When Does Chocolate Expire?

This week, the Pacific Northwest reached record high temperatures in the hottest summer of its history. Dilettante recommends finding a cool place for chocolate until temperatures fall below seventy degrees. It is vital to prevent chocolate from melting, but some may not know how long their chocolate will last.

Answering the question of when chocolate goes bad is difficult. Not all chocolate is made the same, with different cacao and cocoa butter amounts included in different varieties. However, as a general rule of thumb, dark chocolate lasts the longest, milk chocolate lasts less time, and white chocolate lasts the shortest.

Each product from Dilettante Chocolates comes with a best by sticker. This date indicates quality and freshness, so even if the date has passed, the chocolate is still safe to eat.

Often, people mistake chocolate blooming for mold. However, due to the low amount of moisture content in chocolate, mold cannot grow on chocolate.

The white color that frequently appears on chocolate is called chocolate blooming. Chocolate blooming is a process that occurs when cocoa butter begins to separate from chocolate, creating a white film around it. This chocolate is perfectly safe to eat, but the blooming may diminish its quality and taste.

This quality is what determines chocolate’s shelf life. There won’t necessarily be a time where chocolate goes entirely bad. Still, the longer chocolate blooms, the taste, texture, and appearance will continue to decline as the cocoa butter continues to separate from the chocolate.

Those concerned about chocolates going back, Dilettante individually wraps each of its TruffleCremes for each to taste fresh for the longest time possible. Another great option would be Dilettante’s chocolate-covered fruit, which is made with vibrant coloring on the outside and dried fruit centers on the inside. Alternatively, Dilettante’s dark chocolate will last several months longer than any other chocolate variety.

Shop Dilettante’s entire catalog to find a confection to last the perfect amount of time.

Ryan

Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Ryan has a fondness for the outdoors, music, and coffee. Some of his favorites are Dilettante's Chocolate-Covered Bing Cherries and L'Orange Truffles. Through his writing and content, he hopes to grow the Dilettante community.