Here’s a recipe I whipped up to mentally prepare for fall even though I’m hanging onto the last days of summer as tightly and nostalgically as I can. I call it Pumpkin Spice Soy Smoothie. As much as I dread cold weather and leaves turning (they're literally dying...it's so sad!), pumpkin flavored foods and drinks always cheer me up.
My Pumpkin Spice Soy Smoothie makes a nice breakfast or post-workout snack for healthy people who want pumpkin without the pie and a preview of Thanksgiving minus the alien baby in-yo-belly feeling! Besides, it’s still August and I, for one, would like to stretch out crop top season a little longer.
You're gonna need these tools before you get started:
- A blender. I recommend a single serve blender like the Nutribullet or Magic Bullet.
- A flexible ice cube tray like this one
- A bendy straw (not really a tool but what the heck)
Ingredients and recipe (serves 1):
- 1 can organic pumpkin pureé
- 1 cup Silk Soymilk (original)
- 1 banana
- 1/4 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- Dash or 2 of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of Bipro Whey Protein Powder
Let's get to it! The hardest part of this recipe is finding organic pumpkin pureé. I suggest WholeFoods. If you're making this smoothie for 1, you won't use the whole can but that's ok because you're still going to scoop all of it into the silicone ice cube trays to make pumpkin pureé cubes. Once you've filled the tray with the entire contents of the can, place in freezer until cubes are fully frozen. If they're too soft, your smoothie won't be nice and thick...and it tastes better that way, I promise!
Do the same with the banana. Peel, slice it up and freeze. The banana gives this smoothie a nice, sweet boost but don't worry, it doesn't overpower the pumpkin. It's subtle and blends superbly with the pumpkin cubes. I recommend using half of the banana slices. Save the rest for another time.
Once the pumpkin cubes are ready, pop them out of the tray (the silicone tray makes it sooo easy to do this...just bend and squeeze) and place inside the blending cup.
You'll need 4 cubes for maximum pumpkin flavor. Return the remaining cubes in the tray to the freezer for future smoothies. You've just saved yourself crucial waiting time which you'll thank me for when you make this smoothie again.
Grab Silk Soymilk and the rest of the ingredients. Most of these things you'll probably already have in your pantry except for the pumpkin pie spice and the BiPro Whey Protein Isolate powder. You can use another protein powder if you're married to another brand but I recommend one that's unflavored and made with whey isolate (contains highest % of pure and fast working protein for your body).
In no particular order, add remaining ingredients to the blender cup. About 2 shakes (of the spice jar) or a dash of cinnamon works for me in this smoothie. Just be careful not to add too much. I've accidentally overdone it with cinnamon before and regretted it. Less is more in this case :)
Blend it all up! I love my Magic Bullet because there are no buttons. You just twist and wait for it all the frozen pieces to liquify.
Here's what your Pumpkin Spice Soy Smoothie should look like once you pour it into a glass and add a bendy straw. It's so unbelievably good that my mouth has been watering the entire time I've been writing out these instructions. Enjoy it!
Since going dairy-free last year, I mostly drink almond milk. But sometimes it's not an option when I walk into a coffee shop that hasn’t jumped on board the almond milk train yet. Over time, I have developed a taste for soy milk and sometimes prefer it in recipes like my Pumpkin Spice Soy Smoothie. It even froths better than almond milk in cappuccinos. So I eventually caved and bought the same Silk brand of soy milk that I use for almond milk at home.
People are pickier than ever, these days, about their milk. It’s not just about the taste, % of fat or how many calories per serving it has, but rather how it fits into one's dietary lifestyle and what's trending in wellness. Plant-based milk products are increasing in popularity. I love that Silk offers many kinds of dairy-free milk that are both organic and made with non-GMO products.
It's important to do your research because not all milk brands are the same and you want to make sure the food you buy is processed safely. Silk dispels soy myths in case you're on the fence, and educates on soymilk here. I did a lot of reading myself on the issue because people have a lot to say about soy. And if you're not a soy milk drinker like I once was, there's always almond and coconut milk which are equally delicious. I can hardly believe I used to drink tasteless skim milk. Going dairy-free was one of the best things I did for my digestive health and palate.
Got a pumpkin recipe to share? Please leave it (or a link to it) in the comments section below. I can't get enough pumpkin and need more healthy recipes before Thanksgiving hits.
Disclaimer: This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.