Hey there pumpkin!

It’s that time of year again.

Every October (and November… and December) I try to consume as much pumpkin as humanly possible.

Why?

Because pumpkin is one of my very favorite flavors, after peanut butter of course.

And for some reason it’s only acceptable to consume everything pumpkin during the fall.

I guess it’s that whole seasonal thing.

But canned pumpkin is clearly available year-round…

Whatever.

Instead of crying tears of utter disappointment because summer has been long gone for a few weeks, I’ll be crying tears of joy every time I manage to think up a new way to inhale pumpkin.

And just to be clear, pumpkin spice lattes are a no-go in my book.

Me on caffeine = complete disaster.

Anyway.

A few Several of my nearest and dearest sweet pumpkin recipes include traditional pumpkin pie (with a homemade all-butter crust and fresh whipped cream!), tangy pumpkin cheesecake (soo rich and soooo good), pumpkin spice bars with cream cheese frosting (I have to give these away quick or I will make the entire pan disappear in under 48 hours solo), pumpkin toasted walnut spice muffins (serving size = 3… or 5), pumpkin maple overnight oats (somewhat kinda healthy!), whole wheat pumpkin pancakes (for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and last (but certainly not least) peanut butter pumpkin cups!

After you obtain a few fresh cavities and get those suckers filled like a somewhat responsible adult, go ahead and reach for some savory pumpkiny options… because two dentist visits in one month is a bit excessive.

I would recommend starting off with a reasonably healthy cheesy pumpkin and black bean quesadilla with caramelized onions, then whip up a batch of pasta with spicy and creamy pumpkin sauce (if you’re at all opposed to butter, you might want to skip right over this recipe, just sayin).

Clearly I’m way more into all the sugary options than the savory ones…

So to make the two lists even more lopsided I decided to blend up a super creamy, super decadent (in the healthiest way possible) peanut butter pumpkin smoothie.

This smoothie could almost be considered a milkshake, but smoothies are more acceptable to suck down for breakfast.

So smoothie it is.

All you have to do is blend very ripe frozen banana slices (for most of your sweetness and all of your frostiness) with unsweetened original almond milk, pumpkin puree, creamy salted peanut butter, pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.

Pour into a very tall glass and enjoy!

P.S. You can definitely alter the ingredient amounts to suit your taste… I added 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for a punch of protein and peanutty flavor, but you could certainly reduce the pb to 1 tablespoon. If you’re not about the bananas, use 1 cup instead of 1 1/2 cups. Adding a few more dashes of cinnamon never hurt anybody… and you could leave out the maple syrup or honey entirely, but I decided to treat myself.

P.P.S. Top your glass off with a drizzle of maple syrup and a few peanuts if you have enough restraint to put off gulping down your smoothie right from the blender itself.