Freaky Frankenstein Smoothies

Halloween is just around the corner and the girls enjoyed their Jack-O-Lantern and Boo Nana Smoothies last year so I decided we would make Freaky Frankenstein Smoothies this year. These green pumpkin smoothies are a fun and healthy way to celebrate Halloween or fuel you for a long day of festivities. We like to have smoothie for breakfast and snack, we made this one for breakfast. If your kids want to do the faces themselves you can add the faces to the inside of the glass, they found it easier to use shorter wider glasses, and place glasses in the refrigerator until ready to make the smoothies. Otherwise these are a cute one to make for them or yourself. Yes you are never to old to have a fun!

Do you have any Halloween food traditions? Every year I try to make something cute for the girls and we often have a week or two of pumpkin themed foods from pumpkin shaped sandwiches, oranges make into jack-o-laterns and filled with fruit, strawberry ghosts, jack-o-lantern pumpkin pancakes, spider mini donuts, and whatever else I, or they, think of.

Whole Food, kids version shown in two cups:
Makes 2 servings (actual servings larger then those shown in the small cups)
3/4c pumpkin puree*
2 handfuls of spinach
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2-1 tsp pure vanilla
2 pitted dates or 1 TBSP pure maple syrup
1 1/2c coconut milk, or non dairy milk of choice (used So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk)
2c ice

Protein Version:
Makes 1 serving
1/3c pumpkin puree*
Big handful of spinach
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Vega Protein Smoothie Vanilla or Vega One Vanilla for this one)
2 pitted dates or 1 TBSP pure maple syrup
1c coconut milk, or non dairy milk of choice (used So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk)
ice

Topping:
2 TBSP chopped chocolate or cacao nibs per glass (used chopped dark chocolate on the smaller cups and a mix of chopped Vega Maca Chocolate Bar and Navitas Naturals Cacao Nibs mixed together on the larger protein shake)

Faces:
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 TBSP raw agave, honey, or maple syrup
2 TBSP cacao/cocoa powder

*If you aren’t a fan of pumpkin, or making it for kids who don’t care for it you can make it using fresh or frozen bananas. Just omit the ice if using frozen bananas. The smoothies will be a much brighter green color if made with bananas.

In a bowl mix together coconut oil, agave, and cacao powder until smooth to make the faces. Place chocolate mixture in a plastic ziploc bag and clip a small hole in the corner. Pipe face on the inside of the glass and set glass in the refrigerator. Chop chocolate for the top of the smoothie and set aside.
In a Vitamix, or high-speed blender, blend together pumpkin, spinach, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, dates or maple syrup, milk, and vanilla for whole food or protein powder for the protein version. Add ice and blend until desired consistency. Remove glass/glasses from the refrigerator and pour in smoothie. Sprinkle top with chocolate and or cacao nibs. Enjoy!

As a Vega Recipe Ambassador I receive some Vega products, which I used as an option in this recipe. I use Vega not because it is given to me , I do purchase many on my own as well, but because it has been my plant-based protein of choice since before I started blogging and some recipes are made with Vega products I purchase. I only write about foods I love, my blog is an extension of my hobby to make fun healthy food creations for me and my family. I do not make any money off any Vega sales or posts.