Fat Free Banana Pumpkin Maple Smoothie
This Super Banana Pumpkin Maple Smoothie recipe is courtesy of the former Green Mountain at Fox Run, a for-women-only health retreat which was located in the green hills of Vermont. This rich smoothie was a guest favorite for breakfast. This smoothie is based on pumpkin — a Super Food, and dense and creamy Greek Yogurt, which gives great “staying power” for the morning.
It is quite easy to adapt this recipe to suit your tastes or to use what you have on hand. For instance, we adapted this recipe to use Vermont Pure Maple Syrup as the sweetener. Maple Syrup is a healthier alternative to refined sugar and adds a wonderful flavor, instead of just empty calories or artificial sweeteners. If you don’t have a high quality pure maple syrup, use honey instead. This smoothie also works well with reduced calorie unsweetened coconut water beverage in place of the milk, and even silken tofu makes a nice addition.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/3 cup cold canned pumpkin (not pie mix)
- 1/3 cup fat-free (skim) milk
- 1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons frozen orange juice concentrate
- 2 teaspoons Vermont Maple Syrup (or use Honey)
- Dash of ground cinnamon
- Dash of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
- Cover and blend on high speed about 30 seconds or until smooth.
- Add more milk if necessary to achieve desired consistency.