Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I don’t know about you, but I got a little nervous about the forecasted “pumpkin shortage”, I stocked up a couple weeks ago on my beloved Libby’s pumpkin puree (6 cans). Apparently that still isn’t enough pumpkin for me. I’ve also been roasting chunks of fresh baby bear and sugar pie pumpkins to throw in cooked quinoa and other grains, omelets and soups but I’ve also sprinkled the cubes with cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup and topped it off with either chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds for a sweet snack or side (YUM).

I’ve also been making my fair share of pumpkin and/or winter squash smoothies these days – I adore warm spices and this quick and easy protein smoothie is packed with flavor and nutrition. I could eat butternut squash and pumpkin year round…so I apologize if I will bombard this blog with recipes incorporating winter squash for a little while. I hope you don’t mind 🙂

For a sip of Fall flavors, try this smoothie for a quick on-the-go breakfast, an afternoon snack or even a light lunch when you are short on time.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie 

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked pumpkin or pumpkin puree (or other winter squash like butternut or kabocha or sweet potato)
1/2 scoop of your favorite protein powder or 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or both
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk)
1 tsp chia seeds (or ground flaxseed)
1 medjool date OR 1 – 2 tsp maple syrup, honey or agave (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or more to taste (I eyeball it and use more but I love cinnamon)
1/4 tsp ground ginger, optional
a few dashes of ground cloves and ground nutmeg
4-5 ice cubes

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and combine until smooth and well-incorpated. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon if desired and enjoy!

Serves 1