I recently had a reader request for specific lactation smoothie recipes – including one that’s fast becoming my new favorite: a pumpkin spice lactation smoothie. 

Now if you’ve found this recipe, you’re probably not new to the world of pumpkin spice that most delicious of fall flavors. If you’re missing your pumpkin latte (because, breastfeeding) or you just want to try something new, you should definitely try this pumpkin spice smoothie!

It just so happens that I had a dinner prep fail before I made this smoothie and parboiled my roast pumpkin into puree… so I’m halfway there with this smoothie already! 

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Where to Buy Pumpkin Spice

Ok, so I might not have mentioned but us Aussies don’t just have pumpkin spice at the store. You can probably find it locally, but here are some online options:

• McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Pumpkin Pie Spice Seasoning

Or, if you’d rather make it yourself (it has a GREAT flavor), here’s the Pumpkin Spice recipe that I’m using.

What’s in my favorite pumpkin spice lactation smoothie:

Pumpkin – high in Vitamin A, pumpkin is a densely nutrient packed vegetable! It also contains antioxidants and is just plain delicious with pumpkin spice.

Flax Meal – full of essential fatty acids and phytoestrogens, it’s thought that flax seeds can help increase your milk supply. You won’t taste them in a smoothie, but they’ll help make it thick and creamy.

Greek Yoghurt –  my favorite kind of yoghurt! Greek yoghurt is high in protein and lower in lactose. It even contains a good whack of calcium… oh and it tastes delicious and makes your smoothie creamy!

Brewer’s Yeast (Debittered) – optional! A well known galactagogue (foods that increase milk supply) you can add Brewer’s Yeast into this smoothie once your baby has arrived. The best kind to get is this one, which has been ‘debittered’ as it has a bit of an aftertaste.

Rolled Oats – another famous food to increase your milk supply. In a smoothie, oats add creaminess and help to keep you full. 

These ingredients (plus a few more) when mixed together make a decadent and delicious fall-in-a-glass smoothie that you’ll be happy to enjoy any time of the year.

Yield: 1

Pumpkin Spice Lactation Smoothie - The Ultimate Fall Smoothie

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A delicious Pumpkin Spice lactation smoothie full of fall flavor.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh and cooled)
• 1 cup milk (or your favorite non-dairy alternative)
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
• 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (or extract)
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 frozen banana (sliced)
• extra ice
• 1 tablespoon Brewer's Yeast (Optional)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients except frozen banana and ice into your blender and chill overnight, or at least 3 hours for the flavors to merge and the flax seeds and oatmeal to soak up the liquids.
2. Add frozen banana slices and blend on high until smooth (about 1 minute)
3. Serve.

Notes

If you forget to leave overnight, you can just blend it fresh. You may just need to blend it up for a little extra time as the overnight wait allows everything to absorb and become creamy.

You can make this dairy-free by substituting your favorite non-dairy milk and yoghurt (or skip the yoghurt entirely) and use coconut cream to serve. To make gluten free, make sure your oats are gluten free.

Allergic to bananas? Leave it out, it'll still taste delicious but might be slightly less creamy. If you have some cashews you can throw them in as they are pretty creamy. Consider adding a couple of extra icecubes to keep it cool (blending tends to heat things up a little).

Add a teaspoon of coffee to the mix for a latte flavor (if your baby isn't sensitive to it.)

Optional Add-Ins for Your Pumpkin Spice Lactation Smoothie

• Chia Seeds – chia seeds are great in a smoothie, adding thickness, calcium and Omega 3s.
• Protein Powder – keeping up your protein intake is very important in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Aim for unsweetened protein powder with as minimal processing and added ingredients as possible. Try the Vega brand for a vegan variety – this is especially good if you or your little one has a dairy intolerance (because dairy proteins in your diet can transfer through breastmilk). Check it out on Amazon.
• Nut Butters (or whole nuts) – if you’re out of nut milk, never fear. Just substitute the liquid amount with water and throw in a handful of whole nuts (or a tablespoon of nut butter). You’ll get nearly the same effect, along with some added nutrients and fibre. 

When To Start Drinking Lactation Smoothies

You know there’s no rule you can’t drink lactation smoothies until your baby arrives.

Personally, I’ve started already!

Ok, there are a few ingredients I prefer to skip (because I’m still pregnant, not breastfeeding yet), like Brewer’s Yeast. But, most lactation smoothies are simply very healthy and packed to the brim with nutritious ingredients.

You might even find that in the face of first trimester nausea , drinking a healthy smoothie is something you can manage and keep down. And when baby starts getting bigger in the third trimester (move over stomach!) you might find it easier to drink vitamin-packed smoothies than to eat a full meal. 

Start now!

Do Lactation Smoothies Work?

There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence from new moms that lactation smoothies work to increase their milk supply – however, there’s a lack of scientific studies that would prove that these things work.

There are also some moms who lactation smoothies won’t work for – if you’ve got a medical reason for low supply no amount of smoothies, cookies or teas will change that. If you think you’re in this category, please seek medical attention to make sure your baby is getting enough milk. 

There are still lots of benefits to drinking lactation smoothies (beyond increasing milk supply):

• it’s an easy way to get your nutrients in at one of the most busiest times of your life!
• you can whip up a big smoothie in advance and keep it in the fridge to drink all day long.
• you can prepare smoothie freezer bags so it’s super easy and you don’t have to worry if anyone did the groceries yesterday.
• you can put just about anything in them – got leftover ricotta or cottage cheese? In it goes! Leftover cucumber? Try your smoothie green. Got a little bit of cream left? Get fancy and put it on top!