The BEST EVER Pumpkin Chili – Pumpkin isn’t just for dessert! This healthy pumpkin chili recipe is a savory, filling meal you’ll make over and over (Gluten-free, dairy-free)
I remember once going through the checkout with a few cans of pumpkin in my cart and the cashier holding it up, bewildered. “What do you make with this? I’ve only ever tried pumpkin bread.”
My heart broke for her.
I LOVE pumpkin things. Always have. Our family has been making these pumpkin muffins since I was in junior high, which sort of opened the door for All The Pumpkin Things ever since.
As much as I love sweet applications–blender pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cake, pumpkin oatmeal, etc. I really REALLY love savory pumpkin recipes, too.
Sometimes that’s pumpkin corrnbread muffins, or a pumpkin curry, or pumpkin taco soup, but this healthy Pumpkin Chili Recipe has been the most popular pumpkin recipe on my site since 2013. It’s won more than a dozen chili cook-offs for readers over the years!
It’s AMAZING, if I do say so myself, and here’s why I think you’ll love it too.
5 Reasons You’ll Love This Pumpkin Chili Recipe:
- IT’S GOOD FOR YOU! Pumpkin is SO full of nutrients. It’s an amazing source of vitamins, fiber, and all sorts of other goodies that keep us young and healthy. It’s another reason we try mixing it in whenever we can.
- IT HAS AN AMAZING TEXTURE. In savory pumpkin recipes like this one, you actually don’t even really know the pumpkin is there. Instead, you just get an extra layer of vegetable-y goodness, silky texture, pretty color, and delicious flavor. It’s a trick you can use with any chili recipe, really. Just stir in a can of pumpkin to your favorite chili recipe and enjoy all the benefits!
- IT WORKS WITH ANY GROUND MEAT. You can make our pumpkin chili with ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground turkey. Many folks have also made it with ground meat alternatives (like Impossible) over the last few years. It all works!
- IT’S PERFECT FOR COOL WEATHER. Our healthy pumpkin chili makes a spectacular Halloween pre-trick-or-treating meal. Hearty, festive, and, well, not candy. This savory pumpkin recipe is a family favorite all through the colder months (and throughout the year because #teamforeverpumpkin). Add a side of pumpkin cornbread muffins and you’re in business!
- IT GETS BETTER WITH TIME. I often like to make this chili ahead of time (the day before or morning of) so the flavors can develop even more. It just gets better with time!
How To Make Pumpkin Chili – Ingredients & Method
Did I convince you to give our healthy pumpkin chili recipe a try? Great! Here’s what you’ll need to make the chili, plus how to make pumpkin chili, step-by-step.
Ingredients For Pumpkin Chili:
- Ground Beef (Or Chicken, Turkey, or Pork). You’ll start your pumpkin chili with ground meat. Pick your favorite or choose from whatever’s on sale this week!
- Onion & Bell Pepper. Our flavor base starts with onion & bell pepper. They start the classic savory flavor I’m going for.
- Our Chili Spices. For our pumpkin chili seasoning, I use a blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic & onion powder, and salt. For a bit more kick, feel free to add some chipotle chili powder or smoked paprika.
- Pumpkin Puree. Here’s how we turn this into pumpkin chili! A can of unsweetened pumpkin puree adds thickness without making this taste like pumpkin. (It won’t be like pumpkin spice!)
- Two Kinds Of Beans. Next up is two kinds of beans. I like pinto beans and black beans for my pumpkin chili.
- Diced Tomatoes. I love fire-roasted tomatoes, especially Muir Glen brand. They have a nice char and feel less acidic than other brands.
- Goods On Top! I usually finish my chili with some fresh cilantro (the pop of green is so pretty!), but don’t miss the FAQ below for more of our favorite toppings.
Method: How To Make Pumpkin Chili, Step-By-Step
- Brown The Meat. In a large soup pot, brown ground beef with pepper, onion, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Add Chili Seasonings. As the meat and veggies are cooking, sprinkle over chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion, powder, smoked paprika an/or chipotle chili powder (if using), and salt.
- Add Pumpkin, Beans & Tomatoes. When the meat is cooked through and the veggies are tender (10-15 minutes), add pumpkin puree, undrained beans, and the tomatoes with their juice to the pan.
- Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until ready to eat.
- Garnish. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, sour cream, diced avocado, cheese or dairy-free cheese, as desired!
FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST PUMPKIN CHILI
WHAT DOES PUMPKIN CHILI TASTE LIKE? Honestly, you won’t taste the pumpkin, and it won’t taste like pumpkin spice. It tastes like traditional chili, but with a thicker, more velvety texture.
PALEO? TRY THIS! This is healthy pumpkin chili recipe is a SUPER adaptable recipe and can fit almost any dietary restrictions. If you’d like to adapt it to be a paleo pumpkin chili recipe, just skip the beans and add an extra bell pepper and another 1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey.
CAN I MAKE THIS AS VEGAN PUMPKIN CHILI? You bet! I’ve got a Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili Recipe here. It’s delicious and meatless.
CAN YOU FREEZE PUMPKIN CHILI? Yes! My favorite way to freeze pumpkin chili for easy thawing is to put it into a freezer-safe bag, squeeze out any extra air and lay it flat on a plate or in a pan while it freezes. That way, you don’t end up with any surprise spills in your freezer and it freeze flat which makes for faster thawing.
CAN I MAKE PUMPKIN CHILI IN A SLOW COOKER? YES! That’s another reason it’s so great. You can choose to brown your beef and drain the fat before adding it to the crock (no need to cook any other ingredients), or if you’re using lean meat, you can toss it in raw. Just give everything a good stir and set to cook 2-3 hours on HIGH or 4-5 hours on low. I love this slow cooker because it has an automatic warming function (switches to warm when it’s done cooking) and is so easy to program.
