This pumpkin chili recipe is hearty and cozy: the ideal crowd-pleasing meal! Pumpkin adds a creamy body this easy dinner.

Here’s a chili recipe that’s jumped to the top of our favorites list: Pumpkin Chili! Perhaps you already knew this secret, but adding pumpkin puree to chili adds an intensely creamy, flavorful body to this classic dish. (We’re not sure how we went so long without it!) This one is hearty and healthy, packed with spices, sweet potato and beans. Load it up with all your favorite chili toppings, and it’s a satisfying fall dinner recipe that’s ideal for weeknights or dinner parties. Everyone in our family raved over this one. You gotta try it!

Ingredients in this pumpkin chili recipe

Adding pumpkin puree to chili is genius, because it adds a hearty, creamy texture to the broth. This trick works in either meaty or vegetarian chili recipes. This recipe is vegetarian, but it’s easy to transform into a meaty chili by adding ground beef (notes on that are below). It’s so tasty, it might become your new go-to. Here’s what you’ll need for this chili recipe:

• Butter or olive oil*
• Yellow onion
• Garlic
• Green pepper
• Sweet potato
• Pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato sauce
• Kidney beans and pinto beans
• Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon and salt

The method for this pumpkin chili recipe is simple: sauté the vegetables, add the tomatoes, pumpkin, beans and spices, and simmer until the sweet potato is tender. It’s quick and simple, and takes about 40 minutes to put together.

Variation: add ground beef (or plant-based)

Cooking for meat lovers? Or want to add plant-based crumbles to this pumpkin chili recipe? It’s easy to add in: you’ll need to add just 5 minutes to the cook time. Here’s what to do:

• Use 1 pound ground beef or plant-based meat crumbles. (Our favorite plant-based brands are Impossible or Beyond.)
• After sauteing the vegetables, add the ground beef and sauté until the meat is browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. The proceed with the remainder of the recipe!

Toppings for pumpkin chili

This pumpkin chili recipe is delicious on its own, but of course it’s even better with toppings! Here’s what we’d recommend for this chili, and a few more ideas for getting creative:

• Sour cream and shredded cheese: A must! For vegan, omit the cheese and use Cashew Cream or Vegan Queso.
• Green onion: Thinly sliced green onion is the best fresh accessory.
• Pickled red onion: Having a batch of pickled red onions on hand for chili is ideal: the tangy flavor and pop of color are fantastic.
• Crushed tortilla chips: We’ve taken to adding crushed chips to our chili and it adds just the right crunch.
• Cilantro: Cilantro adds a fresh, inviting flavor.
• Hot sauce: Use a Mexican-style hot sauce like Cholula.
• Pumpkin seeds (pepitas): Crunchy salted pepitas are perfect to fit the pumpkin theme.

Diet swaps

On it’s own, this pumpkin chili is vegetarian and gluten-free. Want to make it vegan? Use olive oil instead of butter. For the toppings, use Cashew Cream or Vegan Queso. Then serve with Vegan Cornbread!

Leftover storage

This pumpkin chili recipe stores well and works great as leftovers! Here are a few notes on how to store leftover chili:

• Refrigerate for up to 3 days. It can become very thick, so you may need to add a splash of water when reheating or broth when reheating.
• Freeze for up to 3 months. This recipe stores well in a freezer-safe container.

Sides for pumpkin chili

Want to make it into a hearty meal? Here are a few tasty side dishes we’d serve with this pumpkin chili. Let us know in the comments below if you have other ideas!