As soon as fall hits the air, I start craving pumpkin. Pumpkin chai lattes, roasted pumpkin, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin smoothies. While I've never been a fan of pumpkin pie itself, I love pumpkin pie spices, from the fiery ginger to the sweet cinnamon to the pungent cloves. Since I make smoothies year-round, I thought it was time to perfect one of my favorite seasonal shakes: this creamy blend of pumpkin (I use kabocha squash, always!), bananas, maple syrup, dates, vanilla, and all the spices. Happy pumpkin season!
Serves 2
What you need:
- 1 small Kabocha squash
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 frozen bananas
- 4 Medjool dates
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup water
What you do:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice kabocha squash in half and remove seeds. Place squash, skin side down, on baking sheet and drizzle with maple syrup. Bake for 45 minutes, or until soft throughout. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Once squash has cooled, scoop out flesh and transfer to a high-speed blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. Serve and enjoy!
Healthy hints:
- >> Did you know you can eat the skin of the kabocha squash? Instead of throwing it out, I like to snack on it!
- >> Almond butter lover? Add a tablespoon for a subtle nutty flavor and additional protein.
- >> Sweet, creamy smoothies are a great way to satisfy sugar cravings without eating dessert all of the time (which is what I'd be doing if I hadn't figured out little hacks).