ANY TIPS FOR TOPPINGS? Absolutely. While the traditional cheese and sour cream might be your faves, I love using diced avocado or a dollop of this avocado ranch (paleo or vegan!) on top of my pumpkin chili for a great dairy-free option.
LOVE THIS HEALTHY PUMPKIN CHILI? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…
- Gluten Free (or Not!) Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
- Maple Cornbread
- Creamy Avocado Ranch (a great paleo/vegan sub for sour cream)
- Pumpkin Taco Soup (another awesome savory pumpkin dish!)
- Chili Mac (A great way to use leftovers!)
HELPFUL TOOLS & INGREDIENTS FOR THIS PUMPKIN CHILI RECIPE:
BEST EVER Pumpkin Chili (Gluten & Dairy Free)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: About 10 cups 1x
Description
I love making chili the day before I need it. It gets better with time! Don’t miss the notes section for tips on adapting this for vegan or paleo diets. (It’s SO EASY!)
Ingredients
For The Pumpkin Chili:
- 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil.
- 1 lb. ground beef*
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Optional, for more heat: 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika, 1/4-1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
- 1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
- 1 (15oz) can pinto beans, not drained
- 1 (15oz) can black beans, not drained
- 1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes, not drained (I like fire-roasted)
For Garnish:
- chopped cilantro, sliced green onions or snipped chives, diced avocado, sour cream, yogurt, cheese, or dairy-free cheese, as desired.
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, brown ground beef with pepper, onion, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- As the meat and veggies are cooking, sprinkle over chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion, powder, smoked paprika an/or chipotle chili powder (if using), and salt.
- When the meat is cooked through and the veggies are tender (10-15 minutes), add pumpkin puree, undrained beans, and the tomatoes with their juice to the pan.
- Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until ready to eat.
Notes
FOR A PALEO VERSION, skip the beans and add an extra bell pepper and another 1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish, Soup, Chili
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Pumpkin Chili, gluten free pumpkin chili, best pumpkin chili, dairy free pumpkin chili, pumpkin chili recipe
It truly was the best chili ever! Was it the best pumpkin chili I’ve ever had? Yes! But it was also the best chili I’ve had in general. It was perfect. Simple, yet flavorful. I used turkey instead of beef and added some shredded havarti cheese on top. Delicious!
★★★★★
Angela – What a happy comment to wake up to this morning! I’m SO glad you enjoyed it as much as we do!!! 🙂
And thank you so much for the recipe! My mom tried it and loved it as well. She had never tried chili before because she was uncertain if she would like it and she loves it now. ☺️
Oh that’s the BEST!!! I’m so happy to hear that!
I made this recipe last night and it was a huge hit! It was so easy and quick to make. We loved it and will definitely make it again! It went really well with corn muffins. Next time I may try adding fresh corn in the chili! 💗
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that! We LOVE it so much!
Just made this, it was pretty good but it was a bit bland. Might not be the recipe, maybe my chili powder is weak. Next time I think I’ll double the seasoning and maybe add some chipotle or smoked paprika.
★★★★
Sounds like a great plan for next time! 🙂
This was killer! Loved the flavors and added some chili pinto beans and red and yellow peppers. Will surely repeat! Thanks.
YAY! I’m so glad you loved it. It’s my FAVORITE this time of year. I bet the extras you added were fantastic!
Very good! Made it with ground turkey to make it healthier. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it, Blaire! Thanks SO much for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate it!
I served this for my bunco group. So quick and easy to make the day before. I used Impossible burger instead of meat as we have a couple of vegetarians in our group. The spices are perfect, not too much heat and lots of flavor. Everyone LOVED it. I followed the recipe exactly except Instead of a 30oz can of diced tomatoes I used one 15oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and 1 15oz can regular. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
Carolyn – Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave a review! I’m so glad to know it works with the Impossible Burger–thank you for sharing!
My 6 year granddaughter is allergic to gluten & dairy. So prefect meal for her. We doubled the recipe as we are having a Halloween dinner here this evening. As to much for my crock pot I am having to eat some now, lol. The only thing I found was that it is really bland. I doubled the recipe & spices. So went back & doubled the spices again & that did the trick. Hoping once the chili cooks few hours the tomatoes will blend in better. We will for sure fix this again.
★★★★
Pennie – I’m glad you were able to get the spices where you wanted them in the end 🙂
Outstanding per the hubby and little granddaughters.
I added a dash of cinnamon, 1 tbs chipotle chili powder & 1/4 chocolate chips.
5 stars!
I was hoping I wouldn’t concur with the reviews that said it was bland, but I did. I’m probably used to spicier chili. But it is a good base recipe to add to! I doubled the chili powder, added fresh minced garlic, more salt and pepper and cayenne, and it was pretty good. Think I’ll give the cinnamon a go on my next try.
★★★
Sounds like you have a great plan for next time. 🙂
This was so delicious!! I replaced the beef with ground pork and it was just as good. I also served the chili inside a pumpkin for fun. I will definitley be making this recipe every fall.
★★★★★
Ooh, yum! That sounds so fun! That’d be perfect for Halloween!
Waaaay to thick. Had to add 1.5 cups of beef broth get the consistency I like. Another suggestion would be going with one small can of diced tomatoes and one small can of crushed tomatoes. Your recipe was way too thick for my liking.
Love this! So delicious, nutritious. It’s become our “Halloween Eve” tradition with a whole-wheat jack o’ lantern crust. I’m sharing your recipe on my blog colormyfood.com 😊
Yay! So glad you love it as much as we do–it’s the best!