Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

By Diana Paez, October 14, 2013

I recently had the wonderful pleasure of tasting this amazingness for the first time at one of my favorite local raw vegan spots in LA called Sun Cafe, and I was SO in love with it that I HAD to try making it at home! And what better way to celebrate pumpkin season than a healthy twist on pumpkin pie?! This delightful smoothie tastes like a chilled pumpkin pie in a glass sans all the saturated fat and refined sugar typically found in pumpkin pies, so you can enjoy it guilt-free 🙂 AND it’s a perfect, energy-boosting treat for anytime of the day!

Did you know that Pumpkin is packed with health benefits?

• Supports eye health
• Decreases risk of lung cancer in smokers
• Provides 246% of the RDA of Vitamin A
• Protects from age related muscular disease
• Rich in B-complex for healthy nervous system and calmness
• Rich in minerals  like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorous and is loaded with fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids!

Recipe:
– 1 cup pumpkin pureé (you can buy organic, no-sugar pumpkin purée from a can at a health foods store, or you can make your own RAW pumpkin puree by blending some pumpkin in your blender with a little bit of water)
– 1 tsp. pumpkin spice
– 6 medjool dates, pitted
– 2 banana, ripe and spotty
– 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean
– 1 cup young thai coconut water or fresh almond mylk (freshly made is best, for the raw effect, or you can use almond milk from the store)

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth and enjoy! Serves 1-2 (32 oz).