Blend up a delicious dessert style smoothie this holiday season in place of traditional pumpkin pie. The luscious taste of pumpkin mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla is a taste experience not to be missed. Guests will be pleasantly surprised by this clever frozen treat.
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup canned pumpkin, chilled
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for garnish
- pinch of ground cloves
- pinch of nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- whipped cream, for garnish
- graham cracker crumbs, for garnish
Directions:
- In a blender, mix together the chilled canned pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
- When ingredients have been thoroughly blended, add the 2 cups of frozen yogurt, and continue to blend until well combined.
- Check the taste and alter if necessary.
- Pour equal amounts of the smoothie into glasses.
- Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon.
- Garnish with a tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs.
Taste buds can be subjective. For some this shake may not be sweet enough, for others the spices may be too strong. To make it sweeter add a little more brown sugar. To reduce the spiciness, omit the the pinch of cloves and nutmeg.
Graham cracker crumbs make a wonderful topping for this delicious smoothie. The finely crushed graham cracker crumbs available in markets, are not the best to use in this recipe because the finer pieces become soggy quickly. It is better instead to take whole graham crackers, a few at a time, place them in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. This will achieve a chunkier crumb consistency which makes a better garnish.
Recipe Variations
To turn this recipe into a pumpkin milkshake, use vanilla ice cream in place of the frozen yogurt. This will be a much richer dessert.
To make this recipe into a soft serve style pumpkin ice cream, simply put it in the freezer for three hours and then scoop it into dessert bowls. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top for an added festive touch.
Another variation is to use chopped pecans for garnish in place of graham cracker crumbs, or place one pecan half on top of the dollop of whipped cream. Caramelized nuts can be used for garnish as well.
Forget the pie this year, who needs it when pumpkin lovers can enjoy the same flavors without all the additional fat from the crust. This versatile recipe is great to have on hand for holiday gatherings, or for those who just like to enjoy the flavors of the holiday season.
