Name: Pumpkin Chili for Fall - Healthy Chili Made with Pumpkin Puree
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of olive oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 cloves of garlic, minced; 1 pound of ground turkey; 2 sweet bell peppers, chopped; 2 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes; 1 15-ounce cans chick peas, drained and rinsed; 1 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed; 15 ounces of fresh pumpkin purée - you can also use canned pumpkin puree; 2 cups of vegetable broth; 2 tablespoons of chili powder; 1 tablespoon of cumin; 2 teaspoon of smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon of sea salt; ½ teaspoon of cinnamon; dash of red pepper flakes; juice and zest from 1 lime

Jump to Recipe

This crockpot pumpkin chili is an easy, slow-cooker meal that combines turkey, beans, and pumpkin for a hearty, fall dinner.

Start by sautéing onions, garlic, and bell peppers, and then brown the turkey. Add these to the crockpot, stir in beans, pumpkin puree, broth, and spices, and let it cook on low. The slow cooker does the work, combining the flavors while you get on with your day.

Top the chili with avocado, cilantro, or a squeeze of lime for a filling fall meal. It serves a crowd or gives you leftovers for the week.

Follow the steps below for an easy, healthy turkey chili that is a fall twist on a classic chili recipe.

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Ingredients for this healthy pumpkin chili recipe

To make this fall chili recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sweet bell peppers, chopped
1 pound of ground turkey
2 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
15 ounces of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
15 ounces of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounces of fresh pumpkin purée – you can also use canned pumpkin purée
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon of cumin
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of sea salt
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
A dash of red pepper flakes
The juice and zest from 1 lime
Toppings: cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream

How to make crockpot pumpkin chili

Don’t let the long list of ingredients make you think that this recipe is hard to do. It’s actually very easy to prepare. Once you have browned some veggies and the turkey, the crockpot does all the work.

Browning the veggies and turkey

Start by heating the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and diced peppers. Cook until the vegetables are soft – about 5 minutes. Remove them and place them at the bottom of the slow cooker.

Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook until the meat is browned- about 10 minutes. Add this to the crockpot on top of the cooked vegetables.

Note: You could simply add these ingredients, uncooked, to the slow cooker. However, if you do, you’ll miss out on the depth of flavor that cooking them first adds to the chili. Trust me, it’s worth the 15 minutes!

Adding the pumpkin purée

Pumpkin puree is a cook’s best friend in the fall. It can be used in all kinds of recipes, from savory to sweet.

If you have harvested pumpkins from your garden, you can make your own pumpkin purée. You can also use canned pumpkin purée.

Add the pumpkin purée with diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and chick peas on top of the ground turkey in the slow cooker.

Stir in the vegetable broth.

Spices for the turkey chili

The turkey has a nice blend of spices to give it a great flavor. Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes to the chili mixture. Stir until everything is well combined.

The spice level of this chili is on the low side. If you like your chili spicier, add more chili powder or red pepper flakes.

How long does turkey chili take to cook?

The chili takes 3-4 hours to cook on the low setting, or 6-8 hours on high. Your house will smell amazing while it’s cooking!

30 minutes before serving time, add the lime juice and lime zest to the slow cooker pumpkin chili, cover, and finish cooking. This adds a bit of extra brightness to the recipe.

Toppings for the pumpkin chili crockpot recipe

Top this hearty pumpkin chili with chopped fresh cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Other nice toppings are Greek yogurt, grated cheese, and chopped jalapeños