Pumpkin Chai Breakfast Smoothie

Here’s a comforting, creamy pumpkin breakfast smoothie you can make with just 7 ingredients: canned pumpkin puree, banana, chai tea, maple syrup, & fall spices. Easy, vegan, & full of festive flavor! Combining chai tea AND pumpkin spice makes this chai pumpkin smoothie an oh-so-tasty way to start an autumn or winter morning.

For more fall smoothie ideas, check out my Cinnamon Ginger & Pear Smoothie and Toasted Pecan & Oatmeal Smoothie!

Fall-ing in Love with a Healthy Breakfast Smoothie

• Taste: There’s so much to love about this healthy pumpkin smoothie recipe. Sweet & comforting pumpkin, creamy banana, aromatic chai & pumpkin spice—it tastes like sippable pumpkin bread! It’s a flavorful and just-plain-yummy morning smoothie that I’m more motivated to throw together because I genuinely enjoy drinking it.
• Texture: Blending this banana smoothie with pumpkin creates a lusciously smooth, creamy, & indulgent texture. Even without any dairy, yogurt, or milk! Plus, LA days are still warm in early fall, so I love having something cool & refreshing to sip on.
• Comfort: Just like a pumpkin spice latte or a cup of chai tea, this pumpkin chai smoothie brings me comfort and joy—which makes for a better start to the day! Food has an incredible capacity to bring us comfort and impact how we feel. And doing so mindfully can be an empowering coping strategy.
• Simplicity: Since this is a canned pumpkin smoothie recipe, it’s extra simple and stress-free. You don’t need to cook & puree pumpkin at home, and there’s little to no prep work required. All you need are 7 ingredients & a blender!

What goes well with pumpkin?

Pumpkin has a mild earthy-yet-sweet flavor, so it pairs well with both sweet & savory ingredients. Other sweet flavors help to enhance pumpkin’s natural sweetness—like the ripe banana and maple syrup in this comforting pumpkin banana smoothie. And pumpkin is perhaps best paired with warm fall spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. (Pumpkin spice everything, anyone?!)

Chai tea contains many of these same spices, which is why chai and pumpkin go so well together in this healthy breakfast smoothie. Take a whiff while your chai tea is brewing—it smells just like fall! Growing up, my family had chai tea every afternoon, so its flavors & scent are very nostalgic for me. That’s part of why I love fall flavors & smells, and why I find them so comforting.

Canned Pumpkin Smoothie Ingredients

• Chai Tea. Brew a bag of your favorite chai tea bag at home and let it cool, or you can buy pre-brewed/iced chai tea at the grocery store. If preferred, substitute with milk of choice as your liquid. Or, like in my keto coffee shake recipe, you could use leftover brewed coffee and power your morning with a pumpkin coffee smoothie instead!
• Banana. I love the natural sweetness and thick, creamy texture that frozen banana adds to this pumpkin puree smoothie. If you prefer your smoothies without banana, you can easily substitute with pear, apple, or try my pumpkin pie smoothie with frozen mango
• Pumpkin Puree. I prefer to make this smoothie with canned pumpkin puree because it’s the most convenient, but you can also make your own DIY puree at home. For a nutritious & seasonal alternative, try using sweet potato puree or mash instead to make a festive sweet potato smoothie!
• Maple Syrup. Any sweetener you prefer can work here, using as much or as little as you’d like. I like the fall-flavored comfort of maple syrup, but you could use honey, granulated sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, etc.
• Spices. Just a dash of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt is all you need to infuse some festive autumn flair into your morning smoothie! (If needed, you can easily make pumpkin pie spice at home using cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.)

Watch my Breakfast Smoothies for Fall video to see how I make this pumpkin smoothie!

Is pumpkin puree healthy?

Canned pumpkin puree is made from steamed pumpkin—typically a variety called Dickinson pumpkins. It’s safe to eat raw, and it’s a convenient alternative to making your own pumpkin puree at home! And, like pumpkins themselves, canned pumpkin is rich in healthy nutrients like dietary fiber, iron, and vitamins A, K, & E. Note: This recipe calls for plain pumpkin puree—not canned pumpkin pie mix, which also contains added sugar & spices.

What fruit does pumpkin go well with?

Pumpkin pairs well with all sorts of fruits, so feel free to customize this pumpkin chai breakfast smoothie with the fruits that you enjoy! Sweet, creamy banana is just one option. You can add additional fruits into the mix, or substitute for the banana. These are some of my favorite options that you can try, fresh or frozen:

• Fall Fruits: apples, pears, figs, persimmons
• Summer Fruits: peaches, plums, mangos, apricots
• Citrus Fruits: oranges, limes
• Berries: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries