[Foodie Friday Recipe] How to Make a Healthy & Delicious Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

If you love pumpkin pie, a pumpkin pie smoothie is a great way to enjoy this classic fall flavor, while staying on track with your healthy diet at the same time! Here’s how to make one – plus 3 delicious recipe variations…

Fall is a great time to commit to eating healthier. With plenty of fresh veggies available this time of year and the holidays fast approaching, you can put yourself on the right track to better health by eating well during the fall months.

Fall is also a great time to enjoy the seasonal flavor of pumpkins – fall’s quintessential fruit! One good way to enjoy pumpkin and eat healthy at the same time is to make pumpkin pie smoothies. You can use these as a healthy meal replacement, breakfast, a snack, or even a healthy dessert.

Here are a few tips, as well as some tasty recipe ideas, for making a pumpkin pie smoothie:

1.) Decide On Your Smoothie Base

To start with, the smoothie base is going to be similar to any other smoothie you make. If you are adding ice, you can use fresh and ripe bananas. However, if you don’t want to add ice to the smoothie, try using frozen bananas instead. You then want to choose your main dairy components, including milk and yogurt. If you are a vegan, you can go with a yogurt substitute and use almond or soy milk instead of regular milk. Vanilla Greek yogurt is a good option for a pumpkin pie smoothie as the flavor will go well with the pumpkin. Sweeten your smoothie with either maple syrup or honey.

2.) Add in the Pumpkin and Spices

Once you have your basic smoothie base, you then want to add in your pumpkin and other seasonings. For the healthiest pumpkin pie smoothie, it is highly recommended that you make your own fresh pumpkin puree, which is very easy, tastes better, and avoids any unnecessary additives. You can do this by first roasting your pumpkin to soften it up, then cut it into pieces, scoop out the flesh, and put it in a food processor to make a puree. However, you can also use canned pumpkin in a pinch. Pumpkin pie spice should be all you need for a delicious smoothie, but you can also add a little extra ground cinnamon for extra health benefits. You may also want to add a bit of vanilla extract, especially if you’re not using vanilla yogurt in the base.

3.) Follow Standard Smoothie Directions

When you make your pumpkin pie smoothie, try to use a high-quality blender. This will help to combine the ingredients well and give you a smooth result. Getting your proportions right for a pumpkin pie smoothie is also important. You should add the thicker ingredients at the bottom of the blender and end with your liquid ingredients. Blend until smooth, adding more liquid as needed to blend all the ingredients properly. You might also want to give it a taste before you pour it into glasses so you know if more sweetener or more pumpkin pie seasoning and cinnamon is needed.

Ready to try it out? Here are 3 pumpkin smoothie recipe variations to try:

1.) Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

This is pumpkin pie in a glass, but healthier! As mentioned above, pumpkin pie smoothies contain many of the same ingredients that would go in a pie, except for a few variations. Feel free to tailor your smoothie to your tastes. If you like more of a milky smoothie, use regular milk or vanilla almond milk. If you like a thicker smoothie, add some peanut butter and granola to the blender. You can also add a frozen banana in lieu of ice for a creamier texture. When you are done blending, just top it with some cinnamon, and drink your pumpkin pie!

Here’s a recipe if you need some extra guidance…

2.) Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie

Another way to enjoy a pumpkin smoothie is by adding chocolate. This is the perfect dessert smoothie or to enjoy on days when you just want something chocolatey! Combine canned pumpkin or your own pumpkin puree with milk, yogurt, ice, and cocoa powder. You can make it even richer with a handful of chocolate chips as well. Blend well and top it with a dollop of real whipped cream for an indulgent dessert.

Here is a Vegan version to try…

3.) Pumpkin and Apple Smoothie

Pumpkin can also be combined with other fall fruits and veggies for a seasonal smoothie to enjoy for breakfast. For example, combining pumpkin and apple will make you feel like you are drinking the essence of fall every time! Like other pumpkin smoothies, you want to start with a base of pumpkin puree. You can then add some cubed apples (preferably roasted until soft – but you can use raw as well) and ground cinnamon. Add either milk or yogurt, along with ice and rolled oats. Blend it together, and add more seasonings if you like – a dash of clove or ginger is nice.

This one is made with raw apples…

 

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