Nutty Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie Bowl

So recently I made a Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl and for the last few weeks I have had my share of them but there was one last version I was hoping to add to the other two but I decided to hold out. Not something I don’t often but I had to because I wanted to post this one separate and trust me it’s worth it…. a Nutty Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie Bowl! Yes pumpkin everything right now and this one is so good! So pretty much the same smoothie bowl but there are a few differences. If you aren’t a pumpkin fan you can swap it out for banana or if you already tried one of the other versions and love it you can just tweak it to make it a pumpkin one. There are a few things different in that in this one I don’t use homemade or store bought cashew milk. I did still keep the cashews though! I have heard many times now that cashews may be good for fighting stress/ stress relief so I was looking into that more as I need any help I can get in that department. I have been dealing with a lot of stressful situations lately, including dealing with my parent’s retirement plans. As they are not as technologically advanced as they would like, they asked me to look into finding an equity release broker, who can help them through this next stage in their lives. This is stressing me out because there is just so much information to understand and a lot to consider before making any decisions. But it is definitely worth helping my parents out.
But it means I do get to eat more of this pumpkin latte bowl. They are delicious and really satisfying but this may be a reason to love them even more! I’ve looked into this before but in the food world it seems that things can often change and one week things are good and another are bad so I tend to take things with a grain of salt unless there are hard facts, even then everything in moderation and balance is key. However cashews contain zinc, magnesium, and tryptophan The tryptophan in cashews can boost your brain’s production of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin, which promotes a stable mood and healthy sleep. Sleep is another area I need help in. Instead of cashew milk I use whole raw cashews, soaked for best results, and I blend them with maple water. This makes the smoothie bowl rich, creamy, thick, and just amazing! If you are looking to cut carbs or don’t have maple water you can use filtered water. The same goes for the other subs which are listed below and there is the same protein option. I tweak mine based on when I am making it and my needs adding protein when I want or need it and depending on my mood I change up the toppings. I know it’s fall and that means all things pumpkin like I said but it sometimes means a slow down on smoothies and smoothie bowls as I would opt for a warm breakfast of protein oats, pancakes, ect. With the weather the way it has been I’m going to keep on with my smoothie bowl kick. I feel like it will be just like smoothies were I go in spurts of making a lot and then not so much, same goes for juicing, or a lot of foods. I feel I get on a groove of things like and then get bored or just change things up. I go through so many phases and they rotate, like smoothies, smoothie bowls, overnight oats, big salads, froyo bowl, proats (protein oats), protein crepes or pancakes, ect. Some phases last longer than others. I think of them kind of like the seasons. As summer starts it seems like I can’t get enough fresh fruit and greens, oh and watermelon and corn on the cob. There is fall where everything is apples, pumpkins, and squash. Winter is gingerbread, cookies, and all things I try to keep in moderation but it seems to be the time of year I have many things that I only have once a year and have to try all the foods. There are foods I eat all year round and those I only seem to eat at certain times of the year, because they are in season or that is when I crave them. Not that it would be wrong to eat watermelon in the winter or make a warm pot of soup or gingerbread in the summer it is just how things seem to go. Anyone else with me?

So back to my Nutty Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie Bowl, these are the things I want and crave this year at this time smoothie bowls and pumpkin. If you are craving pumpkin but not smoothie bowls check out some of my other favorite pumpkin recipes from the past like Spicy Pumpkin Coconut Soup, Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, or maybe some of my favorite pumpkin desserts Chocolate Pumpkin “Cheesecake” (raw/no bake, vegan, gluten free), and Mini Pumpkin Spice Latte “Cheesecakes” (raw/no bake, vegan, gluten free). Or search pumpkin on my site for many other pumpkin recipes, there are a few!

Nutty Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie Bowl
Makes 1 serving
1/4c cashews, preferable soaked 30 minutes or overnight
1c maple water, or water (Drink Maple, or Trader Joe’s also sells maple water)
1/2c frozen pumpkin
1 TBSP espresso beans*
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Medjool date, pitted
1/2-1 scoop vanilla protein powder, optional (used Vega Sport Vanilla Performance Protein)
optional maca (use Navitas Naturals Gelatinized Maca)
optional toppings: chopped raw cashews, cacao nibs, pumpkin pie spice, and/or caramel drizzle

*You can sub 2 teaspoons espresso powder, or to taste if you don’t like the espresso bean crunch or you can use 2 shots of cooled espresso and decrease the maple water by 1/4c.

Rinse and drain soaked cashews if you soaked them. In a Vitamix, or high-speed blender, blend together cashews, water, pumpkin pie spice, date, optional protein powder and maca until smooth. Add in frozen pumpkin and espresso beans and blend until the pumpkin is just blended using the tamper tool. Try not to over blend as you want it to stay thick. Spoon into a bowl and add toppings of choice. Enjoy!
I want to wake up to a Nutty Pumpkin Spice Latte Smoothie Bowl like this! @VegaTeam #SweatPink #wholefood #FitFluential Click To Tweet

Not only is it Monday but it’s #MeatlessMonday! Check out more great recipes from fellow bloggers.

While I do receive some Vega products from time to time, which I listed as an option in this recipe, I do purchase much of it on my own. It has been my plant-based protein of choice since before I started blogging. Even though most Vega products used are purchased by myself I do add this disclaimer. I do not make any money off any Vega sales or posts. I only write about foods I love, my blog is an extension of my hobby to make fun healthy food creations for me and my family.