This healthy pumpkin pie breakfast smoothie tastes like your favorite fall dessert but is packed with everything you need for a nutritious breakfast. What makes this smoothie so special is that it uses frozen pumpkin puree for a thick and creamy pumpkin smoothie without banana.
The solution for breakfast skippers
For the longest time, I couldn't eat breakfast in the morning until I discovered breakfast smoothies. There's something about it being in a cold and drinkable form that makes it a lot easier to "eat".
Over the years I've come up with many different breakfast smoothie recipes, such as a golden milk breakfast smoothie, a chaï breakfast smoothie, or even a green breakfast smoothie. But they all use the same formula.
Breakfast smoothie formula
This breakfast smoothie formula is designed to be easy to eat, yet filling and nourishing at the same time.
It contains all the main components of a healthy breakfast: oats, seeds (e.g., hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds), plant-based milk, yogurt, and nut butter. Almost like oatmeal but in a drinkable form.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Frozen pumpkin puree: You can use homemade or canned pumpkin puree for this recipe. But if you're using canned pumpkin puree, make sure it's 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling (which is sweetened).
- Oats: They make the smoothie more filling. I recommend using quick oats for blending into smoothies. They have a thinner texture and blend seamlessly with the other ingredients compared to thick rolled oats.
- Flax seeds: For a boost of protein.
- Almond butter: Adds a nice flavor to the smoothie that pairs incredibly well with the pumpkin spices. It's also high in protein and helps keep you full until your next meal.
- Plant-based yogurt: For creaminess.
- Plant-based milk: I use unsweetened soy milk for its neutral taste. Rice milk is great if you like it sweeter, and almond milk is nice for a nutty touch.
- Orange juice: You don't need much but it really brightens the overall flavor of the smoothie. I tested the recipe without it and it felt heavier–almost like something was missing.
- Pumpkin spice: There's no pumpkin smoothie recipe without pumpkin spice. But since I know that it can be hard to find outside of the US, you can replace it with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon all spice.
Why freeze pumpkin puree?
Adding frozen pumpkin puree instead of regular pumpkin puree makes the smoothie thicker and colder without having to add frozen bananas or ice cubes. It's just like adding frozen fruits to a smoothie, but here it's a vegetable.
Ultimately, using an ice cube mold is the easiest way to freeze to freeze pumpkin puree.
Making pumpkin puree ice cubes
The size matters: Choose an ice cube tray that makes small ice cubes (not large cocktail-like ice cubes). You don't want your blender to have a hard time crushing through the cubes.
Using canned pumpkin puree: It's the easiest way to make frozen pumpkin cubes. All you have to do is spoon the puree into the ice cube tray and level it out. It's great to use leftover pumpkin puree.
Using homemade pumpkin puree: You can make your own pumpkin puree from scratch. I cut a small Hokkaido pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, and place it cut-side down on a baking sheet. Then, bake it at 400°F (200°C) for 40-50 minutes until soft. I scoop out the pumpkin flesh, blend it into a puree, and freeze it into cubes.
Elo's tips
- If using old-fashioned rolled oats, blend them into a fine powder before adding in the rest of your ingredients. This helps create a smoother texture.
- Add more milk if the smoothie is too thick to your liking. This may be the case if you're using homemade pumpkin puree (it's often thicker than canned pumpkin puree).
- Add a splash of maple syrup if you want this smoothie to taste more like a dessert.
- Don't wait too long to drink the smoothie. As the smoothie sits, the oats will absorb some of the moisture making it thicker.
Pumpkin smoothie step-by-step
- Step 1: Gather the ingredients. Add the frozen pumpkin puree cubes, plant-based milk, orange juice, yogurt, oats, flax seeds, almond butter, and pumpkin spice to a blender.
- Step 2: Blend until perfectly smooth. Make sure to let the blender run for 30 seconds to 1 minute to make sure the oats a finely ground.
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The recipe
Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Smoothie (No Banana)
Ingredients
- 3 (50 g) small frozen pumpkin cubes see notes
- 1 cup (240 ml) vanilla plant-based milk I use unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened soy yogurt
- 1 tablespoon 100% pure almond butter
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats gluten-free if needed
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice or mix cinnamon and allspice
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
Make pumpkin ice cubes: Fill the pumpkin puree into small ice cubes. Freeze until solid.
Gather the ingredients: Add the frozen pumpkin puree cubes, plant-based milk, orange juice, yogurt, almond butter, oats, flax seeds, and pumpkin spice to a blender.
Blend until perfectly smooth. Make sure to let the blender run for 30 seconds to 1 minute to make sure the oats a finely ground.
Notes
- Make frozen pumpkin puree cubes: Spoon canned or homemade pumpkin puree into an ice cube tray. Level it out and freeze it overnight. It will make the smoothie thicker and creamier.
- Adjust the texture: If you're using homemade pumpkin puree, you may need to add a little more milk as it's often thicker than canned pumpkin puree. Similarly, you could add 1-2 additional pumpkin puree cubes if they are made from canned pumpkin puree.
Nutrition
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