I was craving a pumpkin sweet today. And honestly, I’ve had this craving every day since Starbucks released the Pumpkin Spice Latte again for this season. I think it’s pavlovian. The weather cools off a bit (well, into the 70’s for us Angelinos) and my body immediately wants leather boots, scarves, a Pumpkin Latte and Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pop Tarts.
So, to help quench my pumpkin needs, I tested a few pumpkin shake recipes (special thanks to pole star Phoenix Kazree for the inspiration.) Ultimately, I just came up with my own – here’s the recipe:
2 TBSP Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter
1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 cup Milk of any kind
1/2 frozen banana
1 Small squeeze of honey (or a 1/2 tsp brown sugar or 2 dates) to taste for sweetness
Dash of Cinnamon & Clove to taste
Ice
No TJ’s in your area? any pumpkin butter will do, or use pumpkin puree and add 1 TSP of Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste. And I know the brown sugar should be a no-no, but if your a die-hard pumpkin pie freak like me, it helps with the taste. You can also use sugar substitute.
I’m not a Dietician, so I won’t list the calories/nutritional value, but I’m going to guess it’s a lot lower than a Pumpkin Spice Latte with a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin.
Oh, and if your REALLY in need of a Pumpkin Pie like treat, top it with Lite Cool Whip or a few TBSP of Real Light Whipped Cream, only 20 calories per serving.
Posted by Stacey at 10/15/2013 1:33 PM | Add Comment
