Does Bisquick Go Bad?

If you want pancakes but don’t feel like making them from scratch, you will probably head for Bisquick. Its promise of no kneading or rolling is music to the ears of many domestic cooks. But Bisquick is not a new idea; it hit the grocery store’s shelves way back in 193.  Bisquick has changed over the years and developed into more wholesome products without trans fats and a gluten-free version of the product.

However, with many powders baking products, there is a tendency for short shelf life as the product is opened. 

This article will answer the most frequently asked questions and provide you with the answers you are looking for about Bisquick.

Let’s get into it.

How long is Bisquick good after the expiration date?

Like most products, there is always an expiry date or a best-before date which is more pertinent to Bisquick. Being essentially a dry product, you would expect Bisquick to have a reasonable shelf life, and you will not be disappointed.

An unopened box of Bisquick has a shelf life of two years, and because the shelf life is based on the expiration date, you can still get another three months or more past the expiration date before Bisquick turns bad.

It is worth noting that the expiration date or best-before date is not an indicator of when you should stop using the product but, in this case, indicates when the product is still of the best quality.

How long can you keep Bisquick after opening?

This depends on how you store your Bisquick but on average, opened Bisquick can last up to four months.

Of course, there is a caveat, and if the Bisquick shows signs of degrading, such as an odd smell from the pancake mix or mold, then you should discard the mix immediately.

You can enjoy this incredible pancake mix for four months if the product is stored correctly.

What is Bisquick pancake mix made of?

Bisquick is made from pretty standard ingredients with nothing to be concerned about. Here is the list of ingredients used to make Bisquick pancake mix:

• Enriched Flour Bleached (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid).
•  Vegetable Oil (palm, canola, high oleic soybean, and/or sunflower oil).
•  Corn Starch.
•  Dextrose.
•  Leavening (baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate).
•  Salt. Sugar.
•  Monoglycerides.

What is DATEM in Bisquick?

DATEM (diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides, E472e) is an emulsifier. It’s widely used in the baking industry to strengthen gluten. You can find DAEM in many loaves of bread, including crusty bread like rye. It gives a slightly chewy texture to the bread.  

Should Bisquick be refrigerated after opening?

It’s an interesting question. The fridge is not always the best place to keep dry goods such as Bisquick, the fridge door opens and closes through the day, which allows moisture to enter the fridge, and the fridge temperature can bounce around considerably, increasing the risk of bacteria growth.

If you do want to store Bisquick in the fridge, it is recommended that you seal the Bisquick pancake mix in an airtight container to prevent moisture from contaminating the Bisquick.

Whereas a cool dark pantry has a stable temperature that could be better suited to storing a dry mix of pancake powder.

If you do decide to keep Bisquick in a fridge, it is advisable to let it come back to room temperature before using the Bisquick for baking or pancakes.

How can you tell if Bisquick is still good?

Bisquick has a relatively long shelf life, so it can be challenging to know if a powdered product has spoiled.

This short list should help you decide if Bisquick is still good:

• Moisture. If Bisquick becomes clumpy, it’s a sign that something’s wrong with the mix. It’s almost certainly absorbed moisture from somewhere, say, the fridge. If your Bisquick is not the normal powdered consistency, throw it in the garbage.
• Smell. If the Bisquick powder smell is different from usual, something is wrong, and you can safely assume the product is turning bad. If it smells sour, it’s bad.
• Mold. If you see flecks in Bisquick, they are not part of the recipe for pancakes. In fact, it’s molds. Mold can be green, blue, black, or even shades of cream and brown. If the Bisquick has flecks, it is not edible.

What happens if you use old Bisquick?

Considering Bisquick has an unopened shelf life of two years, using the proverbial old Bisquick will be okay. The product will not have degraded, and you can possibly make the pancake mix last even longer if you store it correctly.

Now, if the Bisquick is opened and you have passed the expiration date plus a few months, you should place the product in the garbage. But if you have examined the powder mix and it’s free from mold and not clumped together, then you could use it without any fears.

Can you keep Bisquick pancake batter in the fridge?

Yes. But don’t get too excited. Bisquick pancake batter stored in the fridge is only suitable for a day, two days maximum before the batter will soil and needs to be discarded.

You can easily prepare the batter an hour before using it, cover the batter in cling film to prevent airborne contaminants and bacteria, and place it in the fridge.

You can try whisking again if you forget the batter and it’s split. If the batter smells funky, it’s bad. Discard it immediately.

How Long do Bisquick pancakes last in the fridge?

It depends on how many kids you have in the house! Cooked Bisquick pancakes should be eaten within twenty-four hours of cooking. If you have a large batch, you can freeze them but carefully.

Bisquick pancakes are delicate and fluffy. Let the pancakes cool for ten minutes and then place on a baking tray and slide them into the freezer. When the pancakes have started to freeze, remove them and place them individually or maybe two to three in a zip lock bag, then place them in an airtight container.

Once in the container, they must lie flat and not too compressed to become flat pancakes.

In this state, they will last for three months in the freezer.

Can I freeze Bisquick pancake mix?

Yes. You can freeze the powdered pancake mix and the batter for a complete answer.

Defrost both and bring them back to room temperature before using them for the best results.

Can you put frozen pancakes in the toaster?

No, not frozen pancakes, but you can reheat thawed pancakes in a toaster. It is tricky, but you can try it out if you wish.

Place a pancake into each slot of the toaster and set the toaster to medium heat. Watch for the edges of the pancake burning. This happens in the toaster.

The tricky part is removing the light, fluffy pancakes from the toaster, and don’t be tempted to use a knife or a fork to remove the pancake. You may get more than you bargained for.

Will expired Bisquick make you sick?

Why would you eat expired Bisquick? It is under $5 for a box.

It depends if you talk about a day or six months after the expiration date.

The expiration date on Bisquick is nothing more than an indicator of the condition of the pancake or biscuit mix on that date. The expiration date tells you the product is at its best without degrading to this point.

Bisquick can go four months past the expiration date and taste perfect. However, at some point, the product will start to become stale, and you will lose some quality, maybe in texture and flavor profile.

If the product has mold growing in clumps, it has already turned bad, so eating it could mean a trip to the emergency room.

If you read anywhere that eating mold is fine as long as you don’t have allergies to mold, disregard the information, you should never eat mold growing in powdered pancake mix.

How healthy is Bisquick?

You have to consider that foods that could be considered fast (even though you are doing the mixing) may not be so good for you. In the past, Bisquick did use hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, also known as trans fats.

Trans fats should be avoided. They raise your bad cholesterol, LDL, and lower your good cholesterol, HDL.

However, the story doesn’t end there. Bisquick removed trans fats from the ingredients, replacing them with healthy substances. You can now even buy gluten-free Bisquick.

Is Bisquick healthy? Not really, it contains a lot of sugar, but when consumed in moderation, it is a great-tasting meal that the whole family can enjoy.

Final thoughts.

Despite Bisqicks’ incredibly long shelf life of two years, it can still go bad, and if you use Bisquick after the expiration date, be diligent and pay attention to the pancake mix before you make a batter. It is bad if the mix is in clumps or has colored flecks.

You can store Bisquick in the fridge or a cool pantry. You can freeze the pancake mix, powder the batter, and cooked Bisquick pancakes.

It is a versatile product that remains a staple in many homes.