When my kids get home from school, they burst through the door.
Every day I remind them to put their bags, shoes, & lunch coolers away.
They show me homework, assignments & I try & gleen one or two tidbits about what happened that day (we save the juicy stuff for dinnertime).
Then they want a snack. Always.
Most days it’s simple: cut up fruit & nuts, apples or rice cakes with pb, or popcorn. Of course there are endless ways to make adorable kid food, but let’s be realistic. Most days, it’s simple, because we’ve got homework, dance, soccer, & dinner’s right around the corner anyway. My philosophy is I spend too much time on dinner for them not to be hungry, so I make sure their snack just tides them over until 6 or 6:30 when we sit together as a family.
Yesterday, for their snack, I made a new version of an old fave–the pumpkin smoothie–this time with full fat coconut milk (the canned kind).
I posted a recipe a few years ago which is a lightened up version. But for my kids, & to be honest, myself, I wanted a full-fat, full flavor version. So here tis:
a pumpkin pie in a glass. vegan + gluten-free
Ingredients
- 1, 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 3/4 c. full-fat organic coconut milk (about 1/2 can)
- 4-5 c. large ice cubes
- 1/4 c. + 2 TBS. agave | or pure maple syrup
- 3/4 tsp. maple flavoring (if using agave)
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1 tsp. pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- First. If you're not using a powerful blender, reduce the ice to 4 cups. I love my "milkshakes" thick--so lots of ice. My blendtec has no problem pulverizing the ice, but a conventional blender might, so reduce the ice (& of course, you don't want any chunks of ice!). Also, I recommend full-fat coconut milk for this. The reason is, you're using so much ice & pumpkin is naturally lowfat, you need some fat to help balance out the ice & pumpkin so it doesn't taste too icy. You could use another non-dairy milk, but I feel like the rich, full-bodied texture of the coconut milk makes this shake, a milkshake. Milkshake making is an art--in order to achieve a smooth & creamy flavor, you must have the right ratio of liquids to ice, as well as sweetener & flavorings--I wouldn't skimp on the sweetener, milk, or spices!
- Place pumpkin in blender.
- Add coconut milk, ice, agave, & remaining ingredients.
- Blend on high for (one cycle on ice cream in my blendtec did the trick) until smooth & thick.
- For a true milkshake experience, drink with a straw. Yum.
Additional Nutrition Info: 10 g carbs, 2.5 g protein, 4.5 g fiber, 28 g sugar, 15 mg sodium, 3 weight watcher plus points per serving.
This recipe submitted as part of Ricki Heller’s Wellness Weekend. Check it out for more great healthy recipe ideas!
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Are you into afternoon snacks? If so, what’s your main go-to? If you have kids, what do you typically give them as an afternoon snack?
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