Creamy pumpkin shake

A brief history of milkshakes

Whether it’s a strawberry, chocolate, or pumpkin milkshake recipe, shakes are popular as both drinks and desserts. Rich, thick and creamy, the beverage is an American classic that now graces menus all around the world. But its original incarnation looked quite different.

The first use of the word ‘milkshake’ in print was in the 1880s. It referred to an alcoholic drink made with whiskey and eggs, a little like eggnog, that you shook by hand. Nothing like this pumpkin milkshake recipe! Child-friendly versions appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, made using milk, malted milk powder, and flavoured syrups. And then, in 1922, a Walgreens employee in Chicago named Ivar “Pop” Coulson had a flash of genius.

He added two scoops of vanilla ice cream to the company’s chocolate malted milk recipe, creating the modern milkshake. It was a huge hit thanks to its unique, velvety consistency. And after the invention of the electric blender, making a pumpkin pie milkshake or similar shake recipe became even easier. This cemented the drink’s position as a staple menu item across the US, and then the rest of the world.

Served in tall, frosted glasses and topped with dollops of whipped cream, even the image of a milkshake is iconic. But today, we’re perhaps more interested in making healthier versions of the drink. Which is where this pumpkin milkshake recipe comes in. We’ve packed it with wholesome foods that benefit your wellbeing – including our pumpkin seed protein powder, which we’ll discuss below. At the same time, it still has that gorgeously smooth texture and rich flavour you want in a shake. Don’t believe us? Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients.\

Making milkshakes the healthy way

The base of this pumpkin milkshake recipe is, of course, pumpkin. A type of squash, pumpkin offers us a wealth of potential wellness benefits. For example, it’s bursting with vitamin A and beta-carotene. These nutrients help to support the immune system and enable us to fight infections more effectively. They protect our vision and the health of our eyes too, reducing the risk of conditions like cataracts.(1) The fact that pumpkin contains lutein and zeaxanthin further bolsters this, as these carotenoids also promote eye health. As a bonus, these nutrients are great for looking after your skin as well. And because pumpkin is nutritionally rich but low in calories, it can assist with weight management.

Another ingredient that helps to give this pumpkin milkshake recipe its silky texture is banana. This fruit is high in potassium, which is good news for heart health. Potassium can lower blood pressure, decreasing the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.(2) What’s more, the mineral may help to support muscle contraction during exercise and lessen the chances of cramping.(3) The inclusion of banana therefore makes this pumpkin milkshake recipe a particularly prudent choice before going to the gym.

And then there’s the oat milk. Using this in your pumpkin milkshake recipe could boost your intake of B vitamins if you choose a fortified version. That’s especially useful if you’re looking for vegan sources of vitamin B12. In addition, oat milk is rich in a type of fibre called beta glucan. This has numerous potential health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, supporting the immune system, and regulating blood sugar levels.

We trust this has convinced you that a pumpkin milkshake recipe can be wholesome! Now here’s how to create it.

How to make this pumpkin milkshake recipe

To begin, grab your blender – don’t worry, there’s no need to shake this pumpkin milkshake recipe by hand! Pop in half a cup of cooked pumpkin and half a cup of banana, then sprinkle the spices on top. We’ve recommended using an eighth of a teaspoon of both cinnamon and cloves. However, you can adjust these amounts to suit your tastes. We’ve got some more ideas on how to make this shake uniquely yours at the end of the post!

Next, add a teaspoon of coconut sugar. Again, feel free to use slightly more or less to alter the sweetness of the drink to your liking. If you don’t have coconut sugar to hand, brown sugar and agave nectar make excellent alternatives. After the sweetener, scoop two teaspoons of pumpkin seed protein powder into the mix. Now it’s time to add the liquid. Pour 400 ml of oat milk into your blender (or another plant-based milk, if you prefer). You can use a little less for a thicker pumpkin milkshake recipe, or a little more for a thinner consistency.

With all the ingredients added, you’re ready to blend them. Whizz the mixture until your pumpkin milkshake recipe has a silky-smooth texture and uniform golden colour. Then pour the drink into serving glasses, pop a straw in, and enjoy! Alternatively, you can put your shake in a reusable bottle and take it to the gym or out hiking. And if you’ve made a big batch, you could always store some in the fridge for later. Although, when it tastes this good, it might not last long!

Carefully curated seasonings

We’re huge fans of ingredients that serve more than one purpose. And the seasonings in this pumpkin milkshake recipe are a prime example of that. The first reason we’ve used cinnamon and cloves in this drink is to take the flavour to the next level. In fact, it almost makes it more of a pumpkin pie milkshake recipe. But that’s not all. These tasty, warming spices also add a sprinkling of extra wellness benefits to your glass.

