How to Store Donuts

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 29, 2020 References

Few things are better than warm, fresh-baked donuts, but they tend to dry out and grow stale after sitting for a while. If you leave donuts sitting out, they get hard, but if you put them in a Ziploc bag, they get mushy – so what do you do? While it seems like a tricky dilemma, it is possible to keep donuts fresh by storing them at room temperature, refrigerating, or freezing them. Even old donuts can be recycled into new, tasty treats, but with the right know-how, your donuts will remain edible for up to 3 months.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Storing Donuts at Room Temperature

1
Keep donuts in an air-tight storage container at room temperature. Use a plastic storage bag (such as a Ziploc) to store them overnight. If you don’t want to use a plastic bag, place the donuts on a plate or baking sheet and cover them with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.^{[1]
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- Donuts stored in a plastic bag will become soggy after 24 hours. Cover them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil if you don’t plan on eating them the next day.
- Be careful when wrapping iced or glazed donuts. If you wrap them too tightly, the icing will stick to the wrap.
2
Store donuts at 60–70 °F (16–21 °C) for 2-3 days. Keep them in a dry area so they don’t become soggy from excess moisture. Do not store donuts at room temperature for longer than 3 days.^{[2]
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3
Microwave room-temperature donuts in 5-second intervals. Place the donuts, uncovered, on a microwave-safe plate or paper-towel and pop them in the microwave. Heat them for 5 seconds on medium heat, then feel them to see how warm they are. If you need to heat them longer, set the microwave for an additional 5-10 seconds.^{[3]
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- Heat in intervals to avoid over-heating the donuts.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Refrigerating Donuts

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Cover the donuts with plastic wrap before refrigerating them. Place the donuts on a plate and cover them with plastic wrap. If the donuts are still in the box, wrap the box tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the whole box.^{[4]
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- If you don’t have plastic wrap, you can use aluminum foil.
- If you prefer, you can put them in a paper pastry box or bag before putting them in the fridge.
- Never put donuts in a plastic bag when storing them in the fridge. Plastic bags trap moisture inside and will make the donuts soggy.
- Donuts will dry out quickly if left uncovered.
2
Store donuts in the fridge at 37–40 °F (3–4 °C) for up to a week. Donuts are edible for up to 7 days when refrigerated, but are best eaten within 2-3 days. Always refrigerate cream-filled donuts, rather than storing them at room temperature, to keep the cream from spoiling.^{[5]
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3
Heat refrigerated donuts in 10-second intervals. Microwave the donuts, uncovered, on a microwave-safe plate for 10 seconds. Feel the donuts after 10 seconds, and if they're still too cold for your liking, heat them for 10 more seconds. Check the temperature in 10-second intervals so you don’t overheat them.^{[6]
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- Microwave 1-2 donuts at a time to heat them more quickly.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Freezing Donuts

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Freeze the donuts on a tray for 4 hours. Line a baking sheet with wax paper, then place the donuts side-by-side on the baking sheet. Stick them in the freezer for at least 4 hours to harden them up.^{[7]
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- Freezing works best for cake donuts, or unglazed donuts without icing. If you freeze iced donuts, the icing will melt when you go to reheat them later.
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Transfer the donuts to an air-tight storage container. After freezing the donuts for 4 hours, transfer them to an air-tight storage container. Seal the container, then place the donuts back in the freezer.^{[8]
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- You can use an air-tight Ziploc bag, Tupperware, or any other storage container that seals completely.
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Freeze the donuts for up to 3 months. The donuts will last a few months in the freezer, so you can make or buy them ahead of time and freeze them until you're ready to eat them!^{[9]
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Defrost frozen donuts at room temperature for 15-60 minutes. Place the donuts on a baking sheet or plate. Let them sit at least 15 minutes at room temperature, or leave them to defrost overnight before heating them.^{[10]
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- The process of defrosting can take anywhere from 15-60 minutes, so be patient.
- Do not cover the donuts while they’re defrosting, as this will trap moisture and make your donuts soggy.
5
Microwave defrosted donuts in 10-second intervals. After the donuts have thawed, stick them in the microwave for 10 seconds. Feel the donuts with your hand to gauge the temperature. If they're still too cold, heat them for 10 more seconds. Keep heating in 10-second intervals until the donuts are warm enough to eat.^{[11]
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- Make sure frozen donuts have completely thawed before you microwave them.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Repurposing Old Donuts

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Throw away old or spoiled donuts. Old donuts will be firm, crunchy, or discolored. If they develop a strange odor or start to grow mold, throw them out immediately.^{[12]
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- Don’t keep donuts at room temperature for more than 3 days.
- Discard refrigerated donuts after 7 days.
- Frozen donuts are best if eaten within 3 months, but will not spoil as long as they stay frozen.
2
Use old donuts in place of bread to make bread pudding. If you don’t want to throw away old donuts, you can incorporate them into a different dish. Just follow your favorite bread pudding recipe, but use crumbled-up donuts instead of bread.^{[13]
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- This works best with unglazed yeast donuts.
- Bread pudding is one of the more popular ways to recycle old donuts. Just make sure your donuts aren’t spoiled!
3
Reuse old cake donuts to make truffles. Blitz 5-6 donuts in a blender to create a fine crumb. In a small bowl, microwave 1.4 ounces (40 g) of white chocolate with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cream for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth.^{[14]
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- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the donut crumb with 1/2 tsp (1.15 g) of cinnamon and the chocolate mixture. Mix until the crumb sticks together.
- Use your hands to roll the mixture into balls. Make each ball roughly the size of a golf ball. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and place the balls on the sheet.
- Refrigerate the truffles for 30 minutes.
- Melt 3.5 ounces (99 g) of white chocolate, then dip the truffles into the chocolate. Place them back on the lined baking sheet.
- Refrigerate truffles for at least 1 hour before serving them.