Paleo Pumpkin Pie Smoothie is a spicy twist on a pumpkin/coconut milk combo K-Hubs enjoys on the regular. And when I say “on the regular” what I really mean is he eats pumpkin basically every day. He and Twinkle eat it straight, while Toodle and I stand nearby throwing side-eye their way. WHO EATS PUMPKIN PLAIN? Spiriteds, I tried it. I really did. Twinkle is all over it, so I thought I’d walk in her shoes and eat some of the mushy orange vegetable myself. I even took several bites. Ya’ll, I’m convinced I can figure out y = mx + b before I will ever fully grasp the idea to eat pumpkin straight out of the can.

If I am to eat this vegetable, I will need cinnamon and allspice and nutmeg and honey or agave nectar or whatever else I can get my tastebuds on before I ever give in and eat this stuff straight. I cannot abide, and so I don’t. I’d wear drop-crotch pants (these are a real thing, why are they a real thing?) before ever scoopin’ from the pumpkin can. I would do another girls’ weekend to the Mega Mall with Mom and The Gram where, at one point, I slept in the hotel bathtub, true story, before I would ever sneak a snippet of pumpkin from the can. That can is where hopes and dreams go to die. K-Hubs thinks I’m dramatic. I say straight-up pumpkin and I will never split a BFF necklace between the two of us.

Thus, today’s Paleo Pumpkin Pie Smoothie is full of robust flavor, lots of delicious spices, and just the right amount of maple syrup to turn this orange vegetable into a fall wonderland. I even, GASP, added a banana to this deal, and I never add bananas to smoothies that aren’t citrusy. But I added it here, freaked out, worried it would ruin everything, took a few bites, and then realized K-Hubs was right. The banana was a totally appropriate addition to this spicy recipe.

K-Hubs took it a step further and agreed Paleo Pumpkin Pie Smoothie IS better than canned pumpkin by itself. You heard it here first, folks. Really, though, this smoothie is for just about anyone. Unless you have a pumpkin allergy, which we do in our family. But, for everyone else, this is a go-to recipe. If you love pumpkin, then you’ll love this. And if like me, you’re a little dubious about the whole thing, then give this spicy smoothie a try. The balance of flavors is mind-bogglingly good. It’s like, if you could bottle up fall then this is what you’d get.

And it’s easy to make. So if you are crunched for time or have no desire to make a pumpkin pie, Paleo Pumpkin Pie Smoothie is apropos. It’s a flexible recipe, too, meaning use whatever dairy alternative you like in place of milk and yogurt (the usual suspects in a pumpkin pie smoothie). I tested it with full-fat coconut milk and almond milk. Both were delicious. There were, however, two noticeable differences. As one would expect, the flavor and consistency varied with each. One wasn’t better than the other, however, they were just different. Pick the dairy-alternative you like best and go with it.

I’ll be over here sipping on my smoothie while K-Hubs alternates between his smoothie and, no doubt, a little pumpkin straight from the can. Now, about that whole y = mx + b thing…