Pumpkin Smoothie

Serves 1

This smoothie is thick enough to also make a great smoothie bowl, if you prefer.

  • 1 frozen banana
  • ½ cup yogurt
  • ½ cup milk of your choice: dairy, soy, oat, flax, etc.
  • 2 Tb maple syrup or other sweetener
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup almonds or almond butter
  • 1 Tb ground flax seed
  • 1 Tb chia seeds
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground dried ginger
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder; I prefer unsweetened but use your favorite

Blend together in a regular or smoothie blender that has a heavy-duty blade strong enough to crush the almonds if you are using them. I like the added texture of starting with whole almonds but using almond butter will give you a smoother result and is just as delicious.

This smoothie is thick enough to also make a great smoothie bowl if you prefer. Just pour your pumpkin smoothie into a bowl and top with your choice of fresh fruits and nuts such as diced apple, sliced banana, blueberries, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, pecans, and/or dried cranberries. A little sprinkle of cinnamon on top is nice as well.