If you have any leftover cinnamon rolls from Christmas, can you eat them? The answer is yes! But there’s a catch: you’ll need to use your best judgment and be prepared to buy more if your Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are expired or have gone bad.
Let’s first discuss how long expired cinnamon rolls have been sitting around for and then talk about how to tell whether or not they’re still safe for consumption.
Can You Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls After Expiration Date?
If a cinnamon roll has been sitting in your fridge for weeks, it may be spoiled. But if they’re still fresh-looking and delicious-smelling, there’s probably nothing to worry about.
Pillsbury cinnamon rolls are safe to consume a week after the use-by date. The Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough in the grocery store will have a date printed on its outer packaging. This is the “best or use-by” date, and it’s important to understand what it refers to.
The crucial thing to understand is that use-by dates are not the same as expiry dates. The use before date on the cinnamon roll package is a suggestion. And even if you get to that point, you can still eat it! The rolls don’t go bad or stale.
The use-by date doesn’t say anything in particular about how long the product should stay fresh or safe for consumption at all times—it’s just an indication of when its manufacturer recommends throwing away food that has gone bad or becomes stale due to improper storage conditions. So if you have leftover cinnamon rolls from last week and your family hasn’t eaten them, feel free to enjoy one now without worrying about whether they will make you sick!
That being said, older cinnamon rolls are at a higher risk of spoiling, so it’s always best to take caution when eating them. As long as the packaging is not damaged, you may be able to eat your cinnamon rolls up to 60 days after the use-by date.
Are Expired Cinnamon Rolls Safe to Eat?
It depends on how long it has been since Pillsbury cinnamon rolls expired. The older the cinnamon rolls are when you buy them, the more likely they’ll go bad after their expiration date. They’re most likely safe to eat if you don’t notice any discoloration or mold on cinnamon rolls.
Shelf Life of Baked Cinnamon Rolls (Chart)
| Room Temperature | Two days |
| Fridge | A week |
| Freezer | 2-months |
How to Store Cinnamon Rolls For Optimal Freshness
At Room Temperature
Cinnamon rolls should never be kept at room temperature, as this will reduces their shelf life. Also, when exposed to the open air, the yeast in the dough begins to grow, affecting the flavor and texture of the cinnamon roll. That’s why it’s good to keep it refrigerated until you need it.
On the other hand, you can keep baked cinnamon rolls at room temperature for up to two days. If you want to store them longer, you should consider storing them in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.
In the Refrigerator
The refrigerator is the best way to store unbaked cinnamon roll dough and will let you keep it fresh for the longest time. Pillsbury rolls can be stored for up to two months after the use-by date as long as they’re sealed in original packaging. If it has been opened, don’t try to keep Pillsbury rolls longer than 24 hours, even if they’re stored in a new container.
As for baked Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, refrigeration is an option if you want to extend your rolls longer than two days. They can be stored for up to a week before they go bad. A sealed plastic bag is a good way to keep them fresh.
In the Freezer
The freezer can be a good option if you want baked cinnamon rolls to last longer than a week. As long as rolls are stored in a sealed freezer bag, you can expect them to last up to 12 weeks! This makes it a great option if you cinnamon rolls are about to expire.
Note: Unbaked cinnamon rolls shouldn’t be kept in the freezer, as it can affect the quality and flavor of the dough.
Signs Your Cinnamon Rolls are Bad
When in doubt, tossing off-looking cinnamon rolls is always better rather than risk getting sick. If you’re not sure, keep a lookout for any of the following signs:
Crusty exterior? The roll is dry inside.
If the rolls have a crusty exterior, they’re no longer safe to eat. Cinnamon rolls should be moist and soft—not dry or hard. If you’re unsure if your rolls are still edible, cut open a slice and check the inside for any signs of mold.
If you’ve ever eaten stale cinnamon rolls that tasted like cardboard before (or perhaps even smelled like it), then you know what I’m talking about! This can happen when there are cracks in your cinnamon roll dough because of the gas build-up inside; this makes them harder to chew and bad tasting.
Tiny white dots on the crust? Mold has begun to grow.
Mold is a spoilage sign, so you must throw away your cinnamon rolls. It can appear on any type of food that has been kept at room temperature for an extended period.
Black or green discoloration? Throwing away moldy rolls can help prevent them from spreading.
If you find that your bread has gone bad sitting in the fridge, throw it away. Moldy bread is dangerous because it can cause food poisoning, so be sure not to let it go stale or moldy before tossing some out.
If you notice black or green discoloration on a piece of bread (or anything else), throw it away immediately! This means there’s no way for bacteria to grow on the surface of this piece since there isn’t any food for them to consume—and if there are no nutrients left in the loaf itself, neither will any bacteria be able to survive either.
Dry and brittle consistency? Throw it out!
If you’ve had cinnamon rolls for a while, you know that it’s not unusual for the dough to get dry and brittle. This can happen if your cinnamon rolls are old or expired. You may also see this happen when there’s not enough water in the cinnamon roll dough before baking.
Do cinnamon rolls smell funky? That is not a good sign.
If your cinnamon roll smells funky, it’s probably spoiled. Pillsbury cinnamon rolls should always smell fresh and clean—like they were just baked in your oven. If you notice a sour or yeasty smell on your roll, then it may be spoiled.
Can Moldy Cinnamon Rolls Make You Sick?
You may be wondering why a moldy cinnamon roll is a bad sign. Mold can cause food poisoning, and that’s not something you want to avoid. Plus, mold will spread from the cinnamon tolls to other foods in the same container if it isn’t thrown out immediately. So if you see any type of mold growth on your cinnamon rolls, it’s best to throw away all of what’s in that container.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this article has helped you figure out how long cinnamon rolls last and whether or not they need to be refrigerated. We’ve gone over what happens if you eat expired ones, as well as their shelf life. If there’s anything else, we missed, please let us know!
