Are you wondering if your expired pancake mix is still safe to eat? Or would it be safer to throw it out? In most cases, expired pancake mix is perfectly safe to eat.
But, not always… In this article, we are going to go over everything you need to know about the expiration of pancake mix, how to store it, and more.
So, without further ado, let’s dive right in and get started!
Pancake Mix – How Long Does It Stay Good?
Most Pancake Mixes that you purchase at your local store will last between six months and twelve months.
That being said, a pack of pancake mix can easily last for several months or years after the best-before date.
Even opening the mix does not shorten the amount of time that your pancake mix will last.
However, you really need to make sure that your leftovers are properly stored if you want your leftover pancake mix to last for a long time.
Any brand of pancake mix will usually come with a best-before date on the label somewhere. This date should tell you how long the pancake mix will be at its best.
This is not the same as an expiration date.
A lot of dry ingredients like pancake mix will last for a long time. Typically, way past the best-before date.
Products like baking powder will lose their potency after many years of storage. The same idea applies to baking soda.
So, while pancake mix can last for many years past the expiration date, it may lose its potency and flavor.
When this happens, your pancakes will likely not taste as good as they did before, but it won’t make you sick.
So, pancake mix will not go ‘bad’ but it can lose flavor and become remarkably bland. It might not cook as it normally would if it was fresh.
But it should be safe to use. The next question is, how long will your pancakes still be good after the best-before date?
More often than not, your pancakes will be good for between four and six months.
You just need to add a little baking powder to the mix so that it rises properly.
Remember, baking powder and baking soda lose their potency and will not be as effective the longer you leave them.
Should You Use Expired Pancake Mix?
Dry mixes like pancake mix will have a leavening agent in them. Most often, this will be baking soda or baking powder.
This leavening agent will be what makes the pancakes rise. Both of these leavening agents will lose their potency as time goes on.
As such, a pancake mix might be safe to eat, but the baking powder will lose its potency. This will make your pancakes dense and flat.
But, it is still safe to use expired pancake mix packets, as long as it has not gone bad.
What Is The Best Way To Use Expired Pancake Mix?
While it is safe to use expired pancake mix in most cases, the pancakes will likely turn out to be flat and dense.
How do you fix this issue? To make this expired pancake mix light and fluffy, you should add a little baking powder or baking soda to the mix.
We have a brief step-by-step process below so that you can get a better idea of how to use expired pancake mix:
- Step 1 – before you start making your batter, you need to make a mental note of how much pancake mix you are going to use.
- Step 2 – With your batter prepared, we recommend attempting to cook a single pancake to gauge how much your pancakes are going to rise.
- Step 3 – If your pancakes turn out fluffy, your mix is likely fine, and you don’t need to add anything else to it.
- Step 4 – If your pancakes turn out super flat, then you need to add about two teaspoons of baking powder and one-eighth of a teaspoon of baking soda per cup of pancake mix. If your pancakes are only kind of risen but still not quite right, you should add about one four of the amount we specified. Mix your batter and then try to cook another pancake to see if it has risen as it should.
Remember that each pancake mix will be different, as such you never truly know whether it will rise properly after the expiration date.
As such, we recommend using your expired pancake mix only when you are making pancakes for yourself. It is never assured that they will actually rise and taste good.
How Do You Know That Your Pancake Mix Has Gone Off?
So, when should you throw out your expired pancake mix? There are actually quite a few instances where your pancake mixture should be tossed out.
We have listed the main ones below:
- If you find wet clumps or mold in the mixture.
- There is a strong moldy scent.
- Your package has holes in it.
- There are small pests alive or dead in your pancake mix.
- Your pancake mix has been stored for months without being sealed.
In most cases, if your pancake mix looks safe to eat, it probably is. So, start making pancakes!
However, before you serve them, we recommend taking a small bite of your pancakes. If you notice a strange taste or smell, it would probably be best to throw out your pancakes.
What Is The Best Way To Store Your Pancake Mix?
Now, you likely want to know what the best way is to store your pancakes. Pancake mix should be stored just like any other dry ingredient.
Think of baking powder, flour, or cake mix. How would you store them? Well, the safest way to do so is to keep them in a cool and dry area that is properly sealed.
We recommend storing your pancake mix in the pantry. Especially if your pancake mix is unopened.
But, when the pancake mix container has been opened, we recommend keeping it in your kitchen cupboard.
Bear in mind that your pancake mix should be sealed tightly. If your container, or packet, can’t be sealed properly, you should keep it in the freezer.
Alternatively, you can also keep your pancake mix in an airtight container.
Regardless of which option you choose, your main objective is to make sure that no moisture can get into the packet.
Moisture is the main reason that pancake mix goes bad. As such, keeping it dry is essential.
Is Using Expired Pancake Mix Safe?
In short, yes you can. That being said, your pancakes will almost certainly taste better if you eat them before the best-by date.
After that point, your pancakes will start to lose their flavor, and they may not rise as they should.
But, as long as your pancake mix looks fine and there are no signs of moisture or pests in the mix, there should not be any issue with eating your expired pancake mix.
Just bear in mind that the flavor may deteriorate over time, and the baking soda or baking powder will not work as well as time goes on.
As such, You may need to add a leavening agent like baking powder into the mix.
But, as long as it looks alright, you should not get sick when you eat an expired batch of pancake mix.
Just keep in mind that despite looking alright, you need to consider the smell of your pancakes once they have cooked.
So, sniff them before you eat them to make sure that they are safe to eat. If they are suspicious in any way, it is safer to toss them out and get a fresh batch that is not expired.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about whether pancake mix can go bad.
There are a lot of horror stories about how people got extremely ill from eating expired pancake mix. But they failed to mention why the pancake mix went bad.
Most of the time it is the result of mold or dust mites getting into the mix, which then causes a severe allergic reaction.
What these stories don’t cover is how the mold or dust mites got into the pancake mix in the first place.
Leaving the packet open can cause the pancake mix to become contaminated.
This does not often happen, but when it does, it can be a very bad situation for those of you with allergies.
As such, proper storage can do a great deal to prevent your pancake mix from going bad once it has been opened.
If you have enjoyed reading this article and learning about whether pancake mix goes bad or not, you absolutely need to check out our site.
We have a range of fantastic and interesting articles there that cover a wide range of food-related topics. With a little perusing, you should be able to find something that will pique your interest.
Thanks for reading!
