Pumpkin Fig Smoothie
This healthy pumpkin smoothie is creamy, includes a serving of orange vegetables, and to be honest, kind of tastes like dessert. What's not to like?
Apparently I’m all about the seasonal recipes lately and I’m totally owning it. I randomly made this smoothie for breakfast one day because a) we were low on food and b) I remembered that I still had two cans of pumpkin in the pantry from last fall and wanted to use it in something besides a baked good.
Canned items are perfect for when you need some produce in a pinch, by the way. I think they get a bad rap for being nutritionally sub-par, but in reality some vegetables are actually more nutritious after having been cooked/processed.
Favorite Canned Vegetable Staples
- Beans (garbanzo, black, and pinto)
- Diced tomatoes for soups, chilis, marinara sauce, and a stand-in for pizza sauce
- Corn (when out of season) for burrito bowls and tacos
- Pumpkin for adding to oatmeal, smoothies and muffins/quick breads
What else would you add to this list?
I’m a big proponent for keeping a well-stocked pantry because it makes weeknight cooking a million times easier and can be a lifesaver when you run out of fresh produce but still want to make a balanced meal.
Related | Get my free Kitchen Inventory Checklist!
How to Make a Healthy Pumpkin Smoothie
There are smoothies and then there are healthy smoothies. I recommend including the following three components: at least 10 grams of protein, some sort of fruit or vegetable (or both!) and heart-healthy fat.
Here are the ingredients in this seasonal treat:
- Milk for the liquid component. Use your favorite! I love soy milk for smoothies because of it's thicker texture and solid dose of protein.
- Frozen banana. No smoothie is complete without it. This is what makes smoothies creamy and it also adds a little bit of natural sweetness.
- Fresh figs. Something unexpected, but pairs perfectly with pumpkin.
- Almond butter for fat, protein and flavor.
- Hemp hearts for more protein, and a textural "bite"
- Cinnamon
The final result is thick and creamy, has a serving of orange vegetables (always impressive at breakfast) and to be honest, kind of tastes like dessert. Make this before the figs are gone!
You might also like:
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
- Pumpkin Pizza with Pancetta, Caramelized Onions & Crispy Sage
- Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins with Tahini Glaze
Pumpkin & Fig Smoothie
This healthy pumpkin smoothie is creamy, includes a serving of orange vegetables, and to be honest, kind of tastes like dessert. What's not to like?
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- ½ medium frozen banana
- 2 fresh figs
- ⅓ cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 Tbsp almond butter
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (unsweetened) soy milk
- 2-3 ice cubes
- ½ Tbsp hemp hearts
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except hemp hearts to a blender and and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Pour into a glass, then top with hemp hearts and additional cinnamon. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The equipment section above includes affiliate links to things I use often in my kitchen and recommend.
- If you can't find cinnamon almond butter (or don't want to buy it for just this one recipe), feel free to substitute plain almond butter + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
- Frozen bananas: I keep a gallon size zip top bag of peeled (overripe) bananas in my freezer at all times. Just break in half before adding to you blender. It makes for a really creamy consistency and adds natural sweetness to smoothies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 smoothie
- Calories: 355 calories
- Fat: 15 grams
- Carbohydrates: 46 grams
- Fiber: 9 grams
- Protein: 15 grams
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Carbs per serving?