Popcorn Topped Pumpkin Smoothie

If the idea of a popcorn topped pumpkin smoothie gives you pause, consider that smoothies are often served with crunchy elements like nuts and granola. It’s just that we just love popcorn more.

Smoothies themselves are so much fun, make great on-the-go meals and are an easy way to add nutrients to our daily diets. Just add a bunch of ingredients to a blender, puree until smooth and add a straw! But the simplicity of the idea also means that the flavor possibilities are endless. There’s usually fruit and some form of liquid like milk, juice or even water. Some people boost the nutrition by adding powdered supplements. And, of course, you can add veggies. Green smoothies usually contain spinach or kale but we prefer our smoothies orange.

How healthy your smoothie actually is obviously depends on what you add to it. Lots of greens are healthier, of course. But then, you have to ask yourself if you’d rather eat your spinach or drink it. Likewise, if all you add is fruit then you may have too big of a sugar bomb.

As in all things, we like a good balance of healthy and delicious. We start with plain Greek yogurt. It’s thick and creamy, a great source of protein and calcium but without any additional sugar. More thickness comes from a banana. You can use room temperature bananas but we encourage you to get in the habit of peeling and freezing bananas to keep handy for smoothies and ice cream bases. Maybe even a frozen cocktail or two?

The orange in our smoothie comes from unsweetened pumpkin puree which is high in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. Also, we just love squash. A little extra milk to help it all blend up smoothly and a pinch of ground cinnamon for great flavor. You can actually stop right there and still have a delicious treat. But adding a tiny bit of salt really wakes up all the flavors. Since pumpkin and banana are both naturally sweet, you might not need the honey but it’s definitely delicious so taste your mixture and decide whether or not to add some.

Now for the topping. A creamy smoothie needs a little crunch so we top ours with popcorn. And, finally, we add a sprinkle of our chocolate caramel seasoning. It’s a blend of rich, dark cocoa powder and caramel that tastes decadent but doesn’t pile on the calories. And if you’ve ever had a chocolate chip pumpkin bread you know that pumpkin and chocolate are meant to be together. Whether you have it for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, this combo will give you a boost of energy, nutrition and flavor.