Ultimate Instant Pot Pumpkin Chili (Vegan, Oil-Free)

Making vegan homemade chili at home is a simple way to enjoy a hearty dish without a lot of ingredients and a great way to get in more plant foods.

This ultimate vegan chili is a great source of plant protein for vegans, vegetarians, and plant-based and is great fall dish your whole family will love and a vegan dish that is sure to please even the devout of meat eaters.  The beans give this one-pot vegan dish a “meaty” flavor, your non-vegan friends won’t even notice it’s not real meat.

It’s also perfect game day dish that is simple and easy to make.

Packed full of beans and veggies, this Instant Pot vegan pumpkin chili recipe is flavorful protein and fiber rich dish that will help keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.

Make it Your Own

Add in your own ingredients and make it your own. Add in other vegetables like corn, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes. This dish is simple, but a great way to introduce your kids to more variety of vegetables.

This pumpkin chili recipe is not only vegan, it is gluten-free, oil-free, and oh so delicious.

Vegan Pumpkin Chili Ingredients   

• Vegetable Broth-You can use a store-bought vegetable broth or make your own homemade vegetable broth here.
• Garlic and Onion– A classic and necessary chili ingredient. You can use green, white, yellow or red onions.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes – For more spice flavor you can substitute canned fire roasted tomatoes.
• Pure Pumpkin Puree-You will want to make sure that you get 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pie filling for this dish. The pumpkin puree gives this dish a sweet flavor and does not overpower the dish.
• Black beans, Pinto Beans, and Red (Kidney Beans) – We ended up using canned black beans, dry pinto, and red beans. You can use canned or dry beans if you are cooking this dish in the Instant Pot. If you are making it on the stovetop or in a crock pot, you will want to use canned beans.  If you want even a heartier dish, add in additional beans or throw in some vegan meat substitutes.
• Red Wine Vinegar– Red Wine vinegar enhances this vegan dish and gives it a little more acidic and sweeter flavor.
• Lime Juice– Freshly squeezed lime juice is a great way to bring out the flavors of this vegan dish and gives it a southwest flavor.
• Celery, Red Bell Peppers, Carrots-What is a vegan chili without vegetables? This is a great dish for us moms who are trying to add more vegetables in our kid’s dishes.
• Bay Leaf- We added a dried bay leaf or two to add another layer to this already delicious and nutritious vegan dish.
• Chili Seasoning – Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper!  These spices give it that smokey and savory flavor that makes this vegan pumpkin chili the perfect fall dish.

Spice it up

Want more spice? Add in 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, chipotle seasoning, a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of a regular can of diced tomatoes, or fresh finely diced jalapeno peppers.

No matter how you make this delicious and nutritious vegan pumpkin chili recipe, you will want to start by chopping and dicing up all your vegetables and if you are making your own chili seasoning you will want to make that first.  

While this recipe calls for making it in the Instant Pot, you can also cook it in a crockpot or on your stovetop.

Our Instant Pot Vegan Pumpkin Chili is a hearty fall meal that is easy to make and takes simple whole food ingredients you probably already have on hand.

When most people think of pumpkin recipes, they might think of lattes and desserts, pumpkin is such a versatile ingredient it also gives flavors to pasta dishes like this Instant Pot Vegan Pumpkin Chili and our Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese.

Sweet and Savory Dish

This vegan pumpkin chili recipe is a great combination of sweet from the pumpkin puree, and savory from the black beans, pinto beans, and red beans making it a sweet and savory dish your family will fall in love with.

How To Cook it in the Instant Pot

Add all the ingredients to an Instant Pot. Add in approximately 8 cups of water or fill it to the top fill line.  Stir to combine the ingredients together.

Close the and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release knob is in the sealing position.

Choose the Bean/Chili setting.  If you do not have a Bean/Chili setting, you will want to cook it on high for 40 minutes. 

It takes about 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure. 

When the cooking time is complete, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for about 15-20 minutes.  You can then do a quick release to let out the rest of the steam. If it seems to take a while for it to quick release, let it continue naturally release for about another 10 minutes. Safely remove the lid and serve.

