good grade air-tight sealed container. The container should not let any light in either. If you only have white or clear food buckets, consider painting them or warping them with dark tape. A solid kitchen flour container will also work well as long as it’s airtight.
- Keep out of sunlight and away from any sort of heat. This will cause the oil’s in the flour to go rancid very quickly.
There is a better option to keep your nut based flours fresher longer.
Freezing your almond flour instead
Freezing almond flour brings the shelf life up spectacularly, adding a solid 2 years to unopened seals, and 1 year for opened packages.
It could even extend longer than that as it won’t technically expire as long as it remained frozen. You can expect the flavor and textures to start degrading after the 2-year mark.
When considering freezing, You should only buy the flour that comes in tough plastic containers. Avoid bags as they are not sealed properly and can allow moisture to enter the flour even in the freezer.
If it’s already open, consider using a resealable freezer bag, or a large rubber bucket with an airtight seal.
When it comes time to use it again, let it warm up before mixing it into your baked goods, as it will be more active and easier to manage when at room temperature.
This should only take around 30 minutes. It’s easy to remember to do if you are in a habit of measuring out all your ingredients before you begin baking.
How to tell if almond flour went bad?
Because of the oily nature of almonds, the tell tale signs of bad flour are about the same as any other high in oil product. The first thing that will hit you is the smell. Quickly going from nice nutty smell to repugnant rancidity in the blink of an eye.
The flour will seem damp and maybe even a bit slimy as various bacteria begin to cultivate in the pool of broken down fat chains. It could also show hint’s of various moulds and other growth, as well as insects which will be attracted to the scent of it’s rancidity.
So overall you shouldn’t need to worry about accidentally consuming rotting almond flour as it’s practically going to jump out and bite you in the face as soon as you open the container.
Remember, this doesn’t happen when it’s frozen. The process in which oils and other things break down due to enzymes is halted in the freezer.
How long can you use almond flour after expiration date?
Almond flour will remain edible as long as it hasn’t begun to show the obvious signs and symptoms of spoilage. Your very unlikely to accidentally ingest rancid flour as the expiration process is so dramatic and unavoidable.
Bottom line:
Yes, you can successfully and safely store almond flour in the pantry at room temperature. Does almond flour need to be refrigerated? No, it will last up to 4 months at room temperature, 6-12 months in the fridge, and 1-2 years in the freezer.
Do to the high concentrations of oils in the powder, the colder, and darker a space is, the better storage it will make.