Take cinnamon. Studies suggest this ingredient can lower blood sugar levels by improving our sensitivity to insulin and mimicking its effects.(4) What’s more, the spice may support heart health by reducing blood pressure and levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.(5) It also possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, helping to tackle chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Experts have linked both of these to several harmful conditions, making this a key benefit. Excitingly, cinnamon might even have beneficial effects on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.(6) However, further investigation is necessary to clarify this.

Moving on to cloves, research indicates that these have antimicrobial properties. That explains why you sometimes see them used as an ingredient in toothpaste. The spice is also high in manganese. This is a trace mineral that assists with many processes in the body, from building bones to clotting blood. And like cinnamon, cloves are rich in antioxidants too, protecting our cells from damage caused by free radicals. All of which means there are several good reasons for adding these spices to your pumpkin milkshake recipe!

How pumpkin seeds boost your health

One form of pumpkin simply isn’t enough – so we’ve included two in this pumpkin milkshake recipe! And because we make our pumpkin protein powder from the seeds, it has a different nutritional profile to cooked pumpkin. What does that mean for you? Extra health benefits! We've got a detailed article on how pumpkin seeds support wellbeing, but here’s a quick overview.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in several minerals – including magnesium, zinc, and iron – which play vital roles in keeping us healthy. For example, magnesium aids muscle and nerve function, while zinc supports the immune system. And iron is necessary for making haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body.

Pumpkin seeds are also bursting with protein, and contain all nine essential amino acids.(7) Protein is important for everything from bone health to muscle growth and repair. That makes this a key benefit of using the powder in your pumpkin milkshake recipe. As if that weren’t enough, these seeds are additionally high in heart-friendly unsaturated fats like alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

One especially interesting advantage of consuming pumpkin seeds is that they could have a positive influence on your sleep. This is thanks to the amino acid tryptophan, which research suggests can help to improve the quality of your slumber.(8) We find that to be an excellent excuse for making this pumpkin milkshake recipe for dessert!

Pumpkin seeds are also high in fibre, which nourishes the good bacteria in your gut. This aids wellbeing in a surprisingly wide variety of ways, from supporting immunity to promoting brain health. Finally, pumpkin seeds have some specific benefits for men’s wellness, such as enhancing prostate health and male fertility.(9)

Introducing our pumpkin seed protein powder

Quality is crucial when it comes to getting the maximum benefits from the seed powder in this pumpkin milkshake recipe. That’s why we source ours from organic farms in Styria, Austria – a region renowned for producing the best pumpkin seeds. People have been cultivating pumpkins here for generations, refining and perfecting their techniques over centuries.

After harvesting, they gently roast and then cold-press the seeds to extract their precious oils. Then the remaining seed cake is ground into a fine powder in small batches. This method preserves the protein and nutrient content of the seeds, as well as their natural flavour. All with minimal processing, no excessive heat, and no nasty chemicals.

What’s more, we don’t sneak in any unwanted additives like artificial colourings, flavourings, or emulsifiers. The powder you receive from us is 100% pure pumpkin seed. We ship it to you in environmentally friendly amber glass jars to keep it fresh without using preservatives. We’d love it if you could recycle them once they’re empty to help us minimise our impact on the planet.

Our pumpkin seed protein powder has a mildly nutty flavour with earthy undertones, making it a versatile ingredient. As well as this pumpkin milkshake recipe, you could mix a spoonful into other shakes or your favourite smoothies. It’s also a fantastic, mineral-rich addition to meals like soups, stews, pasta dishes, and risottos. You can use it in pesto and sauces, or even when baking treats like muffins and energy bars.

Adding the ingredient to your diet could be an effective way to support muscle growth and repair in a healthy way. So feel free to do some culinary experimentation with it!

Customising your pumpkin milkshake

There’s more than one way to whip up this pumpkin milkshake recipe, and we encourage you to customise yours! For instance, to make the drink extra refreshing on hot days, try popping some ice in the blender. Freezing the banana before making your shake is also a good tip. Alternatively, hark back to the original milkshake recipes by adding a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream to the mix!

Speaking of extra ingredients, you might like to consider a garnish or two for your pumpkin milkshake recipe. As an example, you could give the drink a little crunch by sprinkling some whole pumpkin seeds on top. Or go decadent with a swirl of whipped coconut cream! A pinch of cocoa powder can also bring a delicious hint of chocolate to your glass.

Then there’s the option of switching up the flavour profile. To make it more of a pumpkin pie shake recipe, you could add a small amount of ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. Another idea is to pop in a drop of vanilla extract, or use vanilla-flavoured plant-based milk. Fancy a pumpkin spiced latte milkshake? Simply pour a cold shot of espresso into your blender to give the drink a hit of caffeine. Using a touch less milk will ensure your shake retains its creamy consistency.

Whichever way you make it, this pumpkin milkshake recipe is sure to become a deliciously satisfying favourite in your repertoire!