Yes, Candy Can Expire — Here's How To Tell

If you've had bags of candy in your pantry for years, you might think the sweet stuff doesn't really expire. Bad news: it certainly can. Luckily, the good news is that sugary confections including chocolate, hard candy, and even gummies take a long time to reach that dreaded expiration date. Candy is also generally safe to consume even past its prime, although there will be noticeable dips in its quality.

Like with most food products, unopened candy will likely stay fresh for longer than opened packages. Unopened, soft candies with ingredients like peanut butter, caramel, and gum have a shelf life from six to nine months. Sealed milk chocolate and white chocolate stay fresh for up to ten months. Hard candies like Jolly Ranchers, lollipops, jelly beans, and acidic sour candies can last a whole year unopened before you need to worry about quality. That duration doubles for dark chocolate, which can stay fresh for two years, as long as it has not been opened or exposed to drastic temperature changes.

The storage area of the candy can also contribute to how fresh it stays over time. Candies like chocolates that are easily affected by heat will undergo taste and texture changes if they melt and re-solidify, even if they go unopened. For the freshest candy, keep your confections sealed and stored in a cool, dark place. But if you are still munching on Halloween candy well into the New Year, rest assured it is most likely still safe to eat.

Just because expired candy likely won't make you sick doesn't necessarily mean you should be eating it. Sugar is a preservative, which is why candies tend to last so long and don't often grow germs — but confections on the brink of expiration can take on an unpleasantly different taste, texture, and smell. For example, chocolate will form a white coating around the edges when it is close to expiration. This indicates that it has "bloomed" (i.e. the cocoa butter inside has migrated to the outside), likely due to temperature fluctuations over time. While it isn't unsafe to eat, bloomed chocolate has a grainy texture that is certainly less nice.

Gummy candies that are near expiration can also lose their vibrant colors and soft texture over time. The once-chewy snacks will likely become stale and hard to eat. You might also notice an odd odor or taste when you bite down on your sweet treat, which indicates that it is probably time to throw it away and buy fresh ones. 

If you aren't quite sure how long it's been since you bought or opened your candy, perform a quick inspection before popping it into your mouth. Candy can even become moldy after a while, especially if it is stored improperly. If you see mold on anything, never eat it, even if it has not yet reached its expected expiration date.