Hello Pumpkin,

Oh sweet pumpkin, how I love decorating with you, making happy faces with you on Halloween, eating your seeds and enjoying you in a pumpkin pie.

Trouble is, when you eat gluten and dairy free, most pumpkin pies are neither dairy or gluten free. Dairy is usually added to the filling and wheat is usually added to the filling and the crust. Over the Canadian Thanksgiving, I just could not resist having a slice of pumpkin pie. I did not eat the crust thinking I was just having just dairy. As many of you know, I do like to test how my intolerance to dairy, gluten and sugar is going as I focus on replenishing my gut flora and healing my intestinal lining. I don’t recommend testing with foods that you know are intolerant or sensitive to until a fair bit of time has passed. My first test was 6 months after being gluten, dairy and sugar free which I wrote about on Julie Daniluk’s blog here. That test was a huge failure. I test every couple of months and as I heal, the reactions are less severe but I still react and then spend a week recovering to feel my vibrant self with no brain fog or other symptoms.

So how did the pumpkin pie experiment go?

Pumpkins in a stunning Fall decorating display

Well as I already had a small cold, it brought my cold to an extreme cold that lasted for 1.5 weeks. My hubby commented that my “cold” seemed more like a food reaction than a “cold” to him. So I decided that pumpkin pie no matter how good it was, needed to left off the future “test” list. Then a visit to my sister-in-law’s home came with a gluten-free, dairy-free but not sugar-free pumpkin pie that she made for our visit. She is also gluten and diary intolerant so I love going to her home as she teaches me tips on how to make this a permanent lifestyle and she totally understands the urge to test and suffering the consequences. My best advice to you is to plan alternatives ahead of time so you are not tempted to test and suffer the results. Really, is a piece of pie worth feeling crappy for days? With a little bit of planning, you will feel great after every event you go to.

The colours of fall at Riverbend - copyright Jo-Ann Blondin

The colours of fall at Riverbend. A big sweater and warm boots allows me to enjoy the crisp fresh air.

I will get the pumpkin pie recipe for you and will share it if my sister- in-law will share the secret family recipe that she made into a gluten-free, dairy-free delight. When I mentioned this story to a couple of girlfriends, they suggested I needed to explore making a pumpkin pie smoothie.

So now, when the urge to have a piece of pumpkin pie strikes, I make up a batch of this wonderful Organic Pumpkin Spice Smoothie. It takes less than five minutes to make and because it has chia in it, you can put it the fridge for a serving later and it will still have a thicker texture.

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Organic Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Ingredients

2 cups almond milk
6 tbsp hemp hearts
2 tbsp chia
2 tbsp ground fax seeds
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 pitted dates
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
12 ice cubes

Directions

Blend the almond milk, hemp, chia and ground fax seeds until smooth
Add the pumkin puree, pitted dates, maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and blend until smooth.
Add the ice cubes
Pour into glasses and enjoy immediately
Makes 2 generous servings

Tips

When I do any smoothies with hemp hearts, flax or chia, I like to first blend these ingredients with what ever liquid ingredient I am using to fully ensure they are broken down to small particles.
For a frosty smoothie with less work when you have guests, make the mixture ahead, leave out the ice and let the flavours blend in the fridge. Just before serving, pull out the blender, add the ice.
I used organic pumpkin from a can. The can makes a full recipe with just shy of another cup of pumpkin for another batch. Don’t worry if you have a bit less pumpkin puree on the second batch. It still tastes great. Or you could add the left over pumpkin puree to a soup if you want the full cup in your next batch of Organic Pumpkin Spice Smoothie.
Check the age of your spices. I rarely use ground cloves and ground nutmeg so mine are a bit old. If your’s are fresh, you might want to use 1/8 of teaspoon and taste. I would add more nutmeg first, blend in, and then taste. Fresh cloves can be very strong and really overwhelm the taste so slowly increase the cloves after you are happy with the nutmeg.
I used real cinnamon as it is a digestive aid and helps metabolize blood sugar.
I only use real vanilla extract. It makes a big difference in taste. If you go to Mexico, be sure to pick up real vanilla extract as it tastes amazing in your recipes.
If you do not have maple syrup or dates, try coconut sugar which is low on the Glycemic Index. 1 tbsp for each date and a direct replacement for the maple syrup.
This recipe is not sugar-free so treat it as a dessert or a treat – not a regular morning smoothie. Adding the hemp hearts gives you 10g of protein per serving which will help reduce the impact of the sugar on your blood and will reduce the blood sugar spike-insulin requirement- blood sugar drop cycle.
If you like it sweeter, add more maple syrup, 1 tbsp at a time.

Organic Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

We had our first frost last night and the leaves on my walnut tree are showering down on the deck. I love the tastes of fall and the colours it brings. Pumpkins are part of the autumn feeling along with big sweaters, boots and crisp fresh air.

I believe this Organic Pumpkin Spice Smoothie will be part of your new autumn favourites.

To pumpkins and celebrating being gluten-free and dairy-free with planning ahead for success.

Jo-Ann Blondin,

Your Wellness Cheerleader, Holistic Nutritionist and 9 Cup Challenge partner