Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Protein Smoothie

This healthy Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Protein Smoothie recipe is the ultimate mashup of festive flavors. It’s created with sweet medjool dates, a functional mushroom hot cacao mix, plant protein, pumpkin puree, fall spices, and garnished with homemade coconut whipped cream. Enjoy it cold or hot all season long!

If you’re a pumpkin spice lover & a hot chocolate fan, then you’re in for a real festive treat today, because this healthy protein smoothie recipe is all that you could ask for during this time of year.

While I love a good pumpkin spice smoothie, as well as a frozen hot chocolate, I thought it was time to combine the two which resulted in this Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Protein Smoothie.

It’s an untraditional combination, but it sure is a delicious + nutritious one. This creation is sweetened with medjool dates, loaded with protein, packed with pumpkin, and features a packet of Four Sigmatic’s Organic Cacao Mix to spice things up. 

Even though this is a protein smoothie recipe, you can certainly enjoy it warm, cold, or even room temperature during the winter months. Just subtract the ice cubes, blend, and pour into a mug to devour. Just don’t forget the homemade coconut whipped cream!

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Protein Smoothie

• Perfect Protein Smoothie: Whether you’re making it for breakfast, in the evening, or somewhere in between, this Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Protein Smoothie will have you fully satisfied, as it is packed with 25 grams of plant protein.
• Rich, Creamy, & Dairy Free: While there is no dairy in this seasonal beverage, it still embodies the decadent flavor that we all love.
• Customizable: Enjoy it hot or cold, this protein drink will be a win.

Pumpkin & Hot Cacao 101

Pumpkin Health Benefits

Let’s talk about pumpkin for a brief moment. Did you know it’s actually a superfood? Meaning, it’s full of powerful health benefits. Pumpkin is incredibly healthy, as it is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The few out of many advantages of consuming pumpkin include: 

• High Antioxidant Content to Protect from Disease
• Packed with Potassium to Help Lower Blood Pressure
• Bursting with Vitamin C for Immunity & Collagen Production
• Full of Vitamin A for Immunity & Eye Health
• Aids Digestive System to Keep Things Moving

Pumpkin is the perfect addition to our protein smoothie, not only for the taste, but for health benefits. However, this nutrient-rich vegetable can be overlooked, as we tend to focus on the pumpkin recipe vs. the nutrition standpoint. Nevertheless, knowledge is power and lets begin incorporating pumpkin in more healthful ways!

Hot Cacao Health Benefits & Nutrition 

It wouldn’t be hot chocolate without a hot cacao mix. If you have yet to sip on Four Sigmatic’s Organic Cacao Mix, you’re in for a real Christmas treat. It’s not like the typical, store-bought hot chocolate packets, as this one is basically hot cacao made healthy. Crafted with good-for-you ingredients, while being paired with reishi, creates a calming blend to support stress & overall well-being. Through incorporating this specific hot cacao packet in this smoothie, some of the incredible benefits include: 

• Relief of Mild Stress & Promote Relaxation: Thanks to the adaptogen of reishi, Four Sgimatic’s Hot Cacao, helps you adapt to those everyday stressors.
• Mental Clarity: The adaptogenic blend helps keep your mind calm, to feel more centered throughout your day.
• Sustainable Sourced to Achieve All the Benefits: You don’t need to worry about anything funky in your mushrooms with Four Sigmatic. It’s certified organic, as well as tested for mycotoxins, molds, and pesticides.
• Tastes Good: Just because it’s loaded with mushrooms, doesn’t mean the taste has to be compromised. It’s super delicious.

Ingredients

• Organic Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk: Any non-dairy milk works in this recipe, just be sure to use trusted brands – I like MALK Organics or Three Trees.
• Organic Pumpkin Puree: Make sure it’s pumpkin puree & NOT pumpkin pie filling (which is loaded with lots of sugar & other unhealthy ingredients you can’t pronounce). My favorite brand is Farmers Market Foods.
• Four Sigmatic’s Organic Cacao Mix: I love adding Four Sigmatic’s Organic Cacao Mix packet to this smoothie because it’s creamy, uncaffeinated, and spicy-sweet. Oh & my favorite part is that this organic cacao mix is made with good-for-you ingredients and it’s paired with reishi, which creates a calming blend to support stress & overall well-being. It’s the perfect addition for this hot chocolate smoothie.
• Organic Cacao Plant Protein: Adding a scoop of protein powder helps to keep you full and satisfied longer. I love Four Sigmatic’s Creamy Cacao Plant Protein for this recipe. It’s ​​made with real unrefined cacao with no grains, gums or fillers. Oh & it’s super delicious. Nevertheless, if you have yet to try Four Sigmatic’s Creamy Cacao Plant Protein, add your favorite chocolate plant protein.
• Organic Chia Seeds: Organic chia seeds add omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, calcium, etc.
• Organic Pumpkin Spice: Duh?! Pumpkin spice is essential for this hot chocolate protein smoothie!
• Sea Salt: A healthy pinch of sea salt is rich in a ton of minerals and beautifully enhances the flavor.
• Medjool Dates: I recommend buying pitted dates, that way you don’t have to remove the pits yourself. Oh, & my favorite brand of dates is Joolie’s!
• Ice Cubes: A handful of ice cubes is essential to turn this hot chocolate frozen.

