Fall is here and with it, my vehicle turns into a taxi getting my kids to school, practice, dances and more. You better believe I’ll be blending my smoothies to-go this season! Along with packing in some Healthy Granola and Vegan Protein Bars for the long car rides to and from volleyball tournaments, I’m bringing this delicious Maple Pumpkin Fall Smoothie, too.
Do you realize just how wonderful pumpkins are for your health? Seriously, pumpkins are full of nutrients like other orange vegetables that will make you love and crave them all the more this season.
I just love it when seasonal eating lines up with exactly what I’m craving, and you’ll be craving this festive smoothie over and over again. It’s so good! Pumpkin might seem like an odd smoothie ingredient, yet it’s super easy to blend and enjoy as the weather turns a bit cooler.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients for a Fall Smoothie
This fall smoothie gets its incredible color from, you guessed it, the pumpkin! And that’s not the only ingredient making it super creamy as well. I’ve actually added another vegetable into my blender to make this a creamy creation. Here’s what I’m blending:
- Almond milk: You can make your own almond milk for smoothies, or stick to your favorite store-bought brand. I like Elmhurst Milked Almonds for a treat, but it’s pretty pricey so I usually make my own.
- Frozen cauliflower florets: Say what? You read that right. I like adding frozen cauliflower to smoothies to reap all the great benefits as well as adding another creamy ingredient. You really don’t taste it as long as you use frozen, so be brave and toss it in.
- Pecans: I like blending these into my smoothie for flavor as well as sprinkling some pieces on top for a bit of crunch.
- Pumpkin purée: You can find this in the baking section of your grocery store. Make sure to read your labels! Some forms of canned pumpkin include a variety of other ingredients like additives, other squash and even sweet potato! Find one where pumpkin is the only ingredient.
- Maple syrup: This natural sweetener brings out the warm nuttiness of almond milk and pecans. If you are fine with a non-vegan version then swap it with honey.
- Spices: I want this to taste like pumpkin yet not pumpkin pie, so I’m adding in vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of sea salt to enhance that classic Autumn flavor but keep it from veering into a Thanksgiving beverage.
What Are Some Pumpkin Benefits?
Why do I like using pumpkin in smoothies? It’s loaded with healthy benefits, that’s why!
- High in vitamin A. Just one cup contains over 200 percent of the recommended daily intake, which is super important for your eye health and night vision.
- Packed with vitamin C. Strengthen your immune system all winter (and flu season!) long by adding this veggie to smoothies, soups, baked goods and more. One cup of pumpkin contains 19 percent of the recommended daily intake.
- More potassium than a banana. There are over 500 milligrams of potassium in a cup of canned pumpkin. That’s more than a large banana!
- Fiber! Pumpkin will fill you up fast with 7 grams in one cup. The fiber also helps your digestion and can help lower your cholesterol.
A Nutrition Research Review study done by Cambridge University showed that when pumpkin was used on diabetic patients, it caused a drop in blood sugar levels. The study concluded that pumpkin may be used to naturally help regulate the blood sugar in Type 2 Diabetics instead of using chemical insulin.
How to Blend a Fall Smoothie
Since this isn’t a green smoothie (though feel free to add leafy greens if you want), the two-step blend method will change slightly.
- Blend the almond milk, pecans and frozen cauliflower until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed to get all the nuts.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth. The pumpkin puree is obviously already smooth yet it is pretty thick so you may need to add a bit more liquid if your blender needs a little help.
Pro tip: If you add any boosters like almond butter, greek yogurt or chia seeds then make sure you add more liquid in to offset the thickness.
Fall Smoothie Ingredient Swaps
To make this fall smoothie nut-free, swap the pecans for oats or hemp hearts and swap the almond milk with the nut-free milk of your choice (hemp milk is a great option!).
If pumpkin pie spice is your thing then go all out and use a pre-made spice mix or add in some ground ginger and cloves along with the spices I already mentioned.
Swap the maple syrup with honey or another natural sweetener. Pumpkin isn’t super sweet on its own so I find this smoothie does need some added sweetness.
FAQs for a Fall Smoothie
You can easily swap yogurt with a variety of ingredients. If you need creaminess then swap it with vegan yogurt, frozen cauliflower or cashews. If you need protein then swap it with a plant-based protein powder. If you want healthy fat then use coconut oil, MCT oil, chia seeds or hemp hearts.
There is no food that will magically help you lose weight. Yet if you want to fuel your body with more plants and replace a meal with a smoothie then you can! It may help you lose weight to choose whole food, plant-based ingredients and make sure that your smoothies contain protein, healthy fats and fiber so that your body can use that fuel for energy.
Smoothies can help with cold symptoms as well as help your body fight that cold better. Make sure to blend whole food that is high in vitamin C and fiber. Leafy greens can give you protein and energy when you aren’t feeling well, and smoothies in general can help you stay hydrated.
More Fall Recipes
If you dive into Fall the way I do then you’ll need some fun seasonal recipes to take with you. I’ve got you covered with dishes that will take you from breakfast to dinner in Autumn fashion:
- Start your day off with some Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes topped with Coconut Whipped Cream.
- Slide into a snack smoothie and choose from the Green Pumpkin Smoothie, a Green Apple Smoothie or this Warm Apple Pie Smoothie.
