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This Creamy White Bean Pumpkin Chili is a hearty and delicious meal packed with veggies, white beans, and ground meat of your choice. It’s the perfect healthy and comforting meal for a cold winter night! Plus, I love that it can be made in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stove.
If you’re looking for a healthy, filling, and flavorful meal for a cold winter night, this White Bean Pumpkin Chili recipe is perfect! It can be made with ground turkey, chicken, or beef (we love the turkey!) for a protein-rich dinner that tastes amazing. Plus, you can make it on the stove, in a crockpot or slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot.
You may also love my chicken chili recipe or this white chicken chili.
Recipe Overview
Before you get started
- When cooking the meat, make sure to break it up into small pieces with a spatula or meat masher.
- Don’t shortcut the cooking time because that’s when all the flavors meld.
- Be sure you are using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Brown the onions well. It will add so much flavor.
- Finely chop the veggies so they cook evenly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This is just a list of ingredients you will need to make this easy Pumpkin Chili. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Avocado oil: Any oil works here. I love avocado oil or olive oil.
- Onion: white sweet onions will do just fine. Or you can use a cooking onion.
- Veggies: Carrots and Celery
- Garlic cloves: Please use fresh ones if possible. Way better than garlic powder.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika, Black pepper, and Kosher salt
- Red chili paste
- Ground Meat: I used lean ground chicken, but ground turkey or beef will work as well.
- Fresh thyme, or you can use dried.
- Unsweetened pumpkin purée: you can use store-bought or make your own at home.
- Cannellini beans: I used canned. Any other white beans will work here.
- Peanut butter: can be optional, but I love the taste and creaminess it adds to this pumpkin chili.
- Low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- Optional toppings: fresh thyme, chopped avocado, green onions, shredded cheese
How to make white bean pumpkin chili
Whether you make this recipe on the stove, in the slow cooker or crockpot, or in the Instant Pot, the essential steps are the same. All of the individual instructions are listed below in the recipe card.
How to make on the stovetop
- Chop veggies. First, finely chop the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves.
- Sauté veggies. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Then stir in the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more until fragrant. Last, add in the carrots and celery, cooking until slightly softened while stirring occasionally.
- Add ground meat and spices. Add in the ground meat (turkey, chicken, or beef), smoked paprika, red chili paste, black pepper, and salt. Continue cooking until the meat is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Next stir in the fresh thyme, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, beans, and chicken or vegetable broth. Stir well.
- Cover and cook. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, then simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper according to taste after cooking.
- Serve. Last, transfer the mixture to a serving bowl. Top with your favorite toppings and serve immediately. Enjoy!
How to make in a crockpot or slow cooker
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and garlic, and sauté until garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped veggies, meat, and spices, cook until veggies are soft and meat is browned.
- Transfer the browned meat mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add beans and fresh thyme.
- Pour in the pumpkin purée, peanut butter, and broth; stir well.
- Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Add your favorite topping on top and serve immediately.
How to make in an Instant Pot
- Set the pressure cooker to the sauté mode.
- Heat oil and sauté onion and garlic until slightly golden brown.
- Add in the chopped veggies, meat and spices, mix well breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon until it is in small crumbles. Cook until browned about 7-8 minutes.
- Add in the remaining ingredients.
- Cover and pressure cook for 10 minutes.
- Once finished cooking, allow the cooker to release pressure naturally, about 15 minutes.
- Unlock the lid and transfer to a large serving bowl.
- Top with desired favorite topping and serve warm.
Common Questions
Adding pumpkin to chili adds extra creaminess, extra fiber, and really delicious flavor to traditional chili. The flavor complements the smoked paprika and thyme flavors. Perfect for a cozy fall and winter meal.
You can leave out the ground turkey, chicken, or beef for a vegetarian option. The beans still provide a lot of protein, even without the meat.
Yes. Allow the chili to cool fully, then store it in a sealed container and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for several hours, then reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
This pumpkin chili will last up to 3 days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Pinto beans work well, or light red kidney beans if you do not have any other white beans on hand.
White Bean Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Avocado oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 small carrots, finely chopped
- 1½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon red chili paste, or 1 tbsp of chili powder
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, turkey, or beef, (We like to use lean ground turkey)
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 15 oz unsweetened pumpkin purée, one can
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 30 oz cannellini beans, two cans, drained
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- salt and pepper , to taste
Optional toppings:
- fresh thyme, chopped avocado, green onions, shredded cheese
Optional add ons
- 1 tbsp of (cumin powder, onion powder, and garlic powder)
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves.
Stovetop
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more until fragrant.
- Next, add in the carrots and celery, cook stirring occasionally until slightly softened.
