How to Store Chocolate Long Term [Shelf Life and Storage Options] (2024)

On the few times I’ve had to open up my emergency food, I’m always glad that I stockpiled luxuries like olive spread to jazz up bland crackers, marshmallows to roast on my indoor emergency stove, and canned artichokes to serve with my endless rice supply.

But chocolate is by far the best luxury prepping food you can stockpile.

If you are thinking of storing chocolate long-term, here is what you need to know about its shelf life, which types of chocolate are best to stockpile, and how to package it.

Does Chocolate Go Bad?

Plain chocolate generally does not go bad in the sense that it becomes unsafe to eat. This is because chocolate has very little moisture and is considered “microbiologically safe.”

However, if stored for a long time, the fats in chocolate can go rancid and give it a bad taste. The good news is that cocoa in chocolate contains natural antioxidants, so the chocolate doesn’t go rancid as quickly as other fatty foods like powdered milk or cooking oil. (Read about cocoa powder shelf life.)

Chocolate can also change appearance and texture when stored for a long time. The fats and sugars can migrate to the outside and cause “bloom” – a whitish film on the outside of the chocolate. It is still safe to eat but does not look as appealing.

Chocolate Shelf Life

The shelf life of chocolate is approximately 9-24 months. It varies depending on the type of chocolate and storage conditions. Dark chocolate has the longest shelf life, followed by plain milk chocolate. White chocolate and chocolates with fillings have shorter shelf lives.

Note that these shelf life guidelines do not indicate when the chocolate will become unsafe to eat. Instead, they are a guideline of how long it will take before the chocolate develops bloom, changes texture or becomes rancid.

*Temperate conditions means 26.6 °F to 64.4 °F. Tropical conditions are above 64.4°F.

Is It Safe to Eat Expired Chocolate?

It is generally safe to eat expired chocolate. If the fats have started to go rancid, they may have an unpleasant sour taste, but they should not make you sick. In some rare cases, chocolate causes Salmonella poisoning, but it is highly unlikely that you’d get food poisoning from eating expired chocolate.

To play it safe, look for signs of bacterial growth, such as a fuzzy green film on the chocolate. It is easy to confuse chocolate bloom with bacteria growth, though.

Below are some pictures of chocolate with sugar bloom and fat bloom. It is not mold, and they are safe to eat.

Which Type of Chocolate Is Best for Long-Term Storage?

If you want to store chocolate long-term for emergency preparedness, opt for plain dark chocolate.

Milk chocolate is also okay for long-term storage, but choose bars that have stabilizers like antioxidants or soy lecithin added to them. Avoid any chocolate with nuts, fruits, creams, or wafers.

How to Store Chocolate Long Term

1. Keep It Cool

Temperature is the most important thing for long-term chocolate storage. Warm temperatures can cause the fats in the chocolate to go rancid. Try to keep the chocolate in a cool place that is less than room temperature.

2. Repackage in Airtight Packaging

Oxygen will also cause the fats in chocolate to oxidize. Exposure to humid air can also cause the chocolate to get wet, allowing bacteria to grow.

To prevent this, you can repackage the chocolate in airtight packaging. Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers is the best option. Vacuum sealer bags are not a good long-term solution because the bags will eventually allow air and moisture through.

Usually, you would need to remove food from its original packaging before putting it in Mylar. This is not the case with chocolate: you can put wrapped bars directly into the Mylar. The reason is that, unlike with packages of crackers or cereal, there’s very little air around the wrapped chocolate bar.

Read:

• How to Package Food in Mylar Bags
• How to use Oxygen Absorbers
• Vacuum Sealing vs. Mylar Bags

3. If Kept in Original Packaging

While Mylar + oxygen absorbers are the best way to store chocolate long-term, you can keep it in its original packaging. In this case, you must ensure it is kept somewhere cool, dry, and dark.

Ideally, you would rotate through the chocolate within 2 years. This limits the amount of chocolate you can stockpile for emergencies, though.

Do you stockpile chocolate for emergency prep? Let us know what other luxury items you have stockpiled in the comments section below.