Do Biscuits Need To Be Refrigerated?

Biscuits are traditionally a breakfast food, but they can accompany lunch or dinner. Eat them with butter and jelly, topped with gravy, or as a sandwich (breakfast or otherwise) for a satisfying meal.

While they are considered a Southern staple, warm, flaky biscuits can be found in most states across the U.S.

Arguably, biscuits are best when fresh out of the oven, but you can also use leftover biscuits for lots of things, such as bread pudding, croutons, and breadcrumbs. Here’s everything you need to know about storing biscuits and Do Biscuits Need To Be Refrigerated? so you can use up an entire batch without spoiling it.

How to Store Biscuits

The great thing about biscuits is that you can usually make just the amount you need, so there aren’t a lot left over — unless you want extras for another meal. In that case, it’s easy to make a whole lot of them, too.

Most leftover foods need to be refrigerated. Let’s see if that’s true for biscuits as well.

Three ways to keep biscuits fresh:

Countertop

If you plan to eat or use your biscuits in another recipe, you can leave them out at room temperature for 1-2 days. We suggest putting them in an airtight container or plastic bag for freshness. You can also wrap or cover them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. They can either be heated or eaten at room temperature.

Refrigerator

Biscuits will last up to a week in the fridge. However, the cool, dry air of the refrigerator will dry them out, so it’s even more important that you seal them up well. So no, biscuits do not need to be refrigerated, but they will last a little longer if you do.

You will need to heat your biscuits from the refrigerator to enjoy them with most meals. Just a few seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a warm oven will do the trick.

Freezer

You can even freeze biscuits for extended periods. This is a great option if you only need a few at a time, especially if you don’t want to waste a whole package of canned biscuits.

You’ll want to wrap cooked biscuits tightly with foil or plastic wrap (no extra air, as there would be in a container) before freezing them. Biscuits will stay fresh for up to 3 months in the freezer this way.

Homemade or Store-bought Biscuits 

Although some people have strong opinions when it comes to the taste of homemade biscuits versus store-bought, it really doesn’t matter when it comes to storing them.

Homemade

The ingredients of made-from-scratch biscuits are simple:

• Flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Shortening
• Butter (optional)
• Buttermilk

Of these ingredients, the butter and buttermilk are the only ones that need to be refrigerated before baking. However, it is common in some kitchens to keep flour in the fridge as well, for freshness and convenience.

Remember when storing any kind of bread, fats like butter, oil and eggs in bread help preserve it and keep it soft. Biscuits have shortening and butter (optionally) but no eggs, so they are more likely to dry out, even when kept at room temperature.

Pre-made biscuits

There are a couple of types of store-bought biscuits: frozen and canned.

You should keep frozen biscuits in your freezer until you bake them according to the package directions. Once baked, you can store them the same ways that homemade biscuits can be stored.

Canned biscuits are the same as well. These are usually found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, so they should be placed in your fridge at home as well until baked. After that, treat them just like homemade or frozen.

In addition to this article, you may want to check out other ones on our website like Do B12 Shots Need To Be Refrigerated?, Can Suprep Be Refrigerated? and Do Apple Turnovers Need To Be Refrigerated

The Bottom Line about Refrigerating Biscuits 

Refrigeration has been commonplace for American homes since about 1945. Everything from fresh fruits, leftovers, and breads can be extended by days by properly storing it in a refrigerator.

Certain foods must be kept cold in order to make them safe to consume, but others, like biscuits and other breads, merely benefit from being refrigerated because they last longer and can be consumed safely.

So, while you definitely don’t have to keep biscuits in the refrigerator after baking them, it will allow you to enjoy them for days longer.