The whole thing will take about 1 hour and 10-15 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot.

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How to Cook it in your Crockpot

To cook this vegan dish in the crockpot, you will want to use canned beans.  Just add all the ingredients in the crockpot, stir until they are all combined.  Fill it about an inch over the ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours and on low for 5-6 hours. Remove from the crockpot and enjoy!

How to Cook it on your Stovetop

If you are looking to cook this dish on the stovetop, you will begin by sautéing your broth and minced garlic on the stove for about 2-3 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and bring it to a boil, cover, and let it simmer for about 35-40 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

How To Serve Vegan Pumpkin Chili!

As the ingredients are cooking, you can prepare the toppings or side dishes.

You can get as creative as you want. To add toppings, but still keeping this family-friendly dish vegan, you can add the following toppings:

Avocado-Avocadoes are a great source of healthy fats. They are full of vitamins and minerals and are a great way to add some additional flavor this this vegan dish.

Chopped Red Onions-Chopped red onions are a great way to add flavor to this ultimate vegan dish.  Finely dice ½ of a red onion and add it to each of the bowls of chili.

Cilantro-One of our favorite ingredients to garnish our dishes with. Cilantro is not just a food you can enjoy with your southwest dishes; it adds in an extra flavor to this plant-based chili recipe.  Cilantro is full of vitamins and minerals and a great addition to a plant-based lifestyle. Learn more about cilantro and its uses and health benefits here.

Lime Wedge– If you do not want to add lime juice to your chili, you can squeeze fresh lime juice to your cooked chili.

Nutritional Yeast-Sprinkling on nutritional yeast is a great way to add a cheesy flavor to this pumpkin chili recipe. Our favorite nutritional yeast is Noochy Licious by Gloriously Vegan.  Noochy Licious nutritional yeast is soy-free, dairy-free, and has a delicious nutty, cheese flavor.

Sour Cream– What is chili without sour cream? And our Most Delicious Vegan Plant-Based Sour Cream is just the perfect addition to this hearty vegan dish.

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Enjoy it With

Cornbread-We are still working on a vegan cornbread recipe for the blog, but in the meantime, you can enjoy this delicious 8-ingredient vegan cornbread recipe from One Green Planet we recently made and enjoyed with this vegan pumpkin chili recipe.

Salad-This vegan chili recipe pairs great with a simple green salad. Top it with our homemade vegan pumpkin vinaigrette dressing.

Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips- This vegan pumpkin dish pairs great with our homemade corn tortilla chips that are quick and easy to make.

Brown Rice/Quinoa-Want more protein. Brown Rice and quinoa are great sources of plant-based protein and pair nicely with this vegan one pot dish.

This vegan pumpkin chili is a traditional main dish that can feed a large gathering. Don’t want a pumpkin chili recipe, just omit the pumpkin puree from this dish and you have a traditional chili dish that you can enjoy all year long.

Leftovers

You can enjoy this vegan pumpkin chili recipe right away or make a batch and store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. 

Or you can store it longer in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months. 

Want a grab and go easy vegan lunch idea?  Add the leftovers to individual freezer safe containers and you have a quick and easy way to enjoy a delicious vegan lunch.

This vegan pumpkin chili recipe is a great dish for your next fall dish. It is super thick and loaded with beans and vegetables, making is the perfect plant-based family dish you can enjoy in the colder season.

Happy Cooking!

How To Make Homemade Chili Seasoning

Homemade chili seasoning is a quick and easy recipe that is made using most the spices you probably already have in your pantry. There are a lot of different homemade chili recipes out there, this is the one that we make in our house.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Add them to a wide-mouth glass mason jar or spice container. They will keep for up to 6 months in a dry area.

Want More Vegan Comfort Dishes?

Creamed Corn Pasta

Tortilla Bean Soup

Family Approved Plant-based Roasted Veggie Pasta

The Best Creamy Plant-based Pumpkin Soup Recipe

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #cleanfoodmama on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

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Kitchen Essentials we used to make this dish