Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Name: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cup coconut milk (or oat, almond, regular milk, etc); ⅓ cup pumpkin puree; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1 large frozen banana; 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 1-2 tablespoons almond butter; Pinch of salt; Optional: 2 tablespoons hemp seeds or 1 scoop of protein powder; Optional for serving: whipped cream and cinnamon

Why We Love This Recipe

Quick and easy: This pumpkin pie smoothie comes together in 5 minutes and has only 8 simple ingredients. Perfect for a quick breakfast!

Tastes just like pumpkin pie in a glass: This smoothie is creamy, rich, perfectly spiced, and truly tastes like pumpkin pie! The good news is, it's definitely a tad healthier. But it still gives you that satisfying, delicious, quintessential fall flavor!

Vegan and gluten free: This pumpkin pie smoothie is vegan with the use of coconut milk, and it's also naturally gluten free. The perfect recipe for just about any dietary needs! It can also easily be made sugar free.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this pumpkin pie smoothie:

You only need 8 ingredients to make this easy smoothie.

Ingredient Notes

Pumpkin: We use the canned stuff, which makes life a lot easier. If you have pumpkins at your disposal, feel free to make your own pumpkin purée by gently blending or food processing fresh steamed/roasted pumpkin.

Note: pumpkin purée – pure pumpkin without additives – is different from pumpkin pie mix, which contains spices and often sweeteners.

Pumpkin spice: If you can't find any at the store, you can make your own. Just whisk together 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1-2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½-1 teaspoon ground cloves and an optional ½ teaspoon allspice. You can multiply the batch and keep it on hand for other fall recipes like this pumpkin spice granola or pumpkin muffins.

Maple syrup: For a sugar free version of this pumpkin pie smoothie, leave this out. You can also substitute with agave or another liquid sweetener.

Banana: Frozen banana is essential in this recipe, otherwise your smoothie won't be cold or have that icy, creamy texture. For best results, let the frozen banana thaw for a few minutes before blending, otherwise your blender may have trouble breaking it up. It's also helpful to cut frozen banana into several smaller pieces to make blending easier.

Almond butter: This adds extra richness and creaminess, plus an extra boost of healthy fats and plant-based protein to keep you full for longer. You can also use peanut, cashew or sunflower butter. Or, leave it out altogether.

Coconut milk: We chose coconut milk because it's super rich and creamy, which works well in this pumpkin pie smoothie. You can also use oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or even regular milk if you're not dairy free.

Salt: It may seem unnecessary, but a small pinch of salt really helps balance out all of the rich flavors in this pumpkin pie smoothie. It's the same as adding a pinch to sweet baked goods – it makes a subtle difference, but it's worth it!

Instructions

(1) Add coconut milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, banana, pumpkin spice, vanilla, almond butter and salt to a high speed blender.

Pumpkin pie smoothie ingredients in a blender.

Pro tip: let the frozen banana thaw slightly for better blending.

(2) Blend on high for 60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy.

Pour into glass and enjoy as is, or top with a dollop of whipped cream and cinnamon.

Left: blended smoothie in the blender. Right: finished smoothies in glasses.

Enjoy as is, or go all out with whipped cream and cinnamon.

Tips and FAQs

Add-ins: Here are a few ways to customize your pumpkin pie smoothie:

Protein powder: Feel free to add in a scoop of your favorite protein powder. Vanilla or chocolate would both be great choices.
Hemp seeds or ground flax seeds: For extra nutrients, add in 1-2 tablespoons of your favorite seed. We love hemp seeds for extra plant-based protein, and ground flax for extra fiber and Omega-3's.
Pumpkin spice simple syrup: Swap out the maple syrup with our homemade pumpkin spice simple syrup! It's amazing in cocktails, on waffles, oatmeal, and of course, in a homemade PSL.

Yogurt: For extra creaminess, healthy fats and protein, feel free to add in up to ½ cup of your favorite yogurt. You may want to cut back slightly on the coconut milk, as this will thin out the smoothie.
Espresso: For a caffeinated version, add in 1-2 shots of freshly brewed, cooled espresso! (Yes, this was inspired by our Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini.)

Smoothie bowl version: To make this pumpkin pie smoothie into a smoothie bowl, you'll need to cut back on the liquid, or increase the amount of frozen banana. Cut the liquid in half for a thicker, creamier texture that holds up well to toppings.

Let the frozen banana thaw slightly. If you try to blend it straight from the freezer, your blender may have trouble blending the banana. We usually let it thaw for a few minutes, or even microwave for 15-20 seconds quickly before adding to the blender. It also helps to cut the banana into smaller pieces.

Serving size: This quantity of ingredients is for 2 smaller or 1 large smoothie. Since this pumpkin pie smoothie is pretty rich, we prefer to serve it in smaller portions. If you use a lighter milk option, it won't be quite as rich.

Depending on the speed/power of your blender, you may need to go through two blend cycles for a super creamy smoothie.

Storage: This smoothie is best consumed within a few hours, but if necessary can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. We suggest blending again before consuming. You can also add more frozen banana if needed.

How do you freeze banana?

Step 1: Peel your banana. Don't ever freeze bananas with the peel on – it's impossible to remove when frozen!

Step 2: Slice into 4-5 pieces. This will make it much easier to blend when added into a smoothie.

Step 3: Place on a small plate or sheet pan, making sure the banana pieces aren't touching. Freeze for 4-6 hours until completely frozen, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. You can store frozen bananas for up to 6 months.

Finished pumpkin pie smoothies with sunflowers in back.

Say hello to your new favorite fall breakfast!

📖 Recipe

Comments

Let us know what you think! Cancel reply