Our quick and easy Vegan Pumpkin Chili is packed with much nutrition and great flavor! With the option to simmer on the stovetop or toss in a slow cooker, this fall classic is perfect for those chilly nights!
The Best Vegan Pumpkin Chili Recipe
It is officially Fall and the perfect time of year to whip up this amazing Healthy Pumpkin Chili Recipe! We based this easy recipe off of my already popular Paleo Chili Recipe, but made it vegan and plant-based. Trust us when we say that you won’t even miss the meat in this delicious chili. Feel free to adjust the heat level to your personal preference and serve it up for an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will enjoy!
Looking for More Chili Recipes?
If you love making chili as much as we do, you definitely need to try our White Chicken Chili!
What You Will Need
- olive oil – drizzle a little bit in the soup pot to get everything cooking.
- fresh garlic – everything is always better with a little garlic in the mix.
- Anaheim pepper, yellow onion, & green pepper – just sauté these traditional chili ingredients to get the flavor party started.
- salt and pepper – simple seasonings that are always a must!
- canned whole tomatoes, tomato paste, & fire roasted tomatoes – love this blend of tomatoes for the base of this classic chili recipe.
- red kidney beans, black beans, & canned corn – simply toss in a can of each in the hot pot of chili.
- pumpkin puree – option to pick-up the store-bought version from your local grocery store or make your own homemade pumpkin pureé.
- unsweetened dairy-free creamer – feel free to use our favorite dairy-free creamer or sub with half & half.
- coconut sugar – just a little bit for a touch of sweetness.
- chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, smoked garlic powder, & dried oregano leaves – a wonderful spice blend to really amp the best flavor in this recipe card.
- butternut squash cubes – love this basic fall ingredient, but can also be swapped out for sweet potatoes.
How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Chili
The first steps to making this simple recipe are to bring a large pot to a medium high heat. Drizzle in the oil, add garlic, and then the onion, Anaheim pepper, and green pepper. Season with salt and pepper and move around until cooked down, about 2 minutes. Add whole tomatoes and use knife to cut them into quarters (or at least in half). Add the remaining ingredients, except the black beans and butternut squash. Let simmer 10-15 minutes. Finally, add the black beans and butternut squash.
Substitution
- We love the flavor of the butternut squash in this chili recipe, but feel free to swap it for cubed sweet potatoes if you prefer.
Let simmer long enough for the butternut squash to be firm, but tender, about 10 minutes or so.
Serve immediately or place in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week.
Storage
Any leftover chili can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It is also great for meal prep, so feel free to make ahead of time and enjoy throughout the week.
Best Way To Serve Vegan Pumpkin Chili
There are so many different toppings that are perfect on top of a cozy bowl of chili! We love to add a dollop of sour cream, dairy-free shredded cheese, sliced avocado, chopped parsley, or chopped green onions. And if you are looking for a side dish, we highly recommend our gluten-free cornbread or honey cornbread muffins!
Recipe FAQs
- Can I make vegan pumpkin chili in the slow cooker? Yes! Simply sauté onions, etc. in step 3 just as it is written, but then add them to the crock pot. Then add all the remaining ingredients, except the butternut squash and black beans. Let cook on low for approximately 4 hours. Add butternut squash and black beans about 30 minutes before you want to eat to allow them to cook slightly and the butternut squash can become firm, but tender.
- Is chili spicy? Nope! It really isn’t! But feel free to omit the Anaheim pepper or reduce the amount of chili powder if you are nervous!
Made this delicious recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Vegan Pumpkin Chili
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Serves 10–12 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our Vegan Pumpkin Chili recipe that is quick, easy, and packed with flavor! Perfect for a warm, cozy Fall dinner!
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (sub avocado oil)
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Anaheim pepper, chopped
- 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1 28oz can whole tomatoes with juices
- 1 6oz can tomato paste
- 1 14.5oz can fire roasted tomatoes, with juices
- 1 15oz can red kidney beans, drained
- 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15oz can corn, drained
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free creamer
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika will work)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked garlic powder (regular garlic powder will work)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 3–4 cups butternut squash, cubed (option to sub sweet potato)
- Toppings: dairy free sour cream, avocado, parsley
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, add oil and bring to medium-high heat.
- Add garlic and move around until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add onion, green pepper and Anaheim pepper. Season with salt and pepper and move around until cooked down, about 2 minutes.
- Add whole tomatoes and use knife to cut them into quarters (or at least in half).
- Add tomato paste, fire-roasted tomatoes, kidney beans, pumpkin puree, corn, creamer, coconut sugar, chili powder, salt, cumin, paprika and garlic powder, oregano leaves. Let simmer 10-15 minutes.
- Add black beans and butternut squash. Let simmer long enough for the butternut squash to be firm, but tender – about 10 minutes or so. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired.
- Serve with dairy free sour cream, avocado and fresh parsley.
Notes
- Spice Level: feel free to increase spice level by adding a jalapeño (remove seeds) at the same time as the onion and Anaheim pepper.
- Simmering: In Step 6 you can really let it simmer for quite a while, several hours if you want. The key is to add the butternut squash and black beans shortly before you eat so they don’t get mushy.
- Crock Pot: You can make this in the crock pot. Sauté onions, etc. in step 3 just as it is written, but then add them to the crock pot. Then add all the remaining ingredients, except the butternut squash and black beans. Let cook on low for approximately 4 hours. Add butternut squash and black beans about 20-30 minutes before you want to eat to allow them to cook slightly and the butternut squash can become firm, but tender.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 205
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 611.2 mg
- Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.9 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sydney Sherman says
This chili is so wonderful! But if you use sweet potato, definitely add that in early with all the canned ingredients because it took closer to 30 min to soften.
Erin says
Thank you so much, Sydney! Glad you liked it! And thank you for the note on the sweet potato!! 🙂
Lindsay Manzella says
I made this with some of the substitutions you suggested. I also added ground turkey. It was so good! I would have never thought to add a can of pumpkin puree to chili, but it worked so well. This made a lot, so I’ll be freezing some for lunches. Thanks!
Erin says
Thank you so much for the feedback, Lindsay! So glad you liked it!! Love the addition of ground turkey! :).