- Add in the ground meat, smoked paprika, red chili paste, black pepper and salt. Continue cooking until meat is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes.
- Next stir in the fresh thyme, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, beans, and vegetable broth. Give it a good stir.
- Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl. Top with your favorite topping and serve immediately.
Crockpot or Slow Cooker
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the chopped veggies, meat, and spices, cook until veggies are soft and meat is browned.
- Transfer the browned meat mixture into the slow cooker. Add beans and fresh thyme. Pour in the pumpkin purée, peanut butter, and broth. Stir well.
- Cover with lid and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
- Add your favorite topping on top and serve immediately.
Instant Pot
- Set the pressure cooker to sauté mode. Heat oil and sauté onion and garlic until slightly golden brown.
- Add in the chopped veggies, meat, and spices, mix well breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon until it is in small crumbles. Cook until browned about 7-8 minutes.
- Add in the remaining ingredients. Cover and pressure cook for 10 minutes.
- Once finished cooking, allow the cooker to release pressure naturally, about 15 minutes.
- Unlock the lid and transfer to a large serving bowl. Top with desired favorite topping and serve warm.
Notes
- Oil: Olive oil or avocado oil. You can also use sunflower, grapeseed oil, or peanut oil.
- Ground meat: You can use ground turkey, chicken, or beef. I like using lean ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure to use unsweetened puree. You can also substitute with homemade pumpkin puree.
- Peanut Butter: It gives this recipe a nutty and creamy taste. You may dissolve the peanut butter with a bit of water in a bowl first before adding it in.
- Beans: Cannellini beans are also called white kidney beans. You can substitute with Great Northern beans or navy beans.
- Broth: You can use low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth. Canned, boxed, or homemade broth is great.
- When cooking the meat, make sure to break it up into small pieces with a spatula or meat masher.
- Don’t shortcut the cooking time because that’s when all the flavors meld
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Chili Recipes
- Slow Cooker Southwest Turkey Chili
- Homemade Beef Chili
- Vegetarian Bean Chili
- Easy Vegan Chili Recipe
- Chili Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Chili
You may also like
- Creamy Chicken Enchilada
- Easy Beef Stew Recipe
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Shrimp Stir Fry Noodles
- Cilantro Lime Shrimp
If you try a recipe and you like it, leave me some feedback in the comment section below, and don’t forget to rate it! I would love it if you shared it with friends and family.
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what type of red chili paste did you use?
any will work. I have the Thai Kitchen brand.
Really delicious! Will make again
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you loved it.
Is there an alternative to peanut butter? My son is allergic.
Hi Danielle, You can skip the peanut butter. It is used to add a bit of creamy nutty flavor but it is ok to skip.
you could try tahini in place of peanut butter!
Add 1 extra can of beans
Add 1 extra can chilies
Add frozen corn
Thanks for the feedback. Corn sounds yummy.
This sounds delicious! With the optional spices, is it a tsp. of each to equal one tablespoon, a tablespoon of each or a tablespoon of one of them?
Thank you for the yummy fall recipe.
That would be combined. I will fix it to make it clearer.
Thank you!
You are very welcome
My family love it
This was so tasty
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Yes. It stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days and you can also freeze it
This looks so good! What a great fall lunch meal prep!
Can this be made meatless?
Yes you sure can
Does the crockpot version of this recipe also use 2 1/2 cups of broth?
Or will that be too much liquid?
Should be fine. But I could see this steaming and making more fluid. so reduce the liquid to 2 cups
This was delicious! I added 1/8+tsp of cayenne, a little cinnamon (1/4 tsp?) and honey (1T?) to give it a little sweetness. Perfect! This was a nice switch from traditional chili flavors. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Thank you!
Loved this! I added black rice and was amazing! Thank you!
Sounds yummy! Glad you loved it.
Wanted to like it, but really bland. Had to salvage it with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and chipotle chili powder. Not too bad after some tinkering. Highly recommend you add some spices.
What is the serving size? Nutrition info states ‘per bowl’ but how big is the bowl? Thanks.
one bowl is about 2 cups
this has been a family favorite for years. i first tried it from a recipe in a magazine or a cookbook for high metabolism. your recipe was delicious and i added chopped fresh kale for the last 10 minutes of the 30 minute stovetop version. tonight we served it over tortilla chips with grated cheese , sour cream and avocado. yum., but great by itself. thanks
Thank you Nancy. I love what you did there. Going to have to try that next time.
This is awesome, delicious and healthy. We used ground turkey. The pumpkin is a revelation. Easy to prep, and will definitely become a family staple!
Thanks, Richard. So glad you loved it.