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!
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!
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. Quick Tip
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!
More pumpkin recipes:
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars reader favorite recipe!
- Chewy and NOT cakey Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Carrot Cake
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Protein Shake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or milk of choice
- 1/2 cup frozen banana sliced into coins and frozen beforehand
- 3 tablespoons canned pumpkin I recommend Libby’s
- 1 scoop (1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) vanilla protein powder see note 1
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 ice cubes
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Optionally, garnish with graham cracker crumbs and enjoy immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Omahgahd, this protein shake is amazing. 😍
I was about to buy a pumpkin protein shake at my gym when I remembered I had some leftover pumpkin puree at home. I’m so glad I made at it at home instead. Thanks for the recipe,. Chelsea!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Mel!