Sip on the smooth & creamy taste of pumpkin with this delicious and balanced healthy pumpkin smoothie! Made dairy-free with canned pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and other simple ingredients including protein powder for an added boost — it’s fall in smoothie form!
One of my favorite things to kick off pumpkin season every August is this healthy pumpkin pie smoothie that’s high in protein and absolutely delicious for the season. It’s everything we love about fall in smoothie form plus it’s nutritious and super easy to make with simple ingredients I’m betting you already have at home.
Smoothies are such a delicious and simple way to add more nutrition to your diet whether that be for breakfast, as a snack or after a workout. The beauty of smoothies is that you can pack a lot of nutrition by way of different fruits vegetables, sources of protein and fat that you may not typically get into one delicious drink.
How to Elevate Your Smoothie Game at a Low Cost
I can’t tell you how many times I make this smoothie between August and the end of October! It feels like it should be $20 at some expensive smoothie shop but you just made it at home for a fraction of the price. Fancy up the glass by smearing a little bit of Greek yogurt and almond butter in the inside before you pour the smoothie in. It’s a fun little touch!
This is a pumpkin banana smoothie, however, you don’t taste the banana, it’s just there to add more creaminess and extra nutrition. It doesn’t overpower the taste of pumpkin whatsoever!
Healthy Pumpkin Smoothie
You can feel good sipping on this pumpkin smoothie recipe all season long because it’s balanced and contains good nutrition via pumpkin puree, banana, added protein, almond butter, and any super seeds you add to it.
Health Benefits of the Ingredients
Pumpkin truly is a fall superfood, and I don’t say that lightly as a dietitian. It’s high in fiber and vitamins A, C, and E (which are great for skin health) as well as potassium and zinc. Having a can of pumpkin on hand year-round and in the fall is such a great, easy way to add more nutrition to your smoothies and other meals and snacks.
Top this smoothie with pumpkin seeds which are small but mighty when it comes to nutrition too. They’re a great source of plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fat, and magnesium.
Why I Added the Protien in This Pumpkin Protein Smoothie
A lot of typical smoothies are lacking one important component to keep them balanced and satiating — protein. I wanted this smoothie recipe to not only be a fun and delicious breakfast or snack, but to also be balanced with protein to give it more staying power and ensure it’s not something you’re hungry going to be hungry five minutes after eating!
I recommend adding a scoop of plant-based protein or whatever protein powder you use to this smoothie to increase the protein content. Collagen, or adding sources of plant-based protein like flax seeds, chia seeds, or hemp seeds would also be a great option for giving this smoothie a protein boost.
Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe
If you make this pumpkin smoothie recipe and enjoy it, I would love for you to tag me @onceuponapumpkin and or leave a review or rating on this blog post. We can virtually cheers our smoothies together!
Ingredients For Healthy Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
- Pumpkin Puree — you want to make sure it’s pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix! Any canned pumpkin will do.
- Frozen Banana — this is going to add more creaminess to the smoothie and I promise the banana does not overpower the pumpkin taste!
- Unsweetened Dairy-Free Milk of Choice — I typically use unsweetened almond milk or oat milk.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon
- Pitted Date — add a pitted date or 2 to give this smoothie more natural sweetness. I recommend trying it with just the banana first as I think that gives it a nice amount of sweetness.
- Hemp Seeds/ Ground Flax Seed / Chia Seeds – each of these seeds is a good source of healthy fat, fiber, and plant-based protein. This helps the smoothie become more blood-sugar friendly and helps you stay fuller for longer!
- Creamy Unsweetened Almond Butter — almond butter complements the flavor of pumpkin and pumpkin spice so well.
- Ice
- Granola — I love something crunchy on top of this frozen pumpkin smoothie! My favorite granola is Purely Elizabeth pumpkin cinnamon granola (it’s available year-round!).
- Pumpkin Seeds — pumpkin seeds would be another great addition to the top of this smoothie! Pumpkin seeds are a good source of plant-based protein, fiber, and magnesium.
equipment/ utensils:
- high-speed blender
- glasses
- straw
Tips for Making a Thick & Creamy Pumpkin Protein Smoothie
- Use frozen bananas. If you don’t have any frozen bananas on hand but still want to make this smoothie, simply add a little more ice. I have not tried it, but you could also use frozen riced cauliflower in place of the bananas.
- Don’t add too much liquid. I like my smoothies thick enough to eat with a spoon (I think they’re more satisfying that way!).
- Freeze leftover pumpkin puree. When you have a little pumpkin puree leftover in a can, don’t throw it out! Freeze it in an ice cube tray and then use those “pumpkin cubes” anytime you’re making a smoothie. They’re even great to throw in a soup this fall.
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 high-speed blender
- 1 glass
- 1 straw
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 small frozen banana
- 1 cup unsweetened dairy free milk of choice
- 1-2 tbsp. creamy unsweetened almond butter
- 1 scoop vanilla or unflavored protein powder
- 2 tbsp. chia seeds, ground flax, or hemp seeds optional
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
- 1 pitted date optional
- 3-4 ice cubes
optional toppings:
- pumpkin granola
- pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth and combined.
- Pour into a glass and top with pumpkin granola, pumpkin seeds and extra pumpkin pie spice! Enjoy!
Notes
More Pumpkin Recipes You’re Sure to Love:
- Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (DF)
- Healthy Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl (DF)
- Pumpkin Cookie Protein Balls (GF & DF)
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (GF & DF)
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