Pumpkin milk is all the rage in my family when it is made with my homemade coconut milk recipe.

Yes, it’s that time of year for vegan pumpkin pie smoothie lovers!!

People either love all things pumpkin or they willingly pass on the Fall favorite. I am a pumpkin lover so I was excited to see the sweet pie pumpkins arrive at Central Market. I usually make raw pumpkin soups, raw pumpkin pies, vegan pumpkin smoothie, and really anything that is raw pumpkin.

Here are 5 health benefits of  a pumpkin that pumpkin pie smoothie lovers may not know:

1. Pumpkin is high in Vitamin A so it is great for your eyes and skin.
2. The Vitamin C in pumpkin will help the elasticity of your skin, veins, arteries, and will help ward of the change of season cold and flu.
3. The phytosterols in seeds will help to protect your heart and reduce cholesterol.
4. Pumpkin is high in fiber and will help you to lose weight while feeling satiated longer.
5. Pumpkin and the pumpkin seeds have been found to be cancer fighters.

You can check out more pumpkin pie smoothie benefits here:

I have never thought to make pumpkin milk (which is like nut milk) until I had my raw coconut milk recipe ingredients and pie pumpkin sitting together on my counter.

Shopping List for the Raw Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Alternative:

• 1 Thai coconut (to make your coconut milk)
• 1 Pie Pumpkin (3/4 cup grated Pumpkin meat)
• Medjool dates (with the seeds removed and the dates soaking in water for at least an hour)
• Ginger root
• Allspice
• Ceylon Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom

How to Make Raw Coconut Milk

I am in love with coconut milk. I used to make nut milks all the time until I spent time living in Central America where coconuts were in abundance. When I came back to Texas, I was uneasy with the fact that so-called “raw” nuts are treated with chemicals so I opted to stay with my beloved coconut to make my vegan milks.

I have since learned that the nutrition that you get from coconut is unlike anything you can get from a traditional nut, plus it is a fraction of the cost and usually readily available at Organic type food stores or International grocery stores. In this day and age, you can even buy them online and have them shipped to your door.

Here is an easy tutorial on how to open a Thai coconut in less than 60 seconds:

Take a spoon and scoop out the coconut meat.

Now take your meat and coconut water and blend it together for a couple of minutes. Depending on the amount of coconut water you have, you may have to add purified water. I will add water until my carafe is to the fill line with liquid. Take a nut bag or straining bag and strain the pulp from the liquid. This is your coconut milk.

Now for the Actual Pumpkin Milk Recipe: (Drum roll please!)

• 2 cups of your homemade coconut milk
• 3-6 dates (with the seed removed and that have been soaking for at least an hour)
• A slice of ginger about the thickness of a quarter (You can cut this in half if you want to cut down on the spiciness)
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon Ceylon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• A tiny pinch of cardamom

To 2 cups of your freshly made coconut milk, add your grated pumpkin, soaked dates, ginger and spices; blend for a couple of minutes to make everything as liquid as possible. Strain this through your nut bag and pour into your glass. You can chill this or blend it up with some ice. Garnish with chopped pumpkin seeds, a touch of cardamom and a touch of grated nutmeg, which are 3 additional proven health boosters!

Some alternatives to this pumpkin milk recipe are:

Add more ginger if you find that your pumpkin is very gourdy tasting.  Add more dates for sweetness if you want.  Dates are high in iron and are especially good for boosting energy.  Butternut Squash can be used as a replacement for pumpkin.  You can use pumpkin pie spice instead of the separate spices.  The caveat is that you will still have to use cardamom separately and the cinnamon is usually Cassia instead of Ceylon.  Cassia does not carry the health benefits of Ceylon and Cassia is usually contraindicated in higher doses for those with cardiovascular disease.  I am a big believer in starting where you are at and with what you have so just have fun with the recipe!  Whatever you use will be tons healthier than a bagel for breakfast.

If you love this Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Alternative, then you will L❤VE my Raw Pumpkin Soup Recipe!