Learn how to make the best pumpkin shake with this easy recipe! This is my favourite way to use up leftover pumpkin purée after freezing it in an ice cube tray, but unfrozen leftover pumpkin will also work, as would canned pumpkin. You can customize the recipe with your favourite non-dairy milk to make it dairy-free.
Many of us like to buy a few sugar pumpkins in the fall to make homemade pumpkin purée. All you have to do is roast the pumpkin until the flesh is soft enough to purée. Sometimes homemade purées are more watery than commercially canned pumpkin, so I strain them through a few layers of cheesecloth to make sure they're thick enough for baking.
When you go to all that effort, it's nice to make a big batch of purée. Then you can explore more recipes for baking with pumpkin-order your copy of the e-book All About Pumpkin to celebrate this star ingredient!
This is a pumpkin pie shake, and it tastes exactly like pumpkin pie: a little sweet, a little spiced, and a little creamy. In fact, I based this vegan shake recipe on the ingredients in the pumpkin tarts. I have consumed blender-fulls of this pumpkin pie shake. It's really very good, if I may say so myself.
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Ingredients To Make A Pumpkin Shake From Leftover Pumpkin
Most smoothies are banana-based, often made with frozen banana, which gives the drink a creamy, thick texture. This shake uses frozen pumpkin purée. Here's what you need:
- pumpkin-I've tested this recipe with leftover canned purée as well as homemade purée. The flavour of homemade purée is better but both work!
- milk-I've tested this recipe with oat milk, Almond Breeze almond beverage, and also cow's milk, and they all work great
- sugar-I like to use a combination of maple syrup and brown sugar, which are both very flavourful. This is especially important with canned purée, which can taste a little metallic.
- spices-you can use a pumpkin spice blend, apple pie spice mix, or a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
- vanilla-optional, but vanilla helps make this shake taste like a sweet dessert
Please see the recipe card for the exact ingredients and quantities.
Note: I am not one for protein powders but this would be a good place to add your favourite vanilla protein powder. You can also incorporate Greek yogurt instead for added protein
Making A Shake With Leftover Pumpkin Purée
It's so easy to use up leftover pumpkin purée in pumpkin shakes! You'll never waste leftover canned pumpkin once you learn to freeze it and make smoothies. Here's how to make a smoothie from leftover pumpkin purée.
Step 1-Combine your favourite milk with warm spices in a blender (image 1) and blend until frothy and well mixed (image 2).
Step 2: Add the pumpkin purée (fresh, canned or frozen) (image 3) and blend until smooth and light (image 4).
Note: The colour of pumpkin smoothies will vary. Canned pumpkin is dark orange and creates a peach coloured smoothie, while homemade pumpkin purée is more yellow.
Tips For Freezing Pumpkin Purée
I freeze some of it in different portion sizes to be ready for a variety of recipes:
- freeze 0.5 cup portions to make a small batch of baked pumpkin donuts or these cute pumpkin whoopie pies filled with cream cheese frosting.
- freeze 1 cup portions for easy recipes like this pumpkin loaf cake, this whole wheat pumpkin bread, or even this maple pumpkin bread
- freeze 1.5 cup portions for this healthier pumpkin bread which is also eggless, dairy-free, and vegan, or this fabulous pumpkin bread with cranberries
- freeze some in ice cube trays for smoothies and shakes-use a piping bag to easily and cleanly transfer purée to ice cube trays without stress!
If you tried this recipe for the best pumpkin shake (or any other recipe on my website), please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Shake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 mL milk
- 25 grams light brown sugar more or less depending on how sweet you like your shakes
- 15 mL pure maple syrup
- 5 mL pure vanilla extract
- 2.5 mL ground cinnamon
- 1.25 mL ground ginger
- 0.625 mL ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 250 grams pumpkin purée about 10 ice cubes worth if using homemade pumpkin purée frozen in ice cube trays
Instructions
- In a blender, start by blending the milk, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and spices.
- Add the pumpkin purée and blend until it's the consistency of a thick milkshake.
- Divide among glasses. Makes 4 small servings or 2 breakfast portions. You can sprinkle with some freshly grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon, or even graham cracker crumbs.
Notes
- I have tested this shake recipe with cow's milk, oat milk, and Almond Breeze unsweetened almond milk. They all work!
- You can use any sweetener you want. I enjoy a combination of maple syrup and brown sugar, or all maple syrup.
- You can use pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice blend, or a combination of warm spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves).
- I like to make this recipe with frozen leftover pumpkin purée. I freeze it in an ice cube tray.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Almond Breeze sent me samples of their almond milk and financial compensation to develop recipes with their products this month. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new recipes for Kitchen Heals Soul. As always, please know that I wouldn't mention the product if it wasn't worth it. And I really have been using Almond Breeze since 2009.
Melissa says
ummm... this looks so yummy... now to get one delivered 😉
M.
Sondi says
I love the idea of making pumpkin cubes - I'll have to do that soon! When I make smoothies, I rarely use banana. Lots of people like to use them because they add sweetness, especially if you are also tossing greens into your smoothie, and frozen bananas offer a thick, creamy texture. Me? I much prefer berries over bananas in smoothies.
Stephanie says
Yummm!!! I agree that all smoothies rely on bananas too much. Pumpkin is a genius replacement
Shareba @ In Search Of Yummy-ness says
I've been experimenting with pumpkin-flavoured drinks too, but I haven't found anything that I really like yet. Your shake looks yummy though! I've pinned this to my "pumpkin love" board 🙂
Janice says
Thanks, Shareba! I tried a few versions of this recipe, but this was my favourite in the end. One of my versions even had a little Bird's Eye custard powder in it, but that one tasted great but had a cornstarch-y mouthfeel I didn't like. In the end, the simplest ingredients worked out the best, I guess 😉
Lynn says
I like the texture bananas provide, especially if I'm not including yogurt in the smoothie. But that's just me.
Janice says
Thanks! Hmmm, maybe it lends a certain creaminess? But doesn't it overwhelm flavours?