It's pumpkin season! You've got to try my pumpkin smoothie. It's creamy smooth with warm spices, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and a little maple syrup. It's perfect for fall breakfasts and tastes like pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin makes it easy. Puree in a blender and you have a nutritious pumpkin protein shake for the perfect fall breakfast. If you love pumpkin spice flavors, this smoothie will fix those pumpkin spice cravings.
Do you love fall? I am ready for cooler weather and fall foods. Fall mode means pumpkin flavors and comfort food again. I've been a smoothie lover forever and this is my favorite pumpkin pie smoothie. It's like a slice of pumpkin pie.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Creamy, tastes like fall in a glass.
- Quick and nutritious for breakfast or post-workout refuel.
- Easily adjustable to your dietary preferences with different milks and protein options for a protein-packed pumpkin shake.
If you enjoy pumpkin, try making homemade pumpkin seed milk, an excellent source of plant-based protein, healthy fat, and minerals like potassium and magnesium.
Recipe Ingredients
To make a pumpkin smoothie you need:
- Milk: For this smoothie I use homemade almond milk but you can use your favorite brand. If you have nut allergies try oat milk, rice milk, or dairy milk. If the smoothie gets too thick, add a little water.
- Pumpkin: For pumpkin flavor, use canned pumpkin purée, not the pumpkin pie mix. Easy to keep on hand.
- Flaxseed: The best is to buy whole golden flaxseeds and grind them yourself right before blending. Alternatively, buy ground flaxseed. Flaxseeds add healthy fat, protein, and important fiber and are great in smoothies.
- Sweetener: To sweeten try either pumpkin stevia drops, pure maple syrup, sugar-free keto maple syrup with monk fruit (what I use for no added sugar), or honey.
- Vanilla: Use a good quality vanilla extract or the more concentrated vanilla paste.
- Spices: Use warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and/or clove. A pumpkin spice blend works nicely too for that pumpkin pie flavor.
- Protein powder: Use your favorite, 1-2 scoops. If you need help choosing a healthy protein powder, read this post on how to choose a protein powder.
For fun, make your own pumpkin pie spice blend starting with cinnamon and adding ground ginger, ground clove, and nutmeg. If you want to make your own pumpkin puree, here's directions from my chef buddy Sally.
Chef's Tool Tip: Handheld grinders. Small handheld grinders are a handy kitchen tool. Use them for coffee beans, whole spices, nuts and seeds. I use one to grind my flaxseed each day and for whole black peppercorns.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vary the milks, spices, and sweeteners and customize your healthy pumpkin pie smoothie.
- Add a little canned coconut milk for added creaminess and healthy fat.
- For another protein powder option, try this vegan pure pumpkin protein powder. It's really good.
- Other protein substitutions include plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt or vanilla Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has twice the protein (then skip the vanilla extract).
- For more creaminess, add a little frozen banana.
Recipe Instructions
Add a few ice cubes to smooth out your pumpkin smoothie if desired. If smoothies ever get to thick, add a little filtered water to thin down. Thicker smoothies fill you up longer, digest slower; thinner smoothies digest faster and you are not full as long.
Chef's Tip: Health benefits of pumpkin. If you say pumpkin most people say pie. But pumpkin is much more than a dessert ingredient; pumpkin is super nutritious. Beta-carotene is behind pumpkin’s bright orange flesh (which turns into vitamin A), providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. It’s good for your eyes, bones, teeth, and immune system. And don’t forget dietary fiber; a ½ cup of pumpkin provides 4 grams of fiber. A pumpkin smoothie has it all!
Serving Suggestions
Pour into a glass and enjoy! I drink a pumpkin smoothie for fall breakfasts but they are good after you workout to refuel as well. Make small ones for kiddos as a healthy after school snack.
For leftover pumpkin puree, transfer out of the can to a glass airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week to make more smoothies.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend you use pumpkin puree (which can actually be a blend or orange winter squashes but labeled as pumpkin). Pumpkin pie filling has additional ingredients like spices and sugar, which can be very sweet, and a different texture than pumpkin puree. To control the sweetness and sugar levels, use pure pumpkin puree. Be sure to read the labels. All you want is pure pumpkin.
Yes. To sweeten a pumpkin smoothie try honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or simple syrup. For low to no-sugar sweeteners and low-carb sweeteners use, monk fruit maple syrup, monk fruit based honey substitute, or liquid stevia either plain or pumpkin flavored. Realize each will change the flavor of the pumpkin smoothie just a bit. I like maple flavor the best.
Warm spices are best to add to a pumpkin smoothie. Try cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspices, ginger, and Five Spice, which is a blend.
You can make pumpkin smoothies ahead of time and drink it in the morning. If it thickens up, stir in a little water or use a shaker bottle. If you have time, re-blend and add ice cubes. I've done this and it works well.
More Pumpkin Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces almond milk 1 ¼ cups
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed, ground
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or monk fruit maple syrup or liquid pumpkin stevia drops
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or blend of warm spices cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, ginger
- 1-2 scoops protein powder of choice 20-25 grams
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth and creamy. If it gets too thick add a little water.
Notes
- Dessert for breakfast? Why not. The pumpkin spice stevia drops are made by SweetLeaf, or use regular maple syrup. This keto maple syrup is terrific and what I now use to reduce sugar. It tastes terrific so why not reduce the sugar.
- Instead of individual spices you can use pumpkin spice blend. If it gets too thick, add water and blend.
- The protein levels in this smoothie will vary depending on what you use and how much.
- If you want it even creamier and richer with some healthy fat, add 2 tablespoons of canned coconut milk.
Why the protein powder ? says
Just asking because I have never used it b4.
Sally Cameron says
I add protein powder to increase the protein level and get a good start to my day. Protein provides balance, and you will feel better if you get protein in each meal. Protein powders are supplements. They are good ones and bad ones on the market, and it can be confusing on which to buy. Please read my post on How to Choose a Protein Powder and see if that helps. Ask questions too. I'm happy to help. I've also listed ways to add protein without powders, such as with hemp seeds, and other plant-based options.
Tina K. says
I would love to see how many calories these smoothies contain. I need to watch my calorie intake and I'm looking for smoothies that have lime in them, but no greens. I have made frozen orange juice, frozen apple juice. I have also frozen fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, mixed fruit, and I also have frozen orange and lime zest. I would really like to know what kind of diet smoothie or smoothies that will help me lose weight, I can make, using these ingredients.
By the way, I'm going to try this pumpkin pie smoothie. Sounds so good.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Tina. I've never measured the calories. I don't usually go by calories because I believe that if you are eating the right foods, don't eat fast food, junk, food, processed foods, eat lots of vegetables, quality proteins and healthy fats, you don't need to count calories. Sometimes it is good for reference or tracking though, I do understand that. You can add lime to any smoothie you want to, and always modify for your specific dietary needs, like eliminating the greens. One thought for you...I would not recommend using any juices as a base for your smoothies. Juices are pure sugar. I would suggest almond milk, unless you are nut-allergic. A few frozen berries is fine, say 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup, depending on your goals. If you are going lower carb, stay with the 1/2 cup. And since berries are frankly hard to measure, I suggest weighing them to get an idea of the true quantity. Use a digital kitchen scale. Berries will be lower in sugar, if that is a concern. Hope that helps.
One way to measure and track calories is using a smart phone app called My Fitness Pal. My husband uses it. I am just starting to use it out of curiosity. You could add the recipe to this app and see what it is, and make any adjustments that you personally need.
Maresa | the lovely says
We've got a few rainy days coming up this week - might be a perfect time to make this! I love love love getting into the Fall spirit!
Ordinary Blogger (Rivki Locker) says
Liquid pumpkin pie? COUNT ME IN!! This looks and sounds wonderful.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
This pumpkin pie smoothie looks and sounds so incredibly delicious.. great recipe and perfect for the fall!
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
Okay, this sounds delish, but I need a few more cool days first. Just went to the market, it is full of fall veg. Love them, but I am not ready yet.