Pumpkin Coffee Smoothie & Homemade Pumpkin Coffee Creamer

When pumpkin season arrives, coffee doesn't have to mean another hot latte. A pumpkin coffee smoothie gives you the flavors of pumpkin, warm fall spices, and coffee in a cold, creamy drink that's easy to make at home.

The coffee matters more than you might think. Pumpkin, banana, yogurt, and spice can easily overpower a lighter cup, so we like using coffee with enough body and roast character to still taste like coffee once everything is blended.

How to Make a Pumpkin Coffee Smoothie

The easiest way to make a pumpkin coffee smoothie is to start with coffee that has been brewed ahead of time and completely chilled. Blend it with pumpkin puree, banana, Greek yogurt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ice, and your preferred sweetener.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups brewed coffee, chilled
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• Honey or agave nectar, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 9 ice cubes

Instructions

1. Brew the coffee and allow it to chill completely.
2. Add the chilled coffee, banana, Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, flaxseed, sweetener, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ice to a blender.
3. Blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Taste before serving. Add a little more cinnamon, nutmeg, or sweetener if you like.
5. Pour into glasses and serve cold.

What Coffee Is Best for a Pumpkin Coffee Smoothie?

Use a coffee with enough body to stand up to the pumpkin, banana, yogurt, and spices.

A medium-dark or dark roast works especially well. Espresso coffee is another good choice because its deeper roast character remains noticeable after the other ingredients are added.

We like Weaver's Espresso Blend Coffee here. Brew it as regular coffee and chill it before adding it to the blender.

And don't pour hot coffee straight into your smoothie. Hot coffee melts the ice immediately and can leave you with a thinner drink. Brew ahead and refrigerate it, or use coffee left over from the morning.

Can You Make a Pumpkin Coffee Smoothie Without Yogurt?

Yes. If you don't want to use Greek yogurt, substitute a dairy-free yogurt or adjust the smoothie with your preferred milk alternative.

The texture will change depending on what you use, so start with less liquid and add more as needed.

You can also adjust the pumpkin and banana to your taste. That's one of the nice things about a smoothie—it doesn't need to be fussy.

Homemade Pumpkin Coffee Creamer

If you're in the mood for a regular cup of coffee rather than a smoothie, homemade pumpkin coffee creamer is another easy way to bring pumpkin and fall spice into your morning.

Using real pumpkin puree gives the creamer actual pumpkin flavor rather than relying entirely on flavored syrup.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, half-and-half, whole milk, or your preferred dairy-free milk
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks

Instructions

1. Add the cream or milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice to a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk until combined, then add the cinnamon sticks.
3. Bring the mixture just to a boil while whisking occasionally.
4. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.
5. Remove the cinnamon sticks and add the creamer to freshly brewed coffee.
6. Refrigerate leftover creamer in a covered container and shake well before using.

Start with 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. You can always add more if you want a stronger spice flavor.

For a dairy-free pumpkin coffee creamer, try oat, almond, coconut, cashew, or soy milk.

What's in Pumpkin Pie Spice?

Pumpkin pie spice usually combines warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

Despite the name, pumpkin spice doesn't actually contain pumpkin. It's the spice blend traditionally associated with pumpkin pie and other fall recipes.

If you want to experiment with the spices in your coffee, read our guide to Pumpkin Spice.

More Pumpkin Coffee Recipes

If a smoothie isn't what you're craving today, we've got plenty of other ways to put coffee and pumpkin together.

For the fall classic, make our Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe.

Or explore our Pumpkin Spice Coffee Drink Recipes for more ways to make pumpkin and coffee at home.

However you make it, start with good coffee. Pumpkin and spice should complement the coffee—not make it disappear.