My mother told me that my addiction to pumpkin started very early. Apparently, there’s photographic evidence of a much younger, blonder and less-clothed me eating pumpkin pie at various family gatherings, on a bale of hay, and even at my own birthday (my birthday treat of choice has since been replaced with a dairy-free Coconut Bliss ice cream log–a girl’s gotta live).

Over the years, pumpkin slowly disappeared from my life, replaced by summer and winter squashes, yams and sweet potatoes. I sadly forgot about the spicy, seasonal goodness of dishes made with the majestic pumpkin.

Then, last fall, someone mysteriously left a Pumpkin Spice Latte on my desk and my love affair with pumpkin was reignited. Wanting to find an option that fit into my try-to-be-healthier lifestyle, I set out on a quest to build a pumpkin smoothie like no other.

And here’s the big winner:

Ingredients:

• ½ cup pumpkin purée
• ½ frozen banana
• 1/8 tsp cardamom
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• 1 cup of almond, soy, lite coconut or skim milk
• 1-2 dates
• ½ cup ice

Method: Blend it all up and garnish with a cinnamon stick if you’re feeling fancy.