Skinny Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

 

 

After hauling all of our furniture and hundreds of heavy boxes into our storage unit, my guy and I said good-bye to our tiny place and turned in the house keys to the rental agency. Because he immediately had to fly out for a business trip—and apartment hunting is no fun alone—I drove south to visit my parents for a few days until he returned.  

 

Once I lugged 17 more boxes of baking ingredients, cake pans, and photography equipment into my childhood bedroom (food bloggers never stop working!), I collapsed onto the soft mattress and slept soundly until morning.

 

 

When I awoke, my legs ached for a run, so I pulled on shorts, laced up my shoes, and headed out the front door… Where a crisp and chilly overcast morning greeted me. Nothing like the blazing hot 105° weather 80 miles north in our town! After rubbing my palms together to get blood flowing into my fingertips again, I took off down the street, constantly thinking about baking fall pumpkin-y treats while I pounded my way around half the town.

 

 

But by the time I spotted my parents’ driveway over an hour later, the sun had started peeking out between the clouds. After I showered and snacked on a banana, warm summery weather had completely replaced the fall fog… And suddenly pumpkin muffins and cookies stopped sounding so appealing.

 

Yet since September marks the unofficial start to pumpkin season in my mind, I still wanted to make something with it! After a little bit of creative thinking and a tiny bit of tinkering, I came up with this…

 

 

A Skinny Pumpkin Pie Smoothie! Full of spices and sweet fall flavor, it literally tastes like the traditional Thanksgiving dessert in a glass. But with its cold and creamy texture, it’s much more refreshing than that heavy slice of pie! Made with just a few simple ingredients, this low-calorie smoothie is gluten free, vegan, and clean-eating too—the perfect guilt-free drink!

 

 

This easy smoothie starts with my favorite canned vegetable: pumpkin. We want the regular pumpkin purée, not the pie filling. The pie filling contains spices and lots of added sugar. Although it’s an easy shortcut when strapped for time on Thanksgiving, it’s not what we want for these healthy smoothies!

 

By using regular pumpkin purée, you get to decide how much sweetener and spice you add! I like to mix the pumpkin, milk, Truvia, and spices together in a bowl before pouring it into the blender. Some days I’m on a huge cinnamon kick; others, not so much. Taste as you go, and remember… The ice will dilute the spices, so it’s better to err on the side of just barely too much!

 

 

Once you find the perfect balance, just add that mixture to the blender along with the ice, and pulse until it’s smooth. My parents own a blender from the Stone Age, so I looked like a clown making mine, constantly bending down to peer at the base where the blades were hidden and stopped it every 15 seconds to move around the ice with one of my 13 spatulas.

 

 

But when I eventually finished, I offered my mom a taste of this Skinny Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. As soon as she swallowed, she exclaimed, “This is SO good!! It literally tastes like pumpkin pie!” before polishing off half of the smoothie.

 

It was totally worth sharing to see her so excited… Especially since I’m positive we’ll make lots more! ♥

 

 

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