Recipe ideas using Starbucks Pumpkin Spice syrup?

March 26, 2010 8:14 PM

I've been given a couple jugs of Starbucks Pumpkin Spice syrup by a few friends of mine. I love the stuff, but it's due to expire soon (or soonish, not sure how long it will keep beyond the date) and I know I'll never use all of it. I'm pretty handy in the kitchen, so I thought I might use them to make desserts and whatnot (loaves, muffins, etc.). Any recipe ideas/suggestions?
posted by idleminded to Food & Drink (14 answers total)

You could always freeze it in ice cube trays to thaw as needed.
posted by kch at 8:19 PM on March 26, 2010

Freezing sounds like the best idea, I would add however that as a "corporate" product, that date is likely a freshness or use by date as compared to an expired date. Chips instead of milk as it were.
posted by handle_unknown at 9:14 PM on March 26, 2010

I bet it would work great instead of the maple syrup in a granola recipe. Or if it's essentially flavored corn syrup (I don't know whether that's true), you could try it in caramel corn or any other recipe that calls for corn syrup.
posted by lakeroon at 9:29 PM on March 26, 2010

If you think of it as a corn syrup substitute, you could always make butter tarts. Pumpkin butter tarts -- oh, my ...
posted by maudlin at 9:51 PM on March 26, 2010

pumpkin spice pancakes!
posted by estherbester at 10:23 PM on March 26, 2010

Response by poster: Good point on the ice tray idea. I'll have to do that.

Interestingly enough, the syrup doesn't have any corn syrup in it (at least not listed, anyway): Label here. (Probably should have taken that picture before.) I'm loving the granola, butter tarts and pancake ideas though. Amazing!
posted by idleminded at 12:11 AM on March 27, 2010

As long as the bottles remain unopened, I don't see why the expiration date should have much effect on your usage. If you're really that concerned about it, maybe keep them in the fridge?

We had an unopened can of plain condensed milk in the fridge for over a year at work, which someone cracked open last week for a coffee emergency. No one is dead from plague, so I assume the milk was fine.
posted by elizardbits at 4:32 AM on March 27, 2010

as someone who worked at starbucks, the expiration date doesn't really matter. there are plenty of locations that just use their stock until it runs out, no matter the exp date....completely OK'd by the district manager. you're ok as long as it's not like 2 or 3 years past the exp date.
posted by assasinatdbeauty at 7:03 AM on March 27, 2010

That stuff is chock full of preservatives & isn't going to go bad in this decade. Personally, I'd just chuck the stuff in the trash knowing I was much better off having not put it into my (or my loved one's) body.
posted by torquemaniac at 8:44 AM on March 27, 2010

So it's basically sweetened condensed milk with added flavor?

There's loads of desserts that start with sweetened condensed milk. Tablet, brigadeiro, most kinds of caramel or dulce de leche, some cream pies, etc. etc. etc. Any of these could be good with a bit of pumpkin flavor. Me, I would be all over a tres leches cake made with pumpkin flavored dulce de leche.

But, yeah, sealed cans of sweetened condensed milk last for fucking ever. It's why they started making the stuff. Go ahead and find new uses for the stuff if you're bored, but don't worry about the sealed jugs going wrong.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:53 AM on March 27, 2010

If it's milk-based, then it won't work as a corn syrup substitute in butter tarts. But you should make them anyway without it, because they are heaven.
posted by maudlin at 9:45 AM on March 27, 2010

It's mostly milk so maybe you can make a dulce de leche of some kind.
posted by chairface at 4:08 PM on March 27, 2010

pumpkin cheesecake? a lot of cheesecake recipes call for some sort of liqueur--sub the pumpkin syrup for that. probably decrease sugar a bit to accommodate the sweetness of the syrup. maybe a gingersnap crust instead of graham cracker. maybe add some canned pumpkin in round two if the pumpkin flavor doesn't kick tuckus in round one. (what? well sure, you'll want to make a second cheesecake; everyone loves cheesecake.) for completely over-the-top craziness, use some of the syrup to make caramel sauce to drizzle over the top. maybe with whipped cream (the real stuff) and some chopped toasted pecans.

why yes, i am craving some dessert; why do you ask?
posted by miss patrish at 5:13 PM on March 27, 2010

how about overhauling the magic bar/hello dolly recipe with butterscotch chips and pecans and this syrup instead of sweetened condensed milk? once again, you could try a gingersnap crust instead if you wanted.

if it's still cold where you are, you could add it to eggnog along with some rum.
posted by miss patrish at 5:23 PM on March 27, 2010