Make these Pumpkin Spice Kefir Smoothies for a snack or to go along with your breakfast in the morning for a protein and probiotic packed smoothie!
Made with kefir, canned pumpkin, a frozen banana, Trader Joe's pumpkin butter, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, whip cream, and a cinnamon stick if you wanna get fancy!
What is Kefir?
Ever tried it? It's got a tangy, creamy flavor and a bit thinner than yogurt in consistency. It's high in probiotics aka bacteria that supports our gut health and a great source of protein.
You can even make it at home! I do this with starter kits, which you can buy at most supermarkets.
The kit supplies the yeast and bacteria needed to make kefir, so all you need is milk.
For anyone interested in using non-dairy alternatives like coconut or almond milk, I read others had success; the consistency was thinner but still delicious!
The fat in the milk is what makes the kefir thick, and the fat also helps the probiotics survive our stomach acid - pretty cool!
Plus, with it being high in probiotics and protein - what's not to love?!
Pumpkin Smoothie Ingredients
With smoothies being super easy to make and simple for clean-up, I use them a lot for snacks or breakfasts.
If I have them with breakfast I usually have something else alongside the smoothie, since smoothies aren't usually high enough in calories, protein and fat to be a meal replacement.
For this recipe the ingredients you'll need are:
- Plain kefir
- Canned pumpkin
- Frozen banana
- Pumpkin butter
- Vanilla extract
- Pumpkin pie spice
Blend all the ingredients up until you get a smooth beautiful orange smoothie!
Top with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick if ya feelin' it!
Why I Love this Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
What I love the most about this smoothie is that it's not a mouth full of canned pumpkin. Ya know those pumpkin dishes that are sooo strong in their pumpkiness it's all you can taste - not the case here!
The Trader Joe's pumpkin butter really knocks this recipe outta the park. The pumpkin butter has honey, cloves, nutmeg, lemon juice and ginger - giving the smoothie sweetness and added spice!
I love adding this product on just about anything during the fall - toast, oatmeal, you could even add it in a pumpkin pasta sauce!
Recipe Tips and FAQs
You can! I've made more than 1 serving and had the smoothie 2 or 3 days after and it was delish - just make sure to stir the smoothie to incorporate the flavors!
Pumpkin pie spice is usually made of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. For the recipe do ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of the nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger since they're pretty strong.
Pumpkin Spice Kefir Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 cups kefir
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 frozen banana
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 4 teaspoons Trader Joe's pumpkin butter
- dollop whip cream
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Put all ingredients other than the whip cream and cinnamon stick in a blender
- Blend away!
- Pour into your favorite mug, add your dollop of whip cream, sprinkle of extra pumpkin pie spice and if you're feeling fancy, pop in a cinnamon stick!
- Cheers!
Notes
- You can meal prep the smoothies and enjoy them within 3 days - just make sure to stir the smoothie to incorporate the flavors!
- If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, substitute with ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg, cloves, allspice and ginger.
Nutrition
(Nutrition values are calculated by third-party software and an estimate that can vary based on product brands and cooking methods.)
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