Pumpkin Spice and Cashew Butter Smoothie

Can a smoothie be cosy? Hell yeah, it can. Just because snoods are gonna be a staple for the next six months, doesn’t mean a tall glass of wonderfulness will kill the #autumnvibes. My Pumpkin Spice & Cashew Butter Smoothie is thick with tingly, toasty Fall flavours…it’s my favourite thing to cuddle up with during Peanuts reruns.

I shouldn’t, but I really have to—IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE, CHARLIE BROWN!

I don’t have pumpkin purée—can I use butternut squash?

The best thing about this smoothie recipe is that you can swop ingredients for what you’ve got to hand in the pantry. If you don’t have pumpkin purée (note: pumpkin pie filling is NOT the same thing), grab a gourd—butternut squash especially is my favourite sub. Butternut is sweet, creamy and—sshh…don’t tell pumpkin—a perfect stand-in in almost every fall recipe around.

Can I use any nut butter?

Definitely! Use what you have or what you prefer. Just know that peanut butter has a more dominant flavour than cashew or almond, for example, so it may tweak the original smoothie taste a little.

I always choose natural nut butters without all the extra gunk; no added sugar, salt or environmentally UNfriendly palm oil. Meridian nut butters are my number one fave, BTW!

Why is frozen banana better than fresh in smoothies?

When you add ice to a smoothie, it dilutes the flavours. Frozen banana eliminates the need to add ice if you’re looking for chilled smoothie, whilst adding sweetness. When blended, frozen banana in particular is super creamy, making for an ice-cream-like consistency. (Also, freezing your bananas is a great way to avoid binning overripe fruit when you don’t have a chance to use it fast enough! )