Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
14 Comments Oct 24, 2023
Updated Jun 21, 2025
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Can’t get enough pumpkin this fall? You will love this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili that has pumpkin puree and a touch of pumpkin spice.
We love this chili during the fall months around here, great for game day or a lazy Sunday. So many chili recipes are terrific in the crockpot, when we aren’t making this, we have Chipotle Chili, Venison Chili or White Chicken Chili slow cooking.
This easy pumpkin chili has a great pumpkin flavor but still tastes like the chili you love. I add pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice. I do not add sugar to this my version, I don’t think it needs it! I make this chili recipe in the heart of pumpkin spice season!
We love making easy chili recipes and this best pumpkin chili recipe really hits the spot and is something fun and different. Another very unique chili recipe I make is Slow Cooker Cinncinati Chili.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef: One pound of lean ground beef is all you need for this recipe. You can use ground turkey or ground chicken if desired.
- Pumpkin Puree: To make this recipe have lots of pumpkin flavor, actual pumpkin puree is added! Use canned pumpkin puree or slow cooker pumpkin puree.
- Pinto Beans: Drained canned pinto beans go well with the pumpkin flavors, though you can use black beans, or kidney beans.
- Tomato Sauce: This adds the usual tomato flavor to the pumpkin spice chili without adding large chunks of tomato. If you want large chunks of tomato, use fire roasted tomatoes instead.
- Vegetables: This chili uses, onion, garlic, orange and red bell pepper and one habanero pepper for heat.
- Seasonings: No chili seasoning packet here, instead, you add chili powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. For extra spice, use chipotle chili powder.
- Water: Water is used to make the recipe more liquidy, but feel free to use chicken broth, beef broth or vegetable broth.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Start by browning hamburger in a skillet on the
stove top . Crumble and cook until browned. Drain the fat. - Add the ground beef to the slow cooker along with onion, bell pepper, pinto beans, habanero (optional, add if you like heat), pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, garlic, chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt
and water. - Stir, cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
Should I use fresh pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin?
You can use
What should I serve with this?
- I made pumpkin cornbread, and it was an excellent side, great with butter and honey.
- Use your usual favorite chili toppings on this! All the toppings are good; cheese, green onion, fresh cilantro, saltine crackers, and even sour cream.
- Pumpkin chili tastes great over white rice or slow cooker baked potatoes.
Recipe FAQs
Substitute soy crumbles for the ground beef. Add additional beans, you can even add a can of black beans or garbanzo beans
Ground turkey is a fabulous substitute for ground beef in this recipe. I love ground turkey in chili and use it my favorite chipotle turkey chili.
If you want to add a punch of flavor you can add Worcestershire sauce, A.1. steaksauce, brown sugar and beer instead of water.
Yes! All chili freezes very well. Place the leftover pumpkin chili into airtight containers and freeze for up to three months.
More Slow Cooker Pumpkin Recipes:
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Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
How to Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, (canned or fresh made)
- 29 oz. can tomato sauce
- 30 oz. pinto beans , (two 15 oz. cans) drained
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. pumpkin spice
- 1½ tsp. salt
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 habanero pepper,, minced (optional, only use if you like spicy!)
My favorite chili fixings:
- shredded cheddar
- sliced green onion
- cornbread – pumpkin or regular
Instructions
- Start by browning the ground beef. Do this on the stove top in a large skillet set over medium high heat. Brown the meat and crumble it with a wooden spoon or spatula. Drain any fat and then add the ground beef to the slow cooker.
- Add the pumpkin puree, tomato sauce, pinto beans, water, chili powder, pumpkin spice, salt yellow onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Add a minced habanero pepper if you want a spicy chili. Stir.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
- When the cooking time is up, stir and serve. Top with your favorite chili toppings and enjoy!
Stove-top instructions:
- Set a large pot over medium high heat. When the pot is hot add the ground beef, bell peppers and onions. Crumble beef with a wooden spoon. When the meat is browned, drain the fat.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir. Bring up to a boil, then lower the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't burn.
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I have tried making different variations of pumpkin chili. I am excited to see how this one tastes! It’s cooking in my crockpot right now. Can you freeze this chili in freezer bags, too!? Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!
Yes! This freezes well.
Going to make this on Halloween!!
A perfect chili for halloween!
This sounds wonderful, but I can’t eat any kind of pepper. Would you suggest an additional onion, green Chili’s and some carrots? Thanks!
it’s the balls
Could I add some cubes of fresh pie pumpkin as an addition to the chopped bell peppers…maybe instead of the habanero (my family are not keen on heat/spice?
Yes, both ideas sound great.
This sounds fabulous. Thanks for the stove top variation. I’m definitely going to try this. yum!
Can you add the whole can of pumpkin?
I think it should be fine!
It was delish!!! Truly enjoyed it and I did make with turkey instead of beef. Will definitely save as a must do again!!
Made this recipe. I thought it was pretty good, however with the hot pepper my family didn’t care for it. I barely tasted the pumpkin which I guess was a good thing because I had my doubts. Lol! So I are it but probably wouldn’t bother with the pumpkin puree if I made it again. And I did add a little sugar.
OMG! This was beyond delicious! I used ground venison & served regular corn muffins with honey butter….I made it in my insta pot…. actually prepared in the night before…. let it cook on low for (10) hours…. to die for!