Pumpkin Pie Smoothie-Cocktail

I came across a recipe for a pumpkin pie smoothie on Pinterest. Then I saw another. And another. And I was like, alright already, so I made it. And you all, I was a bit disappointed...so I fed it to my kids. Then, I decided to look up a few of these different recipes and found they were all similar but different. And none of them sounded like they'd be any better than the one I had made in the first place. So, I tweaked and added and came up with this. I wanted a low-sugar smoothie since people usually drink those in the morning, but alas, pumpkin tastes better with sweetness, so if this is a dessert I recommend adding in a bit of maple syrup and if you have sweetened almond or coconut milk in the house, this recipe is probably more suited to that. I don't so I used unsweetened almond milk, which was fine but if I'd had the other I would have used it. 


So what else did I change? Basic quantities mostly, and I added coconut butter for some healthy fat and cakiness. I upped the amount of spice, but it could even stand for a little more. If you like spice, add some more in. I added less yogurt and more banana for additional natural sweetness. 

Can I be honest though? What I really want to do is add some bourbon, and slap some whipped cream on top and call it a cocktail.



Um, okay, time out. I just did add some bourbon to my leftover smoothie and a splash of heavy cream (because I was too lazy to whip it) and dang, this was meant to be a cocktail! And I'm not even a sweet cocktail kinda girl, but this is nice. Its mildly sweet with good for me ingredients mixed with not good for me ingredients, and it's so wrong and yet oh so right. The bourbon lends a cozy, warm richness and the cream just adds to that. It's like the most wonderful accident in the world. A little freshly grated ginger in this would be awesome too, but then, I guess it wouldn't be a pumpkin pie cocktail as much as a Fall cocktail.



Get excited.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie  Cocktail
serves 1

1 ripe, brown banana
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk or coconut milk
5 shakes pumpkin pie spice
2 shakes cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut butter
4-5 ice cubes
1 shot good bourbon (or 1 1/2, whatever)
1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
lightly sweetened whipped cream or coconut whipped cream for serving (or a nice splash of heavy cream added directly into the drink, or both)

Blend Banana, pumpkin, Greek yogurt, vanilla almond milk, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, coconut butter, ice cubes, and maple syrup if using and puree until smooth. Turn blender off. Add bourbon and cream (if not using whipped) and blend on low for just a few seconds. Pour into glasses and top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.