Pumpkin Protein Shake

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Thick, creamy, and healthy Pumpkin Protein Shake is sure to satisfy your pumpkin pie cravings! It’s made with good-for-you ingredients and is so delicious!

Looking for more breakfast shakes or smoothies? Try this Green Smoothie Recipe, this Cherry Smoothie, or this Mango Smoothie next!

 

A cup filled with a creamy pumpkin protein shake, topped with a swirl of whipped cream.

Pumpkin Protein Shake

This Pumpkin Protein Shake is thick enough to pass for a milkshake but healthy enough for breakfast! And that’s because there’s pumpkin, vanilla protein powder, and even a frozen banana in the mix. The banana adds creaminess and creates the consistency of a real milkshake.

And one of the greatest things about this Pumpkin Protein Shake? It’s the perfect way to use leftover pumpkin. A lot of pumpkin recipes call for only part of a can, so instead of wasting the rest, save it in the fridge and whip up this shake the next morning!

 

QUICK TIP

Pumpkin purée is made from cooked pumpkin and nothing else. Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, is made from pumpkin purée AND sweetener, milk, and seasonings. Just pour it into a pie shell and bake. They’re both wonderful products, but they fill different needs. This recipe requires cooked pumpkin, not the pie filling. Be sure to check the label and get the correct product.

Sliced bananas prepared for freezing.

How to make Pumpkin Protein Shakes

  • Freeze the banana: While Pumpkin Protein Shakes are quick and easy to make, you’ll need to do a bit of planning to make sure the banana is fully frozen when you need it. I like to prep the bananas right after bringing them home from the grocery store so I don’t forget. Remove the peel, slice the banana into coins, place in freezer-safe containers or bags, and freeze overnight. It’s not hard; you just have to remember in advance to do it. (Remembering is the hard part!)
  • Measure: While it might seem silly to actually measure out ingredients for a shake instead of just throwing everything in the blender, I highly recommend doing so the first few times you make this, or until you have a feel for the quantities. Throwing random ingredients in a blender can often end up giving you WAY too much Pumpkin Protein Shake or it can taste, well, off. It’s also a good idea to measure if you’re tracking macros or calories.
  • Blend: If you have a high-powered blender (I recommend a Vitamix® or Blendtec® blender), you can add in the ingredients and blend until smooth. If you don’t have a powerful blender, however,  follow manufacturer instructions for what ingredients to add first to avoid cavitation. (Who knew so much science was at play here?)

Healthy ways to use leftover pumpkin:

After making this pumpkin protein shake, you’ll have quite a bit of leftover pumpkin. Below are our favorite healthy recipes to use it in!

Ingredients including pumpkin puree, protein powder, and ice being added to a blender, ready to be mixed into a pumpkin spice protein shake.

More pumpkin recipes:

FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content.

Pumpkin Protein Shake

5 from 16 votes
Ever wonder what a pumpkin pie would taste like, blended up into a milkshake? Just wait til you try this (secretly healthy) Pumpkin Protein Shake!
A cup filled with a creamy pumpkin protein shake, topped with a swirl of whipped cream.
Print Recipe

Pumpkin Protein Shake

A cup filled with a creamy pumpkin protein shake, topped with a swirl of whipped cream.
5 from 16 votes
Ever wonder what a pumpkin pie would taste like, blended up into a milkshake? Just wait til you try this (secretly healthy) Pumpkin Protein Shake!
Course Breakfast, Drinks, Protein Shake, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword pumpkin shake
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 shake
Chelsea Lords
Calories 319kcal
Cost $1.39

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
  • 1/2 cup frozen banana (sliced into coins and frozen beforehand)
  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree (I recommend Libby's)
  • 1 scoop (1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (32g) vanilla protein powder See Note 1
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 1/8 teaspoon EACH: pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon
  • 8 ice cubes

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
  • Optionally, garnish with graham cracker crumbs and enjoy immediately.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Protein powder: The protein powder you use makes a huge difference in the taste of the shake. I recommend a whey protein powder that has some kind of sweetener added, such as stevia. If the protein doesn't have stevia, I recommend adding a few drops of vanilla stevia to this shake.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1shake | Calories: 319kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 592mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 7052IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 513mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.