How To Make

• Blend the Liquids & Powders. To a high-speed blender, add the non-dairy milk, hot cacao mix, plant protein, seeds, and spices. Blend these ingredients until smooth.
• Blend the Medjool Dates. Add the soft medjool dates to the blender and blend until smooth.
• Blend the Frozen Ingredients. Add the ice cubes. Blend until smooth and creamy.
• Serve. Pour into a chilled glass with a dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream and enjoy!

Smoothie Add-Ins

Feel free to truly make this smoothie your own! Here are a few suggestions to amp-up this Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Protein Smoothie recipe:

• Organic Ground Flax Seeds: Add a tablespoon of organic ground flax seeds to increase the fiber & minerals to this smoothie.
• Organic Hemp Seeds: To increase the amount of healthy fats, protein, omegas & minerals to this hot chocolate smoothie, add a tablespoon of organic hemp seeds.
• Organic Coconut Yogurt: Add some creaminess to this smoothie with a scoop of coconut yogurt. You may have to reduce the milk to ½ cup in this smoothie when adding yogurt.
• Organic Cold Brew: Need a boost? Use half organic unsweetened non-dairy milk & half cold brew.
• Organic Greens: You can get your greens in too in this hot chocolate smoothie too. They blend easily & you can’t taste them. Plus, greens are packed with so many minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. Spinach, kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, or mixed greens all work. 

Tips for Making the Perfect Smoothie 

Interested in how to make the absolute perfect Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Protein Smoothie recipe? As someone who makes smoothies daily, here are my TOP tips:

1. Adjust Liquid Amount: If you find that your smoothie is too thick to blend, not to worry! Just add a bit more liquid, blend, open the cover, scrape down the sides if needed, and blend again. And when possible, always use a larger high-speed blender instead, as it will blend the ingredients much better.
2. How To Make: Add your liquid first & blend your powders first, then the medjool dates, before adding your frozen ingredients. This is my personal favorite way of preparing my smoothies. By blending the liquid & powders first, it ensures that your powders blend completely.
3. Smoothie Blending Tip: Start your blender on low to medium speed. If you blend the smoothie too quickly from the beginning, it’s really hard for the blender to properly blend the frozen ingredients – so start lower and then gradually increase the speed.
4. Chill Your Glass: There’s nothing better than a cold smoothie, in this case, a milkshake. Put your serving glass in the fridge or freezer while you’re making your smoothie to ensure a chilled smoothie with every sip.

Smoothie FAQ’s

Is it healthy to have a smoothie?

Duh! I wouldn’t post something that was unhealthy. Having a smoothie full of protein, healthy fats, & superfoods for a post workout breakfast is great because you’ll be getting essential vitamins, nutrients, & protein, first thing. However, some smoothies on the market or on the web can be loaded with tons of fruit, added sugar, & nonsense, making them a less healthy option. 

What is the best protein powder to use?

For this particular Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Protein Smoothie recipe, I love using Four Sigmatic’s Cacao Plant Protein. It’s ​​made with real organic ingredients with no grains, gums, or fillers. If you don’t have Four Sigmatics Cacao Plant Protein on hand, you can use your favorite chocolate protein powder. When selecting a plant protein, it’s crucial to look at the protein content and most importantly, the ingredients. 

How can I add protein without using protein powder?

If you don’t have cacao protein powder on hand, no worries! You can substitute with 1 tbsp of cacao powder. To increase the protein content, you can add a tablespoon of organic ground flax seeds and/or organic hemp hearts, without changing the taste too much.

What if I don’t have Four Sigmatic’s Hot Cacao?

Not a problem! Simply add 1 tbsp of organic cacao powder and ¼ tsp organic ceylon cinnamon.

Can I make this smoothie recipe in advance?

Yes! Feel free to make this Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate Protein Smoothie recipe as is or double it for later. Check out this “How to Prepare Smoothies in Advance” post to achieve the best results.

More Healthy Protein Smoothie Recipes You’ll Love

• Frozen Hot Chocolate Smoothie
• Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew Smoothie
• Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Smoothie
• Pumpkin Mocha Protein Smoothie
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Smoothie
• Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

Sharing Is Caring!

If you make this recipe, please leave a review & rating below! I love hearing from you and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Lastly, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, & TikTok for even more deliciousness & wellness tips!

Xoxo.

Christin.

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