10 cozy vegan recipes for October. Whole-food, plant-based, oil-free meals perfect for fall. Warm, easy, and delicious seasonal favorites!
Fall into flavor with 10 cozy, WFPB vegan recipes to keep you warm (and smiling) all through October.
Hi, friends! It's me, your (slightly overenthusiastic) kitchen partner, ready to walk you through my top 10 vegan recipes for October.
As the air cools and soups, stews, and squash become essential, this list blends a few of my own Shane & Simple crowd-pleasers with some new finds from around the web. All are rooted (pun intended) in whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) goodness, no oil-heavy shortcuts, and maximum cozy vibes.
I'm writing this curled up with a mug of something warm, dreaming of dinner plans, and I hope these recipes will bring a little autumn comfort (and maybe laughter when you realize you forgot to soak your beans) into your kitchen, too.
🍂 My (Shane & Simple) Favorites You'll Love
Here are a few of my own tried-and-true Shane & Simple favorites that bring all the cozy, fall flavors without the fuss (or the oil).
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal
This creamy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal is a quick and healthy fall breakfast made with rolled oats, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and warm pumpkin pie spice. Dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and ready in just 10 minutes, it's the perfect cozy breakfast for chilly mornings.
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Soup (Easy + Healthy)
This creamy vegan pumpkin soup with warm spices and coconut milk is the perfect comforting meal for cooler months. Ready in under 30 minutes using simple ingredients!
Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas (Vegan, Oil-Free)
This hearty butternut squash black bean enchilada recipe is so easy to make, vegan, and oil-free. The perfect plant-based comfort food for fall.
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars (Gluten-Free)
These creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pie Bars are a foolproof fall dessert with a silky pumpkin pie filling and easy gluten-free crust. Perfect for Thanksgiving or cozy weeknights.
Lemony Hummus Pasta (Vegan, Oil-free)
Creamy, lemony, and oil-free! This vegan hummus pasta is a quick, easy meal perfect for busy weeknights and plant-based comfort food cravings.
Chunky Chocolate Tahini Granola
This Chunky Chocolate Tahini Granola is made with simple, wholesome ingredients that create the perfect balance of crunch, sweetness, and rich chocolate flavor.
🌰 Five More Seasonal WFPB Gems from Around the Web
To round it out, here are five more vegan, whole-food recipes perfect for October, straight from the wider plant-based corner of the internet.
Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and “Cheese”
Butternut squash and nutritional yeast combine to give this vegan macaroni and cheese its cheesy taste!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Apples
This dish showcases the flavors of autumn with Brussels sprouts, apples, maple syrup, and thyme!
Lentil Pumpkin Curry
This curry is full of flavor!
Vegan Wild Rice Stuffed Squash
This vegan wild rice stuffed squash is healthy yet comforting, making it an excellent option for a hearty winter dinner!
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
These muffins make a great-tasting, low-fat fall snack!
🍁 Tips for Success & Kitchen Laughs Along the Way
- Roast with roasting: If a recipe calls for roasted squash or vegetables, roast them rather than steaming; it concentrates the flavor and gives that caramelization magic we all crave in October.
- Batch cook grains/beans: Cook extra quinoa, rice, or lentils at the start of the week, so many of these meals take just a few minutes to assemble.
- Play with spices: Nutmeg, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cumin: these are your October BFFs. A pinch can make or break the autumn feel.
- Don't fear texture: Some of the recipes (especially granola or roasted dishes) are more about bite. That's good. You want resistance, not mush.
- Laugh at mistakes: "Forgot to soak beans? Oh well, instant bean brinkmanship." If your soup is too thin, blend in some soaked cashews or white beans. If something's salty, add acid (such as lemon or vinegar). Adaptation is part of the art.
📅 How to Use This List
- Weekly rotation: Pick one breakfast, one lunch/dinner, and one snack/dessert recipe per week.
- Themed weekends: Do a "pumpkin weekend" with the Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal, Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Pie Bars, and Pumpkin Muffins.
- Batch & freeze: Many of these (soups, enchiladas, muffins) freeze beautifully; double the recipe and freeze half.
- Mix and match: The Lemon Hummus Pasta and Stuffed Squash both come with room for creativity. Toss the leftover beans or greens in if you have them.
Final thoughts
October is an awesome month: pumpkins, crisp air, and the shift toward cozy dinners. I hope this list helps you fill your October days with nourishing, warm, playful, and absolutely delicious meals.
If you try any, I'd love to hear which became your favorite (or which one made you forget dinner was supposed to take 30 minutes).
Happy cooking (and maybe a little spiced-scented dancing in the kitchen),
~Shane
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Hearty Vegan Pumpkin Chili (Oil-Free)
Delicious Vegan Pumpkin Chili packed with fiber, protein, and cozy Fall spices. Requiring just 30 minutes and one pot, it’s so easy to make this hearty, healthy, and comforting meal perfect for those cool crisp evenings. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and oil-free!
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 30 mins.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (white, yellow, etc.), chopped
- 2 Tbps tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 2 ½ cups low sodium veggie stock
- 1 sweet potato, diced
- (3) 15–ounce cans no salt added or low sodium fire-roasted tomatoes
- (2) 15-ounce cans low-sodium or no salt added black beans – drained and rinsed
- (1) 15-ounce can low-sodium or no salt added red kidney beans – drained and rinsed
- (1) 15–ounce can of pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ¼ cup maple syrup (optional)
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. While the pot heats up, chop and separate all your veggies so you can just dump them in when you're ready.
- Cook the onions until they are soft and start to slightly brown then stir in the tomato paste. Add chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, cumin, and completely cover the onions. Let the spices and onions toast for about 20-30 seconds. Then, pour in ½ cup of the veggie broth and let cook until most of the veggie broth evaporates.
- Add the remaining veggie broth, sweet potatoes, reduce heat to medium, and let the sweet potatoes simmer for 10 minutes.
- Now add the tomatoes, beans, canned pumpkin, maple syrup, and cocoa powder. Mix everything together and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat, add the chopped bell peppers, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve hot with your favorite toppings.
Notes
Store it in individual freezer bags and freeze them flat so it takes up less space. When I'm ready to enjoy a comforting bowl of chili I let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat on the stove.
Leftovers can be kept for up to 7 days in the fridge in a covered airtight container. When you're ready to serve simply reheat on the stove in a medium to a large saucepan.
This vegan pumpkin chili can easily be doubled or tripled. So, it's great for bringing to potlucks or large gatherings.
It does have a "Fall essence" when it comes to the flavor, but the pumpkin's primary role is to make the chili thicker so there's not much pumpkin flavor.
Instant Pot: add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, lock the lid, and set the timer for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then do a quick release to relieve the remaining pressure.
Crock Pot (affiliate link) Instructions: Place all of the ingredients into your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 9.8 g
- Sodium: 96.4 mg
- Fat: 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.1 g
- Fiber: 10.7 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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