Canned biscuits are one of those refrigerator staples that seem to disappear fast — until suddenly you have three tubes sitting near their expiration date and no plan for them. The good news is that freezing can biscuits is completely doable, whether they’re still raw in the tube or freshly baked from the oven.
There are a few rules worth knowing before you toss that can in the freezer. Done right, frozen biscuits come out warm and satisfying. Done wrong, you end up with flat, gummy dough and a sticky mess. This guide walks you through every step, from freezing and thawing to the best ways to use them once they come out of the freezer.
Can You Freeze Can Biscuits?
You can freeze biscuits. Whether baked, unbaked, homemade, or store-bought, just about any type of biscuit can be frozen. That includes the refrigerated tubes you pick up at the grocery store — Pillsbury Grands, store-brand options, and everything in between.
Although packages of Pillsbury brand biscuits warn against freezing the raw dough, that’s to preserve the quality of the product, not for the consumer’s safety. In other words, the label disclaimer is about texture expectations, not a safety concern. You can still freeze them and get perfectly usable results.
Store-bought refrigerated dough isn’t as tasty as homemade, but it’s effortless — and there’s a lot to be said for the ease of popping open a can and having warm, buttery biscuits on the table within 15 minutes. Since canned biscuit dough can also be an invaluable shortcut for making entrees like pot pies and monkey bread, keeping a few on hand at all times makes sense. Freezing extends that convenience even further.
Pro Tip: You have two freezing options — raw dough or fully baked biscuits. Baked biscuits tend to hold their texture better after freezing, but properly frozen raw dough still works well for most uses.
Does Freezing Change the Texture or Taste of Can Biscuits?
Freezing does have some effect on can biscuits, and it’s worth setting realistic expectations before you stock up. If you’re freezing your biscuits before baking them, they may not rise quite as tall as they normally do when cooked straight from your refrigerator. This happens because the leavening agents in the dough lose some of their potency during the freeze-thaw cycle.
It’s essential to keep biscuit dough chilled before baking. Similar to homemade biscuits, allowing the butter or shortening to melt before going in the oven prevents the dough from rising as it bakes and changes the biscuit’s texture, making it dense and gummy. That’s why how you thaw them matters just as much as how you freeze them.
Freezing can make them slightly denser, but if you follow the proper steps, the difference is very minimal. For baked biscuits, the texture difference after freezing is even smaller — be sure the biscuits are completely cool before freezing. This ensures that excess moisture isn’t trapped inside of them once frozen. Excess moisture will cause biscuits to become gummy and dense when they’re thawed later.
Although the thawing process may prevent the biscuits from rising to their full potential, they will still taste as expected. For recipes where a perfect rise isn’t critical — think casserole toppings, biscuit cups, or breakfast sandwiches — you likely won’t notice any difference at all.
How to Freeze Can Biscuits the Right Way
There are three methods to choose from depending on whether your can is still sealed, already opened, or whether you’ve already baked the biscuits. Each approach takes only a few minutes of prep.
Method 1: Freeze the Whole Unopened Tube
If you bought one too many cans of refrigerated biscuits, the best way to freeze them is by popping an entire unopened tube into frozen storage for up to two months. While the cans can be quite scary to open seeing they’re sealed with so much pressure, you can actually freeze the can of biscuit dough unopened and it won’t burst.
The one drawback: once thawed, you need to bake all the contents. If you only want a biscuit or two at a time, the individual method below works better.
Method 2: Flash-Freeze Individual Raw Biscuits
This is the most flexible method and the one most home cooks prefer. To freeze raw biscuits individually, simply open the tube of biscuit dough and place the canned biscuits on a baking sheet with enough room between each biscuit to prevent sticking. Once the biscuits are frozen, they can be removed from the baking sheet and added to a freezer-safe plastic bag for easy access.
The key rule here: you must remove the biscuits from their pressurized container before freezing. Never try to freeze individual biscuits while still packed tightly in the can. Once they’re solid, label the bag with the date and return it to the freezer.
Method 3: Freeze Already-Baked Biscuits
The best way to freeze already-baked canned biscuits is to first wait for them to cool completely and then wrap and freeze each individual biscuit in freezer wrap or foil. Next, wrap each individual biscuit extra tight with aluminum foil and store them in a large freezer bag.
According to Tasting Table , all you have to do is transfer your fresh-from-the-oven biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely before wrapping. Skipping the cooling step traps steam inside the foil, which leads to soggy, dense biscuits once thawed.