Our Favorite Products
More Recipes You'll Love

Chocolate Protein Shake

10 mins

Chocolate Protein Shake

Click the Bookmark Icon to Add to Your Favories

Easy Banana Smoothie

5 mins

Easy Banana Smoothie

Click the Bookmark Icon to Add to Your Favories

Blueberry Smoothie

5 mins

Blueberry Smoothie

Click the Bookmark Icon to Add to Your Favories

Peanut Butter Protein Shake

7 mins

Peanut Butter Protein Shake

Click the Bookmark Icon to Add to Your Favories

FREE BONUS

FREE BONUS

EASY MEAL SECRETS:
How to Make Mealtime Hassle Free!

5 secrets to easy, fast and delicious dinners.

[gravityform id="2" title="false" description="false"]

Leave a Comment:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




36 Comments

    1. Usually when I find a recipe without nutritional info, I just put the list of ingredients into a Nutritional Facts Calculator. There are many free ones out there online (:

    2. Just loaded the recipe in myfitnesspal. 🙂
      For 2 servings, with a vegan protein and greek yogurt… it is 219 calories, 2g fat, 28g carbs, 5g fiber, 14g sugar, 2g protein. 🙂

  1. 5 stars
    Last time I tried to make up my own pumpkin pie smoothie it was disgusting. This recipe redeems my previous failure — sooooo delicious!!!!

  2. Chelsea messy apron;
    Hi,I just copied down your pumpkin pie protein shake,and I am going to make it in my magic bullet blender after I go grocery shopping,and I will let you know how much I love drinking your shake.I will also make one for my mom.
    Can I use pumpkin stevia syrup in your shake recipe?
    Can I use plain Greek yogurt in your smoothie?
    My blender is only for one person at a time so I will have to make another shake for my mom after I make my shake.
    Kim

    1. I hope you love it! I’ve never tried pumpkin stevia syrup, but I’m sure it would be good 🙂 The Greek yogurt will work great! Enjoy

  3. 5 stars
    This is amazing. The consistency is perfect and the flavor is spot on. It’s too too strong it’s a nice subtle pumpkin flavor.
    I’ve been looking for new varieties for my vanilla protein powder and this came along. Inexpensive to make too since you have most of these ingredients already at home! Thanks

    1. I don’t think it will taste right without the protein powder; maybe amp up the spices and add another tablespoon of almond butter? You may also need some sweetener since protein powder is generally sweetened

  4. 5 stars
    Delicious! I used Garden of Life Vanilla Chai flavored meal replacement instead of protein powder and naked peanut butter powder instead of almond butter because that is what I had. Filling for breakfast and nutritionally balanced. Lovely and satisfying taste. Thank You!

  5. Hi! LOVE this recipe — however, as a Registered Nurse and a bit of a health nut, I would NOT recommend a whey based protein powder. Whey is obtained as a biproduct of the cheese making process. It can cause an inflammatory response in the body and doesn’t promote good gut health. High concentrations of whey protein can also cause mineral imbalances in the bones. I prefer a plant based protein which is free of dairy and soy – the one I use is made from yellow peas, brown rice, and whole raw cranberries.

    1. I have been using dymatize chocolate whey protein powder which tastes yummy, like a frosty, and doesn’t cause me any noticable problems. I just tried Orgain vanilla plant protein powder, though, which is slightly gritty and does not taste as good. That’s why I am here, trying to find a way to make that stuff taste better.

  6. This looks delicious!! Do you know of something I could use in place of the almond butter? Or would it be ok to skip it? Just not a fan of the flavor, unfortunately.

  7. 5 stars
    Wow. So I have this protein powder I hate and so I’m always looking for recipes to mask the taste. This recipe is amazing!! It’s subtle pumpkin. Not too sweet. Would/will definitely make this again through the fall season!!

  8. 5 stars
    Thanks! Ive made it per the recipe and a tweaked version, skipping the almond butter, added 1/4 oats for a bit more fiber, and doubled the pumpkin purée. Both versions are great 10/10.

  9. 5 stars
    I made this tonight, and it was so good! I can’t have bananas, so I used some honey instead. It was awesome! Thank you!

  10. 5 stars
    I made this today. I have a friend who
    drops off a shake for me every week day. I wanted to surprise her with one.
    This was so good. I’m excited to see what she thinks. I use soy milk so I added
    some almond extract to the milk.

  11. Hi I love this recipe but I’m wondering if I can substitute peanutbutter for the almond butter as I’m allergic to almonds. walnuts and pecans.

  12. 5 stars
    Made this shake and it is GOOD! Just the right amount of pumpkin purée and spice to give the shake a hint of pumpkin but not over power it. I’ll definitely make this again – a very quick meal to have on a busy day.

Never Miss a Recipe

[gravityform id="3" title="false" description="false"]