Experience the taste of fall in a glass with protein and probiotic benefits! Say hello to our Banana Caramel Pumpkin Smoothie — a creamy, seasonal sweet and-spiced dream made with Lifeway that tastes like pure dessert while treating your body to a nutritious sip.
We blended velvety pumpkin and frozen banana with Lifeway Vanilla Kefir for a naturally sweet, crave-worthy sip packed with live and active probiotics to support your microbiome. But the real showstopper? A decadent, fluffy topping made with whipped Lifeway Farmer Cheese, delivering a creamy finish and a solid punch of protein to keep you fueled and satisfied. For an extra touch of something special, we swirled in a homemade, probiotic-rich date caramel sauce, making this smoothie proof that you never have to choose between satisfying your sweet tooth and hitting your protein goals.
Lifeway Kefir and Lifeway Farmer Cheese: High-Quality Protein and Live Probiotics
Lifeway Farmer Cheese and Lifeway Kefir are both high-quality sources of complete protein, calcium, and live and active cultures. The fermentation process helps assist in the digestion process, allowing your body to more easily absorb their protein without digestive upset. Lactose sensitive? No problem! Our products are very low in lactose and suitable for those with lactose intolerance. Learn more here. That means our kefir and farmer cheese are excellent ingredients to use in protein recipes like this recipe without the post-smoothie tummy ache. Who knew gut-healthy gains could be so delicious?!
Find Lifeway Kefir and Lifeway Farmer Cheese in a store near you here, and check out our other recipes here. Cheers to a healthy gut, one blend at a time!
The Benefits of Cultured Dairy for Better Health:
Research continues to show the importance of eating healthy foods, including cultured dairy such as kefir, for better gut health, a strong immune system, and to support the microbiome. Fermented foods like kefir hold important value in this line of research due to the link between the gut-brain axis and overall health.
Specifically, kefir has been shown to help diversify the microbiome, support the digestive system, reduce inflammation, support healthier blood sugar levels, and improve satiety since the bioavailable protein it contains triggers the release of GLP-1. Lifeway Kefir also contains a variety of nutrients that are vital for healthy bones and overall health, including vitamins D3, K, and B12 along with calcium and potassium. Along with our kefir, we also offer our creamy Lifeway Farmer Cheese, a high protein cheese made with live and active cultures to support a healthy microbiome that’s easy to spread and contains no added salt or sugar.
Prep Time: 25 mins Servings: 2Ingredients
Date Caramel Sauce:
- 1/3 cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tsp. pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup Lowfat Vanilla Kefir
Whipped Farmer Cheese:
- 1/3 cup Farmer Cheese
- 1/4 cup additional Lifeway Lowfat Vanilla Kefir
Smoothie Base:
- 1 cup Lowfat Vanilla Kefir
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup pure pumpkin purée (canned, unsweetened)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Directions
- Make the Date Caramel Sauce: Place the dates in a bowl and add enough boiling water to cover them. Soak for 15 minutes. Transfer the softened dates to a food processor or blender, then add the maple syrup and Lifeway Vanilla Kefir. Blend until smooth and set aside. The caramel sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Make the Whipped Farmer Cheese: In a food processor, combine Lifeway Farmer Cheese and Lifeway Vanilla Kefir. Process until smooth and creamy, then set aside.
- Make the Smoothie: Add Lifeway Vanilla Kefir, the frozen banana, the pumpkin purée, and cinnamon to a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Take 2 glasses, and drizzle half the date caramel sauce inside of the two glasses and/or around the rim. Pour the smoothie from step 3 into the glasses, and then slowly stir in the remaining date caramel sauce to create a swirl effect.
- Dollop the whipped farmer cheese on top of both glasses, then sprinkle additional cinnamon on top if desired, and enjoy!