Pro Tip: Always label your freezer bag with the contents and the date you froze them. Frozen biscuit dough and baked biscuits look nearly identical once bagged, and you’ll want to track the storage window.
How Long Can You Freeze Can Biscuits?
Storage time depends on which form you’re freezing — raw dough or baked biscuits.
| Form | Maximum Freezer Time | Best Quality Window |
|---|---|---|
| Whole unopened tube (raw) | Up to 2 months | Within 2 months |
| Individual raw dough pieces | Up to 3 months | 1–3 months |
| Fully baked biscuits | Up to 3 months | Within 3 months |
Properly stored in an airtight, freezer-safe bag, your raw biscuit dough will maintain its best quality for up to 3 months. After that, you risk freezer burn, which can dry out the dough and impart an “off” flavor.
Canned biscuits can easily last up to three months beyond the expiration date when stored in the freezer. In fact, most people argue that canned biscuits are safe to consume beyond the three-month mark. They may lose some quality at this point, though, so it’s not recommended. Stick to the two-to-three-month window for the best results.
How to Thaw Frozen Can Biscuits
Thawing is where most people go wrong with frozen can biscuits. The method you choose directly affects the final texture, so don’t skip this step or rush it.
Thawing a Whole Frozen Tube
If you threw an entire tube of canned biscuit dough in your freezer, place the tube directly in the refrigerator to thaw it properly. Once it’s thawed, simply pop the seal and bake pre-cut biscuits as directed. Plan on leaving it in the fridge overnight — about 24 hours works well for a full tube.
Thawing Individual Raw Biscuits
For the fluffiest, highest-rising biscuits, thawing them before baking is the way to go. The best method is to simply take out the number of biscuits you need, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let them thaw in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
You can also skip thawing entirely. If you are thinking of thawing raw biscuits that have been frozen in a bag, you actually don’t need to. Seeing that the biscuits are already separated, you can bake them from frozen on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 25 minutes. As a rule of thumb, add 5–10 minutes to your baking time when baking frozen biscuit dough.
Thawing Fully Baked Biscuits
When you’re ready to reheat your already-baked frozen biscuits, simply remove the foil, spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 20 minutes. Because they were previously fully baked, checking on them periodically is necessary to prevent overcooking. If you’re concerned about them browning too quickly, topping them lightly with a sheet of foil will do just the trick.
Important Note: Never thaw canned biscuit dough — especially a whole tube — on the kitchen counter. Thawing them on the countertop is a mistake. Enabling the dough to defrost rapidly ruins the fluffy dough and could lead to a messy cleanup. Always use the refrigerator.
Can You Refreeze Can Biscuits After Thawing?
Refreezing thawed biscuit dough is not recommended. Once raw dough has been thawed, the leavening agents have already been activated and partially spent. Refreezing and thawing again causes further breakdown, resulting in biscuits that are noticeably flat and dense.
Freeze unused raw biscuit dough as soon as possible, preferably before it begins to rise when it’s exposed to air. The longer it is exposed to air, the less likely the freezing process will provide good results. This is exactly why the flash-freeze individual method works so well — you pull out only what you need, and the rest stays untouched in the freezer.
Fully baked biscuits follow the same logic. Once you’ve reheated a baked biscuit from frozen, eat it rather than returning it to the freezer. Each freeze-thaw cycle degrades both texture and flavor. The individual flash-freeze method for both raw and baked biscuits eliminates the need to refreeze entirely, since you only thaw what you plan to use. If you enjoy whole plant-based foods as part of your regular meals, pairing a warm biscuit with a hearty vegetable-based filling is a great way to use your frozen stash.
How to Use Frozen Can Biscuits (Best Uses After Freezing)
Previously frozen biscuits work best in recipes where a perfect rise isn’t the main goal. Since previously frozen canned biscuits likely won’t fully rise, you may want to reserve them for certain recipes. While they may not be ideal for the bread basket, they still make a delicious topping for chicken pot pies, casseroles, or chicken and dumpling recipes. Use the dough to fill muffin tins to create individual biscuit cups that you can stuff with infinite toppings.
Here are some of the best ways to put frozen can biscuits to work in your kitchen:
- Breakfast sandwiches: Scramble eggs with toppings like bacon, crumbled sausage, cheese, or the veggies you fancy. Use a knife to create a pocket in the middle of each raw biscuit and fill the cavities with the mixture. Crimp the edges to seal the filling and brush the tops with melted butter before sprinkling salt or try everything biscuit seasoning.
