What we all really want is to be able to 1) eat pie for breakfast and 2) drink it on the go. Am I right? Pumpkin pie is tragically seasonal. In the US, the lovely market has taken to turning literally everything into a pumpkin-something. Fall is basically a reversed Cinderella story.
This smoothie is quick and delicious. There have been many studies to show the benefits that pumpkin can bring. For my pumpkin puree, I roasted a pumpkin and pureed it myself. I’m a stickler about preservatives and artificial anything, so I usually make what I can.
Side note: to make your own pumpkin puree, slice a pumpkin pie pumpkin in half and seed it. Place face down on a baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before scooping insides into a blender or food processor and blending until smooth. I’ll do a more in-depth tutorial on this later.
In addition, I added a little bit of my homemade caramel sauce to this smoothie for an extra kick of sweetness. A little goes a long way. It can definitely be omitted for a healthier breakfast smoothie, but I think it enhances the flavor by a landslide.
I froze my pumpkin puree into ice cubes for easy portion sizes and to keep my smoothie nice and cold. To do this, all you need to do is distribute the puree and allow to freeze for about 24 hours. They’ll keep for 4-6 months in the freezer.
If you’re searching for a completely dairy-free option, ditch the yogurt and instead add a tablespoon of almond or cashew butter. The nut butter will add the thickness without the dairy! I find cashew butter to the best nut butter for sweeter items because of its mild flavor.
