Fall is a season that is best experienced with all five senses. If you’re fortunate enough to live or travel somewhere with stunning fall weather, you know how iconic these sights, smells, tastes, sounds, and textures really are.
Fall foods are hearty, sweet, savory, and delicious, so why not incorporate those elements into your healthy smoothie routine too? Now is the perfect time to move beyond your summertime berries and standard lists of blender ingredients. Here are four delicious smoothie recipes to blend up this fall.
1. Protein-Packed Pumpkin Banana Smoothie
No list of favorite fall foods would be complete without pumpkin recipe. But this pumpkin smoothie isn’t just sweet and decadent. Instead, it powers up your day with a scoop of protein powder and some banana slices for extra potassium.
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup pumpkin, canned or fresh
- ½ sliced banana
- ½ cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tbsp. honey
- ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 scoop low-sugar, vanilla protein powder
- A few ice cubes
DIRECTIONS:
- Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Top smoothie with a small handful of walnuts, if desired.
2. Spiced Butternut Squash Smoothie
While pumpkin smoothie recipes are incredibly popular, smoothies with butternut squash are far less common. But that certainly doesn’t mean you can’t use some leftover squash from last night’s dinner to put in your blender too. This smoothie recipe is packed with vitamins A and C, and although it takes a bit of prep work, it’s worth it for a special fall occasion.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup baked and mashed butternut squash
- ¾ cup vanilla sweetened cashew milk
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. cashew butter
DIRECTIONS:
- Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve immediately.
3. Fresh Apple Chia Smoothie
If pumpkins and squash are the quintessential vegetables of fall, then the apple is the iconic fruit of the season. Here’s a tasty recipe that pairs fresh apples with chia seeds to give you a little protein boost as well. The spices in this recipe makes it just as satisfying as a piece of apple pie, but with none of the guilt.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 medium-sized apple of your choice, cut into chunks
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 cup ice
DIRECTIONS:
- Blend all ingredients until smooth and enjoy!
4. Hearty Carrot and Walnut Smoothie
Another colorful and festive vegetable for fall is the carrot, and carrots are packed with vitamins and minerals that are essential to any diet. If you’re craving carrot cake for a sweet treat, try making this healthy smoothie instead. It makes two servings, so it’s perfect for sharing.
INGREDIENTS:
- Large handful of chopped raw carrots
- Small handful of walnuts
- 2 cups of unsweetened coconut milk
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 10 drops Stevia liquid, sweeten to taste
- 1 cup ice cubes
DIRECTIONS:
- Blend all ingredients together thoroughly except for ice.
- Then add ice and blend until smooth.