Each year when fall rolls around, I mysteriously develop a particular passion for pumpkin
recipes.

From pumpkin seed milk to roasted pumpkin, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie to pumpkin
pudding, pumpkin granola and pumpkin smoothies, pumpkin is quite likely to be on the
menu in some way, shape or form–whether raw, steamed, baked, sauteed or pureed.

Sure, jack-o-lanterns are cute, but besides that, what’s so great about pumpkins?
Pumpkin, whether raw or home cooked, delivers a wealth of health benefits.

Here are a few of them:

Health Benefits of Pumpkins

*A low calorie food: 1 cup of raw pumpkin has only 30 calories, 0 fat and cholesterol, 1 gram
of dietary fiber and 8 grams of carbohydrates.
*Contains antioxidants which protect against certain inflammatory diseases, cancers, diabetes.
*An excellent source of Vitamin A: 1 cup of  pumpkin contains 408% of the recommended
dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin A (Beta-carotene) known to promote eye health, enhance the
immune system, protect against colds, flu and infections.
*Contains all B vitamins (except B12) and 13% RDA each of vitamin C and E.
*Good source of iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, folate, niacin and thiamin.
*Provides lutein and zeaxanthin which help prevent cataracts and reduce the risk of macular
degeneration.
*Rich in copper (25% RDA in 1 cup).

In addition, pumpkin seeds and oil deliver a wealth of additional nutrients and benefits which you
can get by eating the seeds or making pumpkin seed milk.

Making Pumpkin Smoothies

Once you make pumpkin seed milk, you can use it as the liquid base for lots of delicious
pumpkin smoothies.

A great way to benefit from pumpkin’s health benefits is to make fresh, organic smoothies.
The first two smoothie recipes called for raw pumpkin, although some feel that cooked
pumpkin may deliver more “pumpkin” flavor.

You can substitute cooked pumpkin in these recipes if you prefer,
however, I prefer to make my pumpkin smoothies with raw pumpkin.
Either way, pumpkin is pretty easy to work with.
Simply remove the seeds and guts of the pumpkin, then peel and cut into small chunks.

Note: To break down the starchiness of raw pumpkin, you can soak the pumpkin in water
with a squeeze of lemon juice overnight in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to make your smoothie, simply place the soaked chunks in a high speed
blender with the other ingredients and blend until smooth.

A Few Basic Smoothie Tips

1. First, add the liquid to your blender–preferably a high speed blender for best results.
I personally use a VitaMix.
2. Next, add fruits followed by any other ingredients.
3. Finally, add leafy greens, if you are using them.
4. Blend on high for about 30-45 seconds or until smooth.

Here are two raw pumpkin smoothies that I made this week:

Raw Pumpkin Pie Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 bananas
¾ cups fresh, raw cut up or grated pumpkin
5-6 dates
1-2 cups pumpkin seed or other nut milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon allspice

Directions:

Add 1 cup pumpkin seed milk and spices.
Place bananas, pumpkin, dates, coconut oil and hemp into a high speed blender
such as a VitaMix.
Add few  ice cubes, if desired.
Blend until smooth.
Add more pumpkin seed or other nut milk for a thinner consistency.
Drink as soon as possible.
Save the excess smoothie in a sealed mason jar and refrigerate for later.

Raw Pumpkin Banana Pear Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 bananas
¾ cups fresh, raw cut up or grated pumpkin
1 cup organic pear chunks
1 cups fresh, organic kale
1 cup fresh, organic spinach
1-2 cups pumpkin seed or other nut milk
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice

Directions:

Add 1 cup pumpkin seed milk and spices.
Add bananas, pumpkin, pear, coconut oil and hemp in a high speed blender.
Add spinach and kale.
Blend on high for 30-45 seconds  until smooth.
Add more pumpkin seed or other nut milk for a thinner consistency.
Drink and enjoy!
Save the excess smoothie in a sealed mason jar and refrigerate for later.

Variations on the Theme: More Pumpkin Smoothies

Here’s a roundup of yummy pumpkin smoothies from some of my favorite healthy blogs:

* Chocolate Almond Butter & Pumpkin Smoothie from raiasrecipes
 
* Pumpkin Pie Smoothie or Thickie Recipe from practicalstewardship
 
* Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Green Smoothie from madetoglow
 
* Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie from rawedibles
 
* Pumpkin Pie Delight Smoothie from simplywholefoods
 
* Autumn Pumpkin Smoothie with Cinnamon and Pears from skinnylimits
 
* Orange Juice and Pumpkin Smoothie from GreenThickies
 
* Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie from elevenbyvenus
 
* Fat-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie from happyherbivore

* Pumpkin Pie Smoothie & a Birthday from veganyackattack
 
* Pumpkin Chai Smoothie from eatspinrunrepeat
 
* Pumpkin Spice Smoothie from thecleandish
 
* Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie from greenphillyblog
 
* Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie from OhSheGlows
 
* Pumpkin Banana Spice Vegan Smoothie
 
* Pumpkin Chai Smoothie from tasty-yummies
 
* Pumpkin Spice Smoothie from healtfulpursuit
 
* Pumpkin Pie Smoothie from Vegetariantimes
 
* Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake  from freshlygrown

* Pumpkin Pie in a Cup from thepaleomama

* Jack-o-lantern Smoothie from incrediblesmoothies

* Halloween Pumpkin Pie Smoothie: Raw Vegan from 30bananasaday

* Gastrawnomica’s UN-Pumpkin Pie Smoothie rawfoodrecipes

What ingredients do you include in your favorite pumpkin smoothie recipes? 

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