Coconut flour can be a great addition to gluten-free baking, but since it’s something you use infrequently you’re probably asking yourself if coconut flour goes bad.  Let’s unpack that a bit.

Quick Answer

Coconut flour, which is made from ground coconuts, has a rather limited shelf life. Bags of coconut flour usually have an expiration date stamped on the bag.  While this is a guide for most foods, it usually holds true with coconut flour.  Unopened coconut flour will last longer than bags once opened, but generally, the date is the best guide.  Refrigerating and freezing your coconut flour will extend its life, much as refrigerating or freezing nuts will do.

Coconut flour is a gluten-free and therefore a popular alternative to all-purpose flour.  It’s important to know how best to store and how quickly to use your coconut flour.

Does Coconut Flour Go Bad? How Long is Coconut Flour Good For?

Coconut flour, which is made from ground coconut, has a limited shelf life.  By thinking through the storage options you can decide the best way to store your coconut flour.

How Long Does Coconut Flour Last Outside

Coconut flour can be stored in your pantry.  It’s best to keep it away from heat, moisture, and light as all can cause it to spoil.

It can be helpful to keep your coconut flour in an air-tight container.  This will not only keep other odors away from your flour, but it could also help extend the shelf life of your flour too.

Once you open the bag, your coconut flour should be good until the expiration date stamped on the bag.  If unopened, it should last three to six months after the expiration date.  Obviously, you should check your flour before using it and if in doubt throw it away.  The date stamped on the bag is a guide and you should always be sure you are using fresh ingredients.

How Long Does Coconut Flour Last in the Fridge

Coconut flour has an expiration date stamped on the packaging.  By refrigerating your flour it should be good for an additional six to twelve months for unopened packages or three to six months once opened.

Coconut flour can pick up the odors of the foods around it, so it is helpful to store coconut flour in an air-tight container in your refrigerator.  This will also help to keep moisture out, another variable which can spoil coconut flour sooner than expected.

Coconut flour should also be kept in the coldest part of the refrigerator.  This means store it somewhere deep inside your refrigerator and away from the door.

How Long Does Coconut Flour Last in the Freezer

Coconut flour, which is made of ground coconuts, can be stored in the freezer much as you would a bag of pecans.  Given all the oils in nuts, this will extend the life of your ingredient for as long as possible.

A frozen unopened bag of coconut flour should last anywhere from 12 to 24 months after the expiration date stamped on the bag.  Once opened, your coconut flour should last six to twelve months after the expiration date.

As with refrigeration, once opened its important to store your coconut flour in an air-tight container or a food storage bag to keep odors from other foods and moisture away from your coconut flour.

Coconut flour lasts longer if unopened, but once opened it can still be fresh after the expiration date stamped on the packaging by either refrigerating or freezing.

How To Tell If Coconut Flour Has Gone Bad / How To Know if Coconut Flour is Fresh

Coconut flour has more oils and fats than typical all-purpose flour.  Because of this, coconut flour tends to go rancid more quickly than regular flour.  Knowing what to look for will prevent you from using bad coconut flour, which can make you sick, and help you ensure your ingredients are fresh and ready to use.

Smells Off:  If your coconut flour no longer smells quite right or just seems off, it has probably spoiled our is just about to spoil.  In that case, you will want to discard it and start over.

Bitter taste:  When in doubt you can taste your coconut flour.  If it tastes bitter, it has spoiled and should be thrown away.

Change in color:  If your coconut flour suddenly changes in color, that is a sign that it has spoiled or is getting ready to spoil and you should just throw it away.

More clumps:  If your coconut flour has all of the sudden because more clumpy than it was previously, that is also a sign that it’s going bad and should be thrown away.

Insects:  Sometimes flour can become infested with insects.  Obviously in this case you will want to dispose of the flour immediately and start over.

How to Store Coconut Flour? 100+ words

To help it last as long as possible, coconut flour should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place.  Heat, moisture and light will all work against your coconut flour, causing it to spoil sooner.

Refrigerate:  To keep your coconut flour fresh for as long as possible, you should consider refrigerating it once you open the package.  Store your flour in the coldest part of your refrigerator.

Air-tight containers:  Storing your coconut flour in an air-tight container will help to keep your coconut flour from taking on the odors of any nearby foods.  This will also keep moisture out as well.

Can You Freeze Coconut Flour? How?

Coconut flour can be frozen and it will help your flour to last as long as possible, whether it has been opened or not.

Unopened is best:  Unopened packaging is the best way to store your coconut flour in the freezer, but even if you have opened your coconut flour it can still be safely frozen and kept fresh well past its expiration date.

Air-tight storage:  It is best to store your coconut flour in its original packaging and in an air-tight freezer-friendly container or food storage bag.  This will help to keep other odors and moisture away from your coconut flour.

Store deep in your freezer:  You will want to keep your coconut flour in the coldest part of your freezer and away from the door.  Temperature fluctuations will help your coconut flour is spoil more quickly so the colder you can consistently keep your coconut flour the better.

How to Thaw Coconut Flour?

Gradual thaw is best:  A gradual thaw of your frozen coconut flour will help to avoid fluctuations in heat, light and moisture, all of which will cause your coconut flour to spoil more quickly.

Quick thaw:  Regardless of how you thaw your coconut flour, you should be able to use it pretty quickly if not immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coconut Flour’s Shelf Life

Coconut flour is different than regular all-purpose flour in that it is made from ground nuts.  It can be used like flour, but it won’t last as long as flour.  Here are some common questions about coconut flour:

How should I store coconut flour so it lasts as long as possible?  Your coconut flour will last the longest in stored unopened and in the freezer, but for the best usage you should refrigerate your coconut flour storing it in the coldest part of the refrigerator and in an air-tight container to avoid your flour picking up odors from nearby foods.

Is it better to keep coconut flour in the original packaging or transfer it to another container?  Keeping your coconut flour in its original packaging is always best, but you can store it in an air-tight container in its original packaging as well.  You can transfer it directly to the container if you wish, but you don’t have to.

Wrap Up

Even though coconut flour isn’t really flour (it’s ground coconut), it can be stored like flour in your pantry, refrigerator or freezer.  It won’t last as long as regular flour, however, so be sure to use it before it expires.