Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I absolutely love using pumpkin in recipes like my Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. We’re not talking about roasting the pumpkin in the oven…we’ll save that for Thanksgiving. We’re talking about canned pumpkin here. Canned pumpkin is the best. The flavor of a freshly roasted pumpkin is amazing, I’m not denying that. But it’s a lot of work and frankly, I want to enjoy my pumpkin recipes more than once or twice a year. My Pumpkin Pie Smoothie uses canned pumpkin and is the perfect and easiest way to fit a little Fall flavor and nutrition into your busy mornings. I use unsweetened yogurt and milk and sweeten this smoothie with honey or my favorite….maple syrup, and a banana. I add a little pumpkin pie spice and/or cinnamon and vanilla to create the aroma and taste of the season. There you have it…Fall in a mason jar!

Pumpkin is a nutritional powerhouse

Not only does pumpkin represent all things Fall (my favorite season) but it’s an easy and delicious way to pack flavor and nutrients into recipes. Here are just a few of the nutritional benefits from our favorite Fall veggie that may come as a surprise to you!

• Pumpkin contains vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, folate and iron, which could strengthen your immune system. This will come in handy when the kids are back in school and the dreaded cold and flu season kicks off.
• Fiber and lots of it! Keeps you full longer and keeps you regular. Enough said.
• The beta carotene in pumpkins has been shown to combat aging of the skin. So my pumpkin smoothie is making me look younger? I’ll take two.

What’s in a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie?

• 1/2 cup unsweetened yogurt (I use greek to add extra protein)
• 4 oz canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (If I’m making this for my kids I may increase this a bit depending on how ripe/sweet the banana is )
• 1 banana (frozen if you prefer a cold smoothie) – Make sure it’s very ripe and if it’s not, use two bananas!
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

• Add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.
• If you’re using a fresh banana and prefer a cold smoothie, refrigerate for 30 minutes. I prefer to make this smoothie the night before and refrigerate overnight so it’s a quick breakfast on weekday mornings.