Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie
I was visiting my sister in Sydney the first time I made this. We were in Mosman and came across a shop that was all juice, all the time. They had the most amazing selection of fresh juices that were mostly geared to help cleanse your body and boost you up with vitamins. They even had a 30 day juice challenge that I wish I had time to stick around for. But they also had some really great nut milks, including an Almond Milk that I fell in love with, that was spiced up with some nutmeg and a touch of cloves. It really made me think of pumpkin pie spice, just minus the pumpkin. So I decided to add some pumpkin flavor myself, and gave it a whirl. It did not disappoint!
I’m not one of those people that only goes crazy for pumpkin in October. I love the taste of pumpkin pie all year around – not just for Thanksgiving. Here’s a quick and delicious smoothie I make for a quick protein boost before or after a workout, or as a snack between meals. Please note fresh pumpkins are not typically available all year around, but I found that sweet potatoes taste so similar and are packed with vitamins. They still give you that great pumpkin pie taste.
Ingredients – Gluten Free
* 1 large sweet potato or fresh pumpkin (to yield 1 1/2 cups)
* 1 3/4 cup almond milk
* 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or see fresh spices below)
* 8 raw almonds, soaked overnight
* 1 tsp flax seeds
* 2 dates
Scrub and cut sweet potato or pumpkin, and cut into small chunks. Steam for 8 minutes until it is soft, then cool. To speed cooling, put in bowl with ice and water.
Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high until mixed. This produces a pudding-like smoothie that you can eat with a spoon. Add more almond milk if you want more of a beverage texture to drink with a straw.
Tips
* Steam and cool sweet potato ahead of time and keep in fridge
* Adjust almond milk – use less if you like pudding-like consistency
* Microplanes work great for grating spices
* If using a Vitamix, soaking the almonds is not necessary
* Dry or fresh dates are fine; they replace sugar
Fresh pumpkin pie spice makes the smoothie even better:
* 1/8 tsp freshly ground ginger
* 1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
* 1/8 tsp cloves
* 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
* Feel free to adjust these spices to your taste
* Less spice is needed as freshly ground spices are stronger
That which you seek is seeking you.
– Rumi