Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili

5 from 4 votes

A perfect set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker meal. It's a vegetarian chili with a cozy mix of beans, pumpkin, bell peppers, sweet potato or butternut squash, and plenty of spices to ensure a flavorful bowl.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time5 10

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crockpot pumpkin chili, slow cooker pumpkin chili

Servings:

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Monica Lensink

Ingredients

1/2 medium red onion chopped
2 bell peppers any color, seeded and diced
1 medium sweet potato peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
3 garlic cloves minced
3 (15 ounce) cans of beans drained and rinsed, such as pinto, kidney, black beans, or chickpeas
2 (15 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes regular or petite, with juices
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 and 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For serving:

sour cream
fresh cilantro
fresh lime juice or wedges
sliced avocado
corn chips or cornbread

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker and stir well to combine. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
When the veggies are all tender, turn chili to the keep warm setting and remove the lid while you prepare toppings and serve. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Spice Level: This chili has a pretty mild heat as written. I find it kid-friendly, and it’s easy to add jalapenos on top or a little hot sauce for someone who likes more spiciness. If everyone likes more spiciness, feel free to add extra chili powder, a diced jalapeno, a diced chipotle, or 1-2 teaspoons of ancho sauce straight into the mix.
Beans: My favorite combination is 1 can each of pinto beans, dark red kidney beans, and black beans, but this is really flexible depending on what you like and have on hand. I do like to get at least two different varieties in the mix if possible.
Sweet Potato: This is also good with peeled and cubed butternut squash.
Nutrition and Servings: The nutrition estimate here is just that: an estimate, based on dividing the entire batch into 6 servings. In my experience this makes 6 generous servings for adults, and we often stretch it across 8 or more, but this will obviously depend on your family.
Recipe: Adapted from Sally’s Baking Recipes, with some minor changes to the ingredients and some tweaks for slow cooker cooking, mainly to reduce the amount of liquid.

Nutrition