Pumpkin smoothie with kale

In this post:

Non-dairy milk: Soy milk, cashew milk, almond milk, oat milk, or whatever dairy-free milk you enjoy works here.

I prefer unflavored and unsweetened milk. However, vanilla and/or sweetened also works here. If you choose sweetened milk, you may want to reduce or omit the maple syrup.

Canned pumpkin: Look for 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.

Kale: You’ll need one big handful of kale. Curly kale is my favorite, but lacinato (dinosaur) or purple kale is also good here. Kale can also be replaced with the dark leafy greens of your choice, like spinach or collards.

Frozen bananas: Frozen bananas are a must for a thick and creamy smoothie.

Tip: 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.

Flaxseed: Flaxseed adds a whippy viscosity and omega 3 fatty acids to the smoothie. Flaxseed can be replaced with chia seeds.

Tip: If you’re using a standard blender, use ground flaxseed or grind it in a coffee grinder before adding it to the blender pitcher.

Maple syrup: Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup.

Pantry staples: Vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Blend the following in a high-speed blender:

• Non-dairy milk
• Canned pumpkin
• Kale
• Flax seed or chia seed
• Frozen banana chunks
• Cinnamon
• Maple syrup
• Vanilla
• Nutmeg

Blend until smooth.

Add several ice cubes for a mellower, thicker, icier smoothie.

Blend until the ice cubes are fully broken down.

(Have pumpkin leftover? Use the rest in pumpkin oatmeal!)

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 purée from scratch instead.

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.

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

📖 Recipe

Pumpkin smoothie with kale

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 3 votes

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

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 people

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: dairy free, green smoothie

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
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ Pinch of 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.

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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

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