Fall is here. The clocks are turned back, the daylight is fading sooner and the trees are as bare as Southern California allows. Scarves, boots and jackets are ever-present around campus as the weather slowly, but surely, decides to cool down. Now it’s time to embrace seasonal fruits and vegetables.

While products of the fall harvest often require timely preparations like roasting or stewing, leaving one yearning for produce of the summer past, there is another way — smoothies.

No, this is not an extremely late April Fool’s joke. Put down those frozen berries and pick up some pumpkin, pear or — dare I suggest — carrots instead. Whether you seek an antidote to an unusually warm November day or a chilly start to a crisp fall morning, look no further than your blender.

Pumpkin-chai pie smoothie   

Involving pumpkin on this list is pretty much obligatory, given the season. While pumpkin and fall have been reduced to a cliché, this smoothie redeems the concept with bold chai spice and a creamy texture. Best served cold, this may beat the pumpkin spice latte out of your morning radar as the chai tea provides a much needed caffeine kick.

Makes two servings:
Heaping 1/ 2 cup of pumpkin puree
2 pitted dates
1 frozen banana, sliced
1/8 teaspoon fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup milk, or a non-dairy milk like almond or coconut
3/4 cup chai tea latte concentrate; brands like Tazo or Oregon Chai are my favorite and both have decaffeinated and/or caffeine-free versions as well

Add all the ingredients to a blender, starting with the milk. Blend for about two minutes, or until smooth. Though this smoothie tastes great right out of a blender, it gets thicker when chilled for a little bit. Try putting it in the freezer for 10 minutes or the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes before enjoying.

Ginger pear smoothie

Pears are one of the best things that fall provides. Pair it up with ginger and throw it into a blender in the morning for a filling and delicious breakfast — or any meal for that matter. Just be sure that the pear is ripe by letting it sit in a paper bag with an apple after bringing them home. Most pears aren’t even close to ready to eat when they are sitting on grocery store shelves, and nothing ruins a smoothie quicker than an unripe, subpar pear.

Makes two servings:
1 ripe pear, Bartlett or Anjou work well
1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon of powdered ginger
2 pitted dates
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 6-ounce container of Greek yogurt; for a sweeter smoothie, use honey flavored
1 cup milk, or a non-dairy milk like almond or coconut

Add the milk and yogurt to the blender first, then add the rest of the ingredients on top. Blend for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth. Blend with ice for a thicker smoothie.

Carrot cake smoothie

To the surprise of my parents, carrot cake was one of my favorite desserts as a child and still is to this day. If possible, a large slice would accompany most of my meals. Since eating carrot cake every day doesn’t exactly scream healthy or responsible adult, this smoothie sweetened with apple and dates and spiced up with cinnamon provides a satisfying alternative.

Makes two servings:
3 large carrots, or 3 handfuls of baby carrots
1 apple
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pitted dates
1 cup milk, or a non-dairy milk like almond or coconut

Cut the apple into quarters, discarding the core. Cut the quarters in half again. If using large carrots, chop into smaller pieces to make the blender’s job easier.

Pour the milk into the blender, then add the carrots, apple, cinnamon and dates. Blend for 2-3 minutes, or until completely smooth. Blend with ice if a thicker smoothie is preferred.