Made or bought some almond butter and wondering can almond butter go bad? How long does it last for? How can you make sure it stays delicious for as long as possible?
Almond butter is a great product. Made simply by blending almonds, it’s delicious, nutritious and easy to make or buy.
If you’re like me, it never lasts long anyway. However, if you find a jar at the back of your pantry or you forgot about your homemade almond butter in the back of your fridge, how do you know if it’s still ok to eat?
In this quick guide, I walk you through whether almond butter goes bad, whether an almond butter expiration date matters, how long almond butter lasts, how to store almond butter so it lasts longer before describing how you can tell if almond butter is bad.
Keep reading for all the answers!
Does Almond Butter Go Bad?
First of all, does almond butter expire?
Yes, 100% almond butter will go bad if you leave it long enough.
Almond butter contains oils which mean it can go rancid. This is caused when the oils in the almond butter are exposed to light, air, moisture or bacteria. This causes almond butter to have a bad taste and smell and you don’t want to eat it at this point.
Thankfully, almond butter can last awhile though especially if you store it right. Keep reading for what to do.
How Long Is Almond Butter Good For?
Almond butter can last a long time. Exactly how long depends on whether it is homemade or store bought and whether you have opened the jar or not.
It also depends if you keep the almond butter in the fridge or pantry. It can last a lot longer in the fridge.
It’s worth remembering that for store bought almond oil, the expiry date is generally a best before date. This means the product will probably be at its best before this date and may start to degrade after. It doesn’t mean it will suddenly go bad on this date and it’s usually fine to eat for quite awhile afterwards.
In fact, store bought almond butter that hasn’t been opened can last up to a year after the expiration date if kept in the refrigerator or six months after the expiration date in a cool, dark, dry pantry.
An opened jar won’t last as long but is still likely to last up to nine months in the fridge after opening or 3-5 months in the pantry.
Homemade almond oil is a little different as it doesn’t have the additives and preservatives which are found in store bought almond butter. It will last up to a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, and I recommend you don’t store it in the pantry.
| The almond butter is…. | It is stored in the… | It lasts… |
| Homemade | Fridge | A couple of weeks |
| Store bought, unopened | Fridge | Up to a year after the expiration date |
| Pantry | Up to six months after the expiration date | |
| Store bought, opened | Fridge | Up to 9 months |
| Pantry | 3-5 months after opening |
If you live in warmer climates, especially humid ones, I recommend you keep your almond butter in the fridge as this can shorten the pantry timeframes given above.
How To Store Almond Butter
Almond butter should be stored in an airtight container to keep out the air and moisture.
The refrigerator is the ideal place to store your almond butter to extend its lifespan and also because it helps stops the oils from separating in your almond butter. While it’s still fine to eat almond butter when the oils separate in it, it’ll look better and taste better if this doesn’t happen.
For store bought almond butter, don’t open it until you are ready to use it as this will help extend its lifespan as well.
How To Tell If Almond Butter Has Gone Bad
So not sure if your almond butter has gone bad or not?
There are three things to do using three of your senses – look at the almond butter, smell it and taste it. Although I only recommend the latter if you are still not sure after examining and smelling it.
When you are looking at it, look for any black and brown spots. If you find any, the almond butter is bad and I recommend you toss it.
It’s ok to see some oil separation. This isn’t a sign that the almond butter is bad. Try to mix it back together in this case.
When smelling it, you are looking for anything that is off. Does it smell like it usually does? Or do you smell something sour or chemical-like? Some people describe a paint-like smell when it’s off.
If you smell anything like this, you should toss it.
Finally, if you still aren’t sure, give it a small taste. Does it taste like creamy almond goodness? Great, it’s fine.
If it tastes like anything else, it’s probably gone bad and I recommend throwing it out.
Conclusion
I hope you found this guide to does almond butter go bad useful.
Almond butter will go bad if you leave it for long enough. However, if you store it the right way, it can last a long time. There’s no reason not to keep a jar of almond butter in the back of your pantry for a rainy day.
Click here to read our guide to what almond butter tastes like or here for more details specifically for how long fresh homemade almond butter lasts. You can find all our guides to everything almond related here.
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