Delicious Vegan Pumpkin Chili packed with fiber, protein, and cozy Fall spices. It’s so easy to make and you only need 30 minutes. A hearty, healthy, and comforting meal perfect for those cool crisp evenings.
Pumpkin in my coffee? Nah, I’m good. Pumpkin in my chili? All-day, every day! Yes, it’s that time of year when pumpkin is haphazardly thrown into everything. And, as much as I love pumpkin-spiced things, I refuse to mess up a perfectly good cup of coffee. However, when it comes to a pot of chili that’s a completely different story.
I’m a Creative by nature and cooking has always been a great outlet of experimentation for me. I decided to take my Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili recipe, change a few things, and just “see what happens.” The end result? This delicious Fall-inspired vegan pumpkin chili. So, stop wasting Fall on some overpriced, chemically-spiced cup of java. Don’t sip your pumpkin, eat it – in a big bowl of chili!
Ingredients For Vegan Pumpkin Chili
In this recipe, we’ll toss together onion, chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, 2 types of beans, canned pumpkin, fire-roasted tomatoes, crunchy bell peppers, cocoa powder, and a bit of maple syrup to create this amazing, cozy, and hearty vegan pumpkin chili.
- Onion: I put onion in everything.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice, Chili Powder, & Cumin: Most recipes use cinnamon but I decided to use pumpkin pie spice. Go big or go home, right? The combination of spices works so well together. Feel free to adjust the amounts to your liking.
- Vegetable Stock: I opt for low-sodium veggie stock.
- Diced Tomatoes: I used no salt added Muir Glen Fire Roasted Tomatoes. I love the flavor. And, again, no salt.
- Sweet Potato: A great source of fiber and other nutrients. It also adds a natural sweetness, a nice chunky texture, and it’s a great Fall vegetable.
- Black Beans & Red Kidney Beans: Great sources of protein and fiber.
- Maple Syrup: The sweetness works very well with the savory. It’s not a sweet chili, but the syrup is more of a flavor-enhancer than anything.
- Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder adds a layer of flavor to the beans, tomatoes, and chili powder. It makes the chili taste richer and gives it more dimensions.
- Bell Peppers: Red and green peppers offer a pop of color, more texture, and more nutrition.
How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Chili
Time needed: 40 minutes.
You basically put everything in the pot and cook. This vegetarian pumpkin chili is so easy to make and uses simple ingredients found in your pantry.
- Sauté
Preheat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the onions for 2-3 minutes until they soften. Add the spices, a little veggie stock, and cook for about a minute or until aromatic.
- Simmer
Add 2 cups veggie stock, the diced sweet potato, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Then, add all the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes and occasionally stirring. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
That’s it! A delicious and hearty meal made with wholesome ingredients, cooked in 1 pot, and ready in as little as 30 minutes.
How To Serve Vegan Pumpkin Chili
I like topping this chili with my cashew sour cream, a slice of avocado, and a little chopped cilantro.
And, one thing I always have with my chili is some type of bread. My Vegan Cornbread, 5 Ingredient Whole Wheat Beer Bread, or No Yeast Bread was made for this vegetarian pumpkin chili. Try crumbling up the cornbread and burying it in a big bowl of this chili. Totally amazing!
Questions & Helpful Tips
Yes and absolutely! Chili recipes are made for freezing. I like to 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 up to 7 days in the fridge in a covered container. This is a great recipe for meal prepping. 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.
Not really. It does have a “Fall essence” when it comes to the flavor, but the pumpkin’s primary role is to make the chili thicker.
YES! Simply 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 release the remaining pressure manually. Enjoy!
This vegan pumpkin chili is extremely healthy. It’s loaded with protein, fiber and is low-fat. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, and oil-free!
More Vegan Soup & Stew Recipes
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
- Instant Pot Vegan Chili
- Vegetarian Minestrone
- Vegan Potato Soup
- Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
If you make this recipe I want to know. So, please leave a comment below with a star rating. And, be sure and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!
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Vegan Pumpkin Chili
- 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
Description
Vegan Pumpkin Chili is packed with fiber, protein, and warming Fall spices. It’s so easy to make and you only need 30 minutes. A hearty, healthy, and comforting meal perfect for those cool crisp evenings.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion (white, yellow, etc.), chopped
- 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. 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.
Keywords: vegetarian pumpkin chili, vegan pumpkin chili, pumpkin chili
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We loved your Vegan Pumpkin Chili, Shane! I made it in the Instant pot and it worked perfectly. Love how thick it was. Using the saute function, I sauteed the vegetables in the IP first. I let it completely natural release and that worked well. I have used cinnamon in my chilis for years and your spices were spot on. I did add a couple of ounces of TVP and some leftover pickled jalepenos which gave the chili a little heat. I will make this recipe again and again.
AWESOME!!! Thanks for sharing. So glad you enjoyed it. LOVE the additions:)
Dear Shane,
Just made this vegan pumpkin chili. I’d give it a 10/10!! Fantastic flavor! Small changes made b/c of what we had on hand, but made no difference in the fantastic flavor! Thank you so much for these recipes. Every one I’ve made so far has been a winner.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.n May you stay safe!
Peace,
Melissa K.
Thank you so much, Linda! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Blessings.
So I went ahead and made this as written instead of trying it in the instant pot, and it was super yummy! I was afraid it might be too sweet with the sweet potatoes, but it wasn’t, it was just right. And I loved the spice/flavor combo! Will definitely be making this again…possibly in the instant pot just to see how it goes haha…I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for all your yummy recipes!
Awww, thank you! So glad you enjoyed it. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Hi Shane,
Can this be made in the instant pot? If so, would you follow steps 1 & 2 on sauté, then add everything else and hit the soup button? Or will the peppers be over cooked by the time the sweet potatoes are done? Can’t wait to try this, the spice combo is so interesting!
Good question, Luci! I hate to speculate as I have not yet tried it in the Instant Pot.
We had a few friends over to eat your chili in the front yard while we handed out candy tonight. Almost all of us went back for a second bowl because it hit the spot. I made a few changes: no peppers (we didn’t have any) and only 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder because I was nervous about 2. Oh–no syrup because it seemed sweet enough already. Thanks for yet another yummy meal, Shane!
This chili is phenomenal! I made it exactly and it is completely savory and delicious!!! Even used the optional maple syrup! Our Omni friends came for dinner and LOVED it! Another win from Shane❤️
Lisa, that is so awesome! Thank you.
This was an excellent chili! So deeply flavorful. Spices seemed unusual but decided to go for it and so glad I did- the cocoa is magical! Delish!
Thank you! Yes, it seems a little unusual but the spices just work. Crazy:)
Incredible flavor. Perfectly delicious on a chilly autumn day like we’re having … I’m enjoying these flavors very much- great recipe!!!!! Thank you!
Thank you so much!