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How to Store Chocolate: Temperature, Bloom and Shelf Life
Keep chocolate somewhere cool and dry, away from strong smells, at 57 to 70°F, in its wrapper and out of direct sunlight. That is the range on the storage sheet for our 85 g (3 oz) milk and dark bars. Chocolate melts between 86 and 90°F, under body temperature, so a coat pocket wins.
Two of our bars keep well in an ordinary kitchen cabinet:
The milk bar's sugars occur naturally in the milk. The dark bar's come from the cocoa. Nothing is added on top of either.
Why does chocolate melt in your pocket?
A pocket runs warmer than chocolate can take. The melting point of chocolate falls between 86 and 90°F, while the human body runs at 98.6°F, according to the Library of Congress. A jacket pocket or a car dashboard sits well above that line.
Cocoa butter sets that limit. The tempered crystals in a bar melt well below body heat.
What temperature should chocolate be stored at?
Our storage sheet for the two 85 g bars above gives 57 to 70°F as the ideal. The same line asks for a cool, dry place, away from odors and protected from direct sunlight.
Several of our lines give a humidity limit as well as a temperature. The coated chocolate buttons ask for the original packaging at 61 to 68°F with relative humidity under 70 percent. Our chocolate spreads ask for an odor free environment at 63 to 73°F, protected from air and light.
The table copies each range straight from the product's storage sheet.
| Product | On the storage sheet | Shelf life |
|---|---|---|
| No added sugar milk and dark chocolate bars 85 g | Cool, dry, away from odors, out of direct sunlight. Ideal 57 to 70°F | 24 months |
| No added sugar coated milk chocolate buttons 40 g | Original packaging, 61 to 68°F, humidity under 70 percent | 24 months |
| No added sugar hazelnut and chocolate spread 350 g | Odor free, protected from air and light, 63 to 73°F | 16 months |
| Sugar free lemon and cream candy 75 g | Cool and dry, ideally 59°F, 77°F maximum | 24 months |
| Sugar free gummy bears 75 g | Cool and dry, 68 to 77°F, humidity 55 to 65 percent | 24 months |
| No added sugar apricot muesli bar 30 g | Dry, up to 77°F | 15 months |
| No added sugar strawberry jam with chia seeds 230 g | Dry, out of direct sunlight, refrigerate once opened | 24 months |
Every no added sugar product above contains naturally occurring sugars from its own ingredients: milk, fruit or cocoa. None of them has sugar added on top. Our no added sugar products are not low calorie foods. See nutrition information for sugar and calorie content. The sugar free candy above is not a reduced calorie food and is not for weight control.
Should chocolate go in the refrigerator?
A refrigerator sits far below the 57 to 70°F our 85 g chocolate bars ask for, so save the refrigerator for days when the room is too warm. It also holds the smell of everything else on the shelf. Take a cold bar into a warm kitchen and moisture settles on the surface, which dulls the finish.
In a heat wave the refrigerator still beats an 86°F countertop. Seal the bar in an airtight box first, the step most people skip. Then let it come back to room temperature inside the box before you open it.
Why does chocolate turn pale, and can you still eat it?
The chalky gray film is fat bloom, which the Institute of Food Technologists traces to two causes.
Fat bloom happens when fat migrates to the surface of chocolate as a result of storing it at high temperatures or exposing it to extreme fluctuations in temperature.
Institute of Food Technologists, IFT Food Facts: fat bloom
The same source notes that chocolate has a long shelf life and is safe to eat, though a badly stored bar may not taste the same or keep the same creamy texture. Since heat and temperature swings both cause bloom, a cabinet that holds 61°F all week treats chocolate better than a refrigerator it travels in and out of.
How long does chocolate keep?
Our 85 g (3 oz) milk and dark bars carry a 24 month shelf life. The chocolate hazelnut spreads run to 16 months and the muesli bars to 15. Those dates assume the bar has been kept in the storage sheet range; one that spends August on a sunny shelf will not eat as it should by the end.
The date on a chocolate wrapper is about quality, as the USDA puts it:
A "Best if Used By/Before" date indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Food Product Dating
Federal law requires a date label only on infant formula, so the date on a chocolate pack is the maker's note on quality.
Maltitol is what sweetens these bars. It is a polyol, a sweetener used in place of sugar. There is a full explainer on maltitol if you want the detail.
Frequently asked questions
Can you freeze chocolate?
You can, but it is rarely worth it. Freezing takes a bar far below the 57 to 70°F our 85 g bars ask for, and the journey back up brings condensation onto the surface. If you do freeze it, wrap it airtight, then let it reach room temperature still sealed.
Is chocolate with a white film still good?
The pale film is fat bloom, which the Institute of Food Technologists attributes to storage at high temperatures or to extreme swings in temperature. The same source says chocolate is safe to eat and long lasting, though a badly stored bar may lose some of its taste and texture.
How should chocolate be stored in summer?
Move it to the coolest, darkest cabinet you have, away from any window that catches afternoon sun. Our 85 g bars ask for 57 to 70°F. If the kitchen holds above 77°F for days, an airtight box in the refrigerator is the better option, opened only once the box has come back to room temperature.
Chocolate bought in September for holiday gifts spends three months in whichever cabinet you pick today, so pick the cool one.