Ease Your Way Into Pumpkin Spice Season With This Delicious Smoothie Bowl

By Nicole Perry
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

September is a funny month — the weather's still quite warm, but the Fall vibes are undeniable. Pumpkins and squash begin to pop up at the market, but many of the traditional ways to cook these gourds don't feel quite right. If you, like myself, are eager to get your pumpkin spice fix but aren't quite ready to dig into a bowl of soup or a piping-hot cup of oatmeal, this pumpkin pie smoothie bowl is just the thing to bridge the seasons.

POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Creamy and barely sweetened, this festive breakfast can easily be customized to your taste. I've listed a bunch of topping ideas, but have fun with it. I like to keep the smoothie base low-sugar (no sweeteners are added besides half of a frozen banana) since some of my favorite toppings are sweeter-leaning (like candied ginger), but your mileage may vary. If you find it could use a hint more, you may want to blend in a chopped date, a bit of honey, or maple syrup or drizzle a bit of the latter on top.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Bowl

Cook Time5 minutes
Yield1 smoothie

From Nicole Perry, POPSUGAR Fitness

INGREDIENTS

    • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
    • 1 tablespoon almond butter
    • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
    • A splash of vanilla extract
    • A pinch of salt
    • 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
    • 1/2 frozen banana
    • Topping ideas:
    • Chopped candied ginger
    • Chopped medjool dates
    • Bee pollen
    • Granola, such as Purely Elizabeth
    • Toasted pepitas
    • Sliced toasted almonds
    • Toasted coconut flakes
    • Honey or maple syrup

    INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Add the smoothie bowl ingredients to a blender in the order listed (liquids and soft items go in before solid, chunky items like frozen banana). Blend until smooth.

    2. Pour into a bowl, spread it out, and smooth the top. Decorate with toppings. To make it as pictured, use toasted pepitas, granola, chopped candied ginger, and bee pollen.

    Notes

    The banana flavor is barely perceptible (if at all) in the smoothie; it's primarily there for sweetness and for its creamy texture. If you don't have pumpkin spice on hand, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg are a good swap. For a thicker, colder smoothie, freeze the pumpkin purée in an ice cube tray (in this tray, 1/2 cup equates to roughly three cubes). If using frozen cubes of pumpkin purée, you may need add an extra tablespoon or so of almond milk to get the smoothie moving. Because this is a thick, spoonable smoothie, I recommend using your blender's tamper to help things along, if it has one.