Happy October, friends! I can’t believe it’s already October. I’m trying to stay in the moment and enjoy it without fearing the coming winter, haha. I love fall and all of the warm colors, tastes, and smells! Making seasonal recipes that are healthy is one of my favorite things to do. In the spirit of the season, I’m sharing this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie with you today!

I love this smoothie because it is made of REAL food ingredients. It is also free of sugar, dairy, gluten, grains, and artificial sweeteners. It’s a perfect way to start your day, or end it as dessert. I always like to have protein, fat, and carbohydrates in the morning to steady my blood sugar levels throughout the day. This recipe sets you off on the right foot!

This smoothie is Paleo and Vegan (option of not being vegan, depending upon what you have and your chosen diet). But, don’t be fooled, it’s very flavorful! It’s also packed with so much nutrition! Pumpkin has lots of antioxidants and is rich in Vitamin A and C. If you add your spinach in, you’ll get iron, too. Just because it’s delicious, doesn’t mean it’s not nutritious! 🙂 Here is what you need to make it:

PUMPKIN PIE PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup of Organic Pumpkin Puree
• 2 Scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder (I use Nutragen Pure Plant Protein or a non-vegan collagen that’s AIP diet approved, Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel)

• 1 Cup of Organic Full Fat Coconut Milk (can sub almond milk, but coconut will be creamier)

• 2 TBS of Organic Almond Butter (I use this 365 Organic Almond Butter, no salt or sugar added)

• 2 tsp of Organic Maple Syrup (Or honey – not vegan)

• 1/2 tsp of Organic Pumpkin Pie Spice

• 1/4 tsp of Organic Ground Cinnamon

• 1 tsp of Organic Vanilla

• 1 Cup of Ice

• Handful of Organic Spinach (optional)

• Note: I listed all ingredients as organic because we don’t always realize how many pesticides and toxins can be in things like spices! I used to think it was not a big deal, but I did a lot of research and have found that spices are full of them! So, it’s good to start to replace them with higher quality, organic ones as you go.

Then, put all of the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth! Pour, and enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from The Real Food Dietitians. They are awesome, and you can find their recipe and website here.

I hope you enjoy this autumn treat! Happy Fall everyone! Let me know if you make it in the comments below 🙂 If you haven’t yet, check out my Pumpkin Turkey Chili Recipe!