Pumpkin smoothie with kale

This autumnal pumpkin smoothie is packed with kale, bananas, non-dairy milk, and warming spices. It’s a delicious breakfast or anytime snack. Vegan & gluten-free.

If the changing leaves and sweater weather have you craving all things fall, look no further than this pumpkin smoothie.

It includes:

Filling pumpkin

Nutrient-dense kale

Frozen bananas for creaminess

Chia or flaxseed for whippy viscosity & omega 3 fatty acids

Maple syrup for autumnal sweetness

A splash of vanilla

A dash of cinnamon

And a pinch of nutmeg

With pleasing pumpkin plus the spices the season is known for, this smoothie makes an excellent breakfast, mid-afternoon snack, or post-apple orchard pick-me-up.

Tips for freezing bananas

Room temperature bananas work just fine in a smoothie. But adding them frozen really takes your drink up a notch.

Frozen bananas are often used for nice cream, because when that frozen fruit is blended, it becomes beautifully creamy. So it stands to reason that adding them to a smoothie gives the drink a wonderful thickness.

To freeze bananas, peel them first. Break them into chunks. Then freeze in a freezer safe resealable bag or glass container.

When you’re ready to use the frozen banana, just pull out as many pieces as you need.

How to make a pumpkin smoothie

Here’s what you’ll need.

Blend non-dairy milk, canned pumpkin, kale, flax seed or chia seed, frozen banana chunks, cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla, and nutmeg in a high speed blender. Blend until smooth.

Add several ice cubes for a mellower, thicker, icier smoothie. Blend until the ice cubes are fully broken down.

Make it your own

You can make this smoothie your own by varying the ingredients and amounts.

• Not a fan of kale? Use spinach instead, or leave out the greens completely.
• Use vanilla non-dairy milk instead of plain, and you can omit the vanilla extract.
• If your non-dairy milk is sweetened, you can omit the maple syrup.
• Add a pinch of dried ginger for more fall flavor. Or use pumpkin pie spice to taste instead of cinnamon & nutmeg.
• Don’t want to use canned pumpkin? Make pumpkin puree from scratch instead.

What if I don’t have a high-speed blender?

If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll want to make a few adjustments.

First, I recommend blending the kale alone with the non-dairy milk before adding the other ingredients. It’s easier to fully break up the kale when there aren’t other elements involved. That way you aren’t chewing on a salad while sipping your drink.

Second, you’ll want to use ground flaxseed or ground chia seed. Or you can grind whole seeds first in a coffee grinder before adding them to the blender.

More smoothie recipes

Here are more smoothie recipes I know you’ll love:

• Mango banana smoothie
• Sweet potato smoothie
• Chocolate peanut butter smoothie
• Peanut butter banana smoothie
• Blueberry banana smoothie

Pumpkin smoothie with kale

This kale & pumpkin smoothie is just the beverage to get you in the autumn spirit. It's perfect for breakfast or an anytime snack.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: dairy free, green smoothie

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 to 3 leaves curly kale stems removed (about one big handful)
• ½ cup canned pumpkin not pie filling
• 2 to 3 bananas frozen in chunks
• 2 Tablespoons flaxseed or chia seed*
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg
• 6 ice cubes

Instructions

• Put non-dairy milk, a big handful of kale, canned pumpkin, frozen banana chunks, flaxseed or chia seed, maple syrup, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg into a blender. Blend until fully blended.
• Add ice cubes to blender. Blend until the ice cubes are fully broken down.

Notes

Depending on the size of your bananas, you can use either 2 or 3 frozen bananas.

Canned pumpkin is not the same as pumpkin pie filling. The ingredients should read 100% pumpkin.

If your non-dairy milk is sweetened, you may want to omit the maple syrup.

If you're not using a high speed blender, I recommend blending the kale alone with the non-dairy milk before adding the other ingredients. It helps to fully break down the kale. You'll also want to use ground flaxseed/chia seed, or grind it in a coffee grinder before putting it in the blender.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 1052mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 15766IU | Vitamin C: 90mg | Calcium: 290mg | Iron: 3mg

Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!

Content, recipe, and photos updated October 2020. Originally posted December 2011.