- Lunch on my Vegan Pumpkin Soup paired with this epic Fall Salad.
- Enjoy an afternoon snack of Pumpkin Chia Pudding with a Chai Latte.
- Dine on Roasted Spaghetti Squash with a side of Roasted Butternut Squash and Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.
- Finish the night off with Warm Almond Milk and drift off to the best sleep ever.
I can’t wait for you to give this smoothie a try. Will you leave a rating + review when you do so I can know how yours turned out?
Maple Pumpkin Fall Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp raw pecans plus more for sprinkling
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup cauliflower frozen flourets
- â…“ cup pumpkin puree canned
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch cinnamon ground
- pinch nutmeg ground
- pinch sea salt
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Place pecans, almond milk and cauliflower florets into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend again until smooth.
- Pour into a glass, add any extra chopped pecans on top, and sprinkle a few more dashes of cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
Notes
- It’s best to use unsweetened, dairy-free milk. If you are using a sweetened version, then cut the amount of maple syrup in half.
- Frozen cauliflower (instead of fresh) has a few benefits when blending smoothies. First, it doesn’t pack the same sulfury odor and taste as its raw or cooked counterparts, making it almost undetectable in smoothie form. Second, using frozen cauliflower helps make this a cold smoothie with a creamy, milkshake-like consistency. You can use fresh cauliflower if you prefer, but try frozen if possible!
- If you want to turn your smoothie into a meal replacement drink then make sure to add a bit more liquid as the homemade protein powder will make it even thicker.
- Swap the maple syrup for the natural sweetener of your choice.
You had me at Maple Pumpkin! 🙂 Delicious!
Sooo good, right?!
Perfect for pumpkin spice season and waaay better than a PSL. I’ll be blending this one quite a bit this fall. 🙂
Same!! And I’m not a coffee drinker but love everything pumpkin so this definitely gives me my PSL fix!
I made this twice this past week and it’s delicious.
Fall in a mason jar!!
Couldn’t have said it better!!
23G of sugar. ugh.
Decrease the amount of maple syrup you put in if the sugar amount is too high for your liking! 🙂
This was delicious! I didn’t have any cauliflower, so I used a frozen banana. I needed less maple syrup and it still gave me the creamy consistency that would have come from the frozen cauliflower. I also had pumpkin pie spice and just used a sprinkle of that. Yum!
Sounds delicious!!
Oh my gosh— I had everything to make this today and it was INSANELY delicious. Tasted like fall all the way.
WAY better than a PSL, am I right?!
Nothing says fall like pumpkins! Definitely making this tomorrow; this will be the first time my smoothie-loving daughter has a smoothie with pumpkin!
I get so pumpkin crazy when fall arrives. 😀 Come back and let us know how your daughter likes the smoothie!
This was amazing!!!! I might cut the maple syrup back a touch only because it was a little too sweet for me. But oh my gosh SO good!
I am so happy that you loved this recipe so much! If it’s too sweet for you no worries you can totally cut back on the maple syrup like you suggested 🙂
Love this! My favorite (non healthy) thing to make with pumpkin is a good Ol pumpkin roll. Mmmmm 🙂
I’m glad we were able to give you a recipe that is delicious and healthy!!!
Pumpkin muffins, pie, and jack o lanterns
Yes, yes, and YES!!! 🙂
This is the pumpkin smoothie my husband chose – just by the title. Very curious to see how it tastes!!
That is so neat! Let us know what you think once you give it a try!!
I live cauliflower and I live pumpkin! The two together is a great idea
Thanks Rachel!
So glad you enjoyed this delicious combination 🙂
Just made this…yummm! Was my first time having pumpkin in a smoothie. Used frozen bananas since I’m out of cauliflower, and coconut milk for the milk component. Perfect on this fall day in Minnesota 🙂
Hey Amy,
Yay!!! I am so happy that you took the chance and tried pumpkin in your smoothie for the first time! I am even more excited that you loved it.
Adding cauliflower is a unique twist! I’ll give it a try because I love pumpkin. I love using pumpkin for crustless pumpkin pie as I am gluten and dairy intolerant. And pumpkin pie is my favorite dessert. There is another pumpkin smoothie from Angela Lidden of “Oh She Glows” that is certainly yummy but it does not include other vegetables! Certainly lots of things to make using pumpkin.
I know it sounds weird but it is SO GOOD! Cannot wait for you to try it!!
Thank you for the recipe! Going to make this in the morning for the kids and I! Used up my frozen riced cauliflower the other night, so I sliced a banana and threw it in the freezer to use instead, along with a few frozen avocado chunks, but will definitely try it again after I pick up more cauli. I’ll use the rest of the pumpkin to make muffins We love your maple walnut muffins (from Simple Green Meals) Usually have pecans on hand so use those, plus a mashed banana if I’m too lazy to grate an apple, so we’ll see how they are this next time with pumpkin!
Those all sound so delicious. I love all the different ingredients that you add!! Way to make it work for you with what you have on hand.
This is like Fall in a cup!!!! I’m in love- thanks so much! I love pumpkin in anything especially when it’s healthy
It really is fall in a cup!! So happy you love this recipe 🙂