Here are other ways to use leftover pumpkin puree:
Make my famous Flourless Pumpkin Bars (calls for 1/2 cup) Try a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte. (calls for 1 tablespoon per cup) Make healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins. (calls for 1/2 cup) Try Sweet Potato Noodles with Pumpkin Sauce. (calls for 1 cup) Make Vegan Tuscan Pumpkin Sauce for your next pasta night. (calls for 1 cup) Bake Vegan Pumpkin Scones. (calls for 1/2 cup) Don’t forget about my Double-Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins. (calls for 1/2 cup)
Check out all of my pumpkin recipes for more ideas!
Benefits of Pumpkin
Need more reason to eat pumpkin? This winter squash is packed with vitamins and minerals! Here’s what I love about pumpkin:
It contains antioxidants, like beta-carotene, which may help to protect against skin damage from the sun. Beta-carotene is turned into vitamin A in the body, and vitamin A may help to strengthen the immune system. Pumpkin also contains vitamin C, which is thought to help boost immunity. This orange veggie is also a source of iron, folate, and vitamin E, all of which can contribute to a healthy immune system. Eating beta-carotene, which is found in pumpkin, may help promote eye heath. Eating antioxidants, like alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, may help protect against certain cancers, including stomach cancer and pancreatic cancer.
What I also love about pumpkin, is that it tastes great in both sweet and savory recipes. If you haven’t tried my Vegan Pumpkin Pie yet, it’s a must this year!
How to Make It
To make this smoothie, you’ll just add everything, except for the ice, in a blender and blend until totally pureed. You can taste the mixture to make sure it’s as sweet as you want it to be, then add the ice and blend again, to give it more of a slushy texture. This also dilutes the strong pumpkin pie flavor, so if you don’t plan on adding ice, you’ll probably need to add a little more liquid until the taste is perfect for you. Prefer a green smoothie? You can definitely add a big handful of fresh baby spinach to this smoothie without affecting the flavor. It will just look green, rather than orange, in color.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie: Just Add Coffee!
Craving a Pumpkin Spice Latte, instead? You can turn this smoothie recipe into a frozen version! Swap 1/2 cup of the almond milk in this recipe for a 1/2 cup of strongly brewed coffee. (Ideally, the coffee will be slightly cool when you add it.) Make the rest of the recipe as directed, and you’ll have a slushy drink that tastes like it came from a fancy coffee house.
Sweetener Options
If you have a high-speed blender that can handle breaking down dates, that’s my favorite choice for this smoothie. They add a caramel-like sweetness that pairs perfectly with pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.
If you don’t have a powerful blender, you can try using frozen banana as the sweetener, along with a spoonful of maple syrup to help boost the sweet factor. This will change the flavor of the smoothie slightly, so if you don’t care for the taste of banana, you can also use only maple syrup as the sweetener. (Or try honey, if you’re not vegan.) In this case, you might need a couple extra ice cubes to thicken it up.
How to Make it More Filling
When you include the hemp hearts, this Pumpkin Smoothie may be filling enough to be used as a meal replacement, depending on your activity level and appetite. Hemp hearts contain all the essential amino acids your body needs to build protein, so it’s one of my favorite plant-based sources. You can also add a spoonful almond butter, or a handful of pecans, to this recipe without changing the flavor too much. If you want to add protein powder to this smoothie, just be sure to check the ingredients on the label– if there’s an added sweetener (even if it’s stevia or monk fruit), you will need to adjust the ingredients so your smoothie doesn’t taste too sweet. If you try this Pumpkin Smoothie, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! – Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite way to use pumpkin?
