Pumpkin puree and banana give this spinach smoothie a soft body, with pumpkin spice and vanilla setting the flavor. Almond milk supplies the liquid. It is a seasonal variation on a green banana smoothie rather than a serving of pumpkin pie filling.
Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Pumpkin Banana Spice Green Smoothie
Pumpkin puree and banana give this spinach smoothie a soft body, with pumpkin spice and vanilla setting the flavor.
Prep: 5 minutesServings: 1
Base recipe: 1 serving; the full base batch
Vegan
Category image
Measured ingredient amounts adjust with servings. “To taste” amounts and directions stay as written.
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 0.5 cup pumpkin puree unsweetened
- 1 banana, peeled and frozen
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 0.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Put the measured liquid in the blender with the prepared leafy greens. Secure the lid and process until the leaves are finely dispersed, stopping the machine before scraping down the sides if needed.
- Add the remaining edible ingredients, including the measured fruit, nuts, seeds, or spices listed for this recipe. Blend until evenly combined. Use the machine instructions to choose a suitable speed, and stop before checking texture or scraping the jug.
- Taste a small spoonful after blending. If the mixture is too thick to pour, add cold water one tablespoon at a time and blend briefly again. Divide the base batch into 1 serving and enjoy promptly.
Notes
Contains tree nuts. Prepared ingredients are required; additional cooking, cooling, freezing, brewing, or soaking time is excluded from the active prep estimate. Serving volume and nutrition totals are not measured.
Adapted from Jen Hansard at Simple Green Smoothies.
Tips and ingredient notes
Choose plain pumpkin puree and read the spice mixture's label. Added sugar changes the recipe. Measure the pumpkin separately instead of estimating from the can, and keep banana frozen for a colder result.
Check that the can contains plain pumpkin puree rather than pie filling. Pie filling brings a separate sugar and spice mixture, changing the recipe considerably. Stir the puree and measure the portion so the remaining ingredients keep their intended balance.
A banana with a few brown speckles gives a different sweetness from a firm, barely ripe one. Slice it before freezing, keeping pieces separate. This makes measuring easier and avoids a large frozen mass that the blender cannot move.
Ingredient health benefits
- Spinach contributes iron, used in oxygen-carrying hemoglobin.
- Pumpkin contributes carotenoids that the body can convert into vitamin A.
Nutrition references: NIH: Iron; NHS: Vitamin A. These are ingredient contributions; nutrition per serving has not been calculated.
You may also like
- Maple Pumpkin Pecan Smoothie
- Blueberry Strawberry Spinach Almond Smoothie
- Chocolate Cherry Cinnamon Green Smoothie
Recipe adapted from Jen Hansard at Simple Green Smoothies. Article text and directions written for Healthy Smoothie Recipes. Supplement omissions and preparation changes mean source nutrition totals do not apply.