- Monkey bread: Cut thawed biscuit pieces into quarters, coat in cinnamon sugar and melted butter, and layer in a bundt pan for an easy pull-apart treat.
- Mini pizzas: Canned biscuits are perfect for homemade mini pizzas. Flatten thawed dough rounds, top with sauce and cheese, and bake.
- Empanadas and savory pockets: Defrosted biscuits are also ideal for making empanadas or savory pockets, which don’t need to puff up during baking. Precook the fillings, then encase them with the dough before baking.
- Pot pie topping: Lay thawed biscuit rounds over a filled casserole dish and bake until golden. The dough seals in the filling without needing a full rise.
- Dumplings: Besides traditional biscuits, there are other unexpected things you can make with pre-made biscuit dough such as pizza, dumplings, and biscuit cups.
For meal inspiration beyond the basics, check out these famous foods in Boston — biscuits pair naturally with New England-style chowders and stews that make great pot-pie-style fillings. You can also explore traditional Greek foods for savory filling ideas that work beautifully inside biscuit dough pockets.
Signs That Frozen Can Biscuits Have Gone Bad
Even in the freezer, can biscuits can go bad — especially if they weren’t stored properly or have been in there too long. Here’s what to look for before you bake.
Eating spoiled food can make you sick, from tummy aches to full-fledged food poisoning that may or may not require medical attention. That said, you need to be well aware of the signs of spoilage when it comes to canned biscuits.
- Visible mold or discoloration: Do you notice any discoloration? Mold can present itself in many colors, whether yellow, black, green, or other shades. Discard any biscuits showing mold, no matter how small the spot.
- Off or sour smell: It’s better to look for signs of spoilage, like mold and rancid odors, to determine whether the canned biscuits are safe to consume. If the dough smells sour, stale, or unusual when thawed, don’t bake it.
- Freezer burn: Between 3–6 months, biscuits are still safe and usable, but you may notice a slight decline in texture and rise. Check for signs of freezer burn such as ice crystals and discoloration. Heavily freezer-burned dough will taste dry and off — it’s safe but unpleasant.
- Bloated or damaged can (for whole-tube method): If bacteria have found their way into your can of biscuits, they will begin feeding on the dough, creating gases. Over time, these gases will cause the can to expand. If you notice that your can of biscuits looks a little bloated, don’t risk it — throw it out and buy or bake fresh.
- Sticky or slimy texture after thawing: Raw dough that feels unusually slimy or sticky after thawing — beyond normal dough stickiness — is a sign that bacterial activity may have occurred. When in doubt, throw it out.
Proper storage goes a long way toward preventing spoilage. Keep in mind that bacterial growth may occur more rapidly if the package of canned biscuits has a crack, hole, or is otherwise compromised or opened. In such instances, canned biscuits likely won’t make it to the one-month mark. Always inspect the packaging before freezing.
For more guidance on keeping your kitchen stocked with foods that support your overall health, browse our articles on superfoods for a healthy heart and foods for healthy skin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze canned biscuits in the tube without opening them?
The easiest way to freeze your favorite canned biscuit dough is simply throwing the can in the freezer. Don’t worry, the can won’t burst open! To thaw, transfer the tube to the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed on the package. The only downside is that once thawed, you’ll need to bake the entire can at once.
Why do biscuit labels say not to freeze?
If you’re freezing your biscuits before baking them, they may not rise quite as tall as they normally do when cooked straight from your refrigerator. The biscuit can labels usually advise not to freeze, but you can still make delicious dishes with frozen dough. The warning is about quality, not food safety.
Can you bake frozen can biscuits without thawing?
Yes. You can bake frozen biscuit dough directly from the freezer. Remove however many biscuits you need and bake in a 425-degree oven for roughly 20 minutes. Expect them to be slightly flatter than thawed biscuits, and add a few extra minutes to the baking time as needed.
How long do thawed biscuits last in the refrigerator?
After opening, canned biscuit dough can be stored in the fridge for one to two days. Once you’ve thawed raw biscuit dough, plan to bake it within that window. Don’t refreeze it after it has fully thawed.
Is it better to freeze biscuits raw or baked?
Quick breads, including canned biscuits, freeze better if they are cooked first, but you can also freeze raw biscuit dough with good results. Baked biscuits reheat more predictably and hold their texture better, making them the preferred option when you have the time to bake them first. Raw dough is the better choice when you want the flexibility to bake just one or two at a time fresh from the oven. For more food storage and handling tips, explore our other guides on the site.