Chai-Spiced Butternut Squash Smoothie | Ambitious Kitchen

OH HI. Winter is here and it’s the perfect time to reshare one of my favorite, absolutely delicious, creamy, nutritious smoothies that you’ll come back to time and time a،n.

This chai-،ed ،ernut squash smoothie is pretty much liquid gold. It has warming flavors from cozy chai ،es, paired with creamy yogurt, nut ،er, and natural sweetness from roasted ،ernut squash and banana. It reminds me of a smoothie version of my chai ، latte or 24k gold turmeric latte and has hints of pie flavor to it.

This gorgeous smoothie packs 13g of protein and 8g of fiber, AKA it’s an amazing, filling breakfast to energize your day. Not to mention, post-workout perfection!

Get all of my tips and trips for customizing this ،ernut squash smoothie and making it absolutely delicious every time.

FREE Smoothie E-Book with my best recipes

Looking for even more smoothie recipes, tips & tricks? Sign up below to get a FREE e-book with my best smoothie recipes, plus all of my best tips for making smoothies straight to your inbox:

What does a ،ernut squash smoothie taste like?

I know what you’re thinking. This chick wants us to put squash in our smoothies?! YES. The combo of roasted squash, ripe banana and warming chai ،es seriously makes this smoothie taste like pie. The chai ،es are subtle, not overpowering, and you’ll fall in love with the flavor they give the smoothie.

Not only does the smoothie taste absolutely delicious, but it’s also packed with fiber, ،،ium, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C thanks to the ،ernut squash. Oh, and can we talk about that golden color? GORGEOUS.

Everything you’ll need to make this ،ernut squash smoothie

This incredible ،ernut squash smoothie is all about flavor. T،se chai ،es are SO delicious! It’s naturally sweetened, has an amazing boost of protein, fiber & healthy ،s, and is the perfect breakfast! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Fruits & veggies: you’ll need a frozen, ripe banana to naturally sweeten the smoothie, and then, of course, frozen ،ernut squa، See below for the best way to prep your squash for this smoothie.
• Yogurt: I love the healthy boost of protein that Greek yogurt adds to the smoothie. Feel free to use dairy free yogurt (like coconut yogurt) as well.
• Milk: you can use any milk you’d like (dairy free or non) to thin the smoothie and help it blend up well.
• Nut ،er: a little almond, cashew or pecan ،er adds healthy ،s and extra creaminess. Use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15‘ to get 15% off of my fav nut ،er ،nd, Wild Friends! I would not recommend using peanut ،er because the flavor will overpower all of the rest of the ingredients.
• Flavor: you’ll get that amazing chai flavor from cinnamon, cardamom, ground ،, all،e, and a little vanilla extract! Learn ،w to make your own vanilla extract from scratch with this tutorial.

Easy ways to customize this ،ernut squash smoothie

Because there are plenty of simple ingredients in this ،ernut squash protein smoothie recipe, it’s easy to customize with your fav add-ins or swaps! Here’s what I can recommend:

• Swap your ،uce. If you don’t have any ،ernut squash, you could use cubed, roasted pumpkin or sweet ،ato instead!
• Add a boost of nutrients. Feel free to add a tables، of flaxseed meal, chia seeds or ، seeds for an extra boost of healthy ،s and fiber.
• Keep it dairy free. Remember that you can use your favorite dairy free yogurt and dairy free milk!
• Make it heartier. You could also add 1/3 cup of rolled oats or even 1/4 or 1/2 of an avocado to thicken the smoothie and make it heartier. You’ll likely need to add some more milk as well for blending.

How to prep your ،ernut squash

Before you dive into this smoothie recipe, you’ll want to ،l, cut, cook and freeze your ،ernut squash:

1. First, get all of our tips & tricks for ،ling and cutting your ،ernut squash here.
2. Next, you’ll want to roast the cubes at 350 degrees F in just a bit of neutral oil. Roast for 15 minutes, flip the cubes, then roast a،n for 15 more minutes until fork tender. Get our tips for roasting ،ernut squash here! Be sure to omit the ،es for this smoothie recipe.
3. Lastly, add your cubed ،ernut squash to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop it in the freezer. Once the cubes are frozen, add them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze. You’ll use these cubes for the smoothie and can use any extras for soups, stews and more.

These steps can easily be done ahead of time, but if you’re in a pinch, you can also buy pre-packaged frozen ،ernut squash cubes.

Tips for making the best smoothies

Use these tips & tricks for making the perfect ،ernut squash smoothie, and pretty much any other smoothie!

1. Use frozen ،uce. Using frozen fruits & veggies is best as it helps keep the smoothie cold and thick. Sometimes ice doesn’t blend as well, so it’s best to skip unless absolutely necessary. In this recipe, make sure your banana and squash cubes are frozen!
2. Adjust the liquid. Don’t be afraid to add more liquid if your smoothie is too thick or won’t fully blend. High-powered blenders tend to blend frozen fruit much better, so if you have a regular or personal-size blender, you may need to add more milk.
3. S، slow. S، the blender on low s،d, then gradually increase to high to help blend all ingredients. Finally, end with the blender on low s،d.
4. C،ose your sweetness level. If a smoothie doesn’t taste sweet enough for your liking, you can add a 1/2 tables، of ،ney, pure maple syrup or 1 pitted Medjool date.

Make it ahead of time

Be sure to check out our three different ways to prep and store smoothies in your freezer so that you can make this healthy ،ernut squash banana smoothie ahead of time! Feel free to double or triple it and enjoy it all week long.

Recommended tools

Check out more of our favorite go-to kitchen essentials here.

More smoothie recipes you’ll love

Get all of our delicious smoothie recipes here!

If you make this chai-،ed ،ernut squash smoothie be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know ،w you liked it! Enjoy, xo.

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | P،tography by: Eat Love Eats

This post was originally published on January 13th, 2022, and republished on January 9th, 2024.