Throughout the month of October, we’re celebrating Autumn, Halloween, cooler weather and all things pumpkin with our favorite pumpkin recipes. This recipe makes a creamy smoothie that is just right for breakfast, lunch or a tasty snack – the Pumpkin Spice Smoothie.
Pumpkins are suddenly everywhere. And while they are beautiful to look at, they can also be a healthy addition to many recipes.
Pumpkins get their vibrant orange color from beta-carotene which converts to Vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is a well-known immunity booster and will help keep your eyes sparkling and your heart healthy. Pumpkin can also supply you with Vitamins C and E as well as minerals like iron, copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
But just how do you get all of that healthy goodness out of a pumpkin? While making your own pumpkin puree might appeal to you, canned pumpkin puree is a lot easier to come by and just as nutritious. And this is the time of year to stock up on it. Just be sure and purchase pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which is full of sugar.
A quick and tasty way to get some pumpkin into your diet is by drinking a Pumpkin Spice Smoothie.
Not only is it packed with pumpkin goodness, it has a few other good-for-you ingredients. These include flax seeds, which have a high concentration of omega-3s that can help reduce blood clotting and lower blood pressure. Plus a dose of cinnamon gives you additional blood-clotting protection and can aid in the control of blood sugar levels. And a smoothie is good most any time of day – as a quick breakfast drink or as a tasty snack.
Once you pick up a can of pumpkin puree, you’ll probably find you have most of the other ingredients on hand to whip up this recipe:
The one thing you might not have in your pantry is Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix but that ingredient is very simple to throw together and the recipe is included here too (a bonus recipe!). Once you’ve whipped up your smoothie, topping it off with a little extra Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix just seems like the right thing to do.
If stored in an airtight jar, this spice mix will last for a good long time.
PUMPKIN SPICE SMOOTHIE RECIPE
Makes 2 servings
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla or plain almond milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 frozen banana (or 1 banana + 1 cup ice cubes)
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix, recipe below (or substitute 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
Blend almond milk and pumpkin puree together completely. Add the banana, flax seed, cinnamon and nutmeg and blend for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until completely liquefied and creamy.
And now here’s that bonus recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix. You can use this as a substitute for cinnamon in most recipes.
PUMPKIN PIE SPICE MIX
Makes about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Measure out all ingredients into a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Store in an airtight container for up to one year.
For a printed version of both of these recipes, just click on this link and you’ll get a pdf file containing the recipe: Pumpkin Spice Smoothie and Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix Recipes.
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