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 again.

This chai-spiced butternut squash smoothie is pretty much liquid gold. It has warming flavors from cozy chai spices, paired with creamy yogurt, nut butter, and natural sweetness from roasted butternut squash and banana. It reminds me of a smoothie version of my chai ginger 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 butternut squash smoothie and making it absolutely delicious every time.

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What does a butternut 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 spices seriously makes this smoothie taste like pie. The chai spices 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, potassium, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C thanks to the butternut squash. Oh, and can we talk about that golden color? GORGEOUS.

Everything you’ll need to make this butternut squash smoothie

This incredible butternut squash smoothie is all about flavor. Those chai spices are SO delicious! It’s naturally sweetened, has an amazing boost of protein, fiber & healthy fats, 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 butternut squash! 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 butter: a little almond, cashew or pecan butter adds healthy fats and extra creaminess. Use the code ‘AMBITIOUS15‘ to get 15% off of my fav nut butter brand, Wild Friends! I would not recommend using peanut butter because the flavor will overpower all of the rest of the ingredients.
• Flavor: you’ll get that amazing chai flavor from cinnamon, cardamom, ground ginger, allspice, and a little vanilla extract! Learn how to make your own vanilla extract from scratch with this tutorial.

Easy ways to customize this butternut squash smoothie

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

• Swap your produce. If you don’t have any butternut squash, you could use cubed, roasted pumpkin or sweet potato instead!
• Add a boost of nutrients. Feel free to add a tablespoon of flaxseed meal, chia seeds or hemp seeds for an extra boost of healthy fats 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 butternut squash

Before you dive into this smoothie recipe, you’ll want to peel, cut, cook and freeze your butternut squash:

1. First, get all of our tips & tricks for peeling and cutting your butternut 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 again for 15 more minutes until fork tender. Get our tips for roasting butternut squash here! Be sure to omit the spices for this smoothie recipe.
3. Lastly, add your cubed butternut 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 butternut squash cubes.

Tips for making the best smoothies

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

1. Use frozen produce. 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. Start slow. Start the blender on low speed, then gradually increase to high to help blend all ingredients. Finally, end with the blender on low speed.
4. Choose your sweetness level. If a smoothie doesn’t taste sweet enough for your liking, you can add a 1/2 tablespoon of honey, 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 butternut squash banana smoothie ahead of time! Feel free to double or triple it and enjoy it all week long.

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If you make this chai-spiced butternut squash smoothie be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it! Enjoy, xo.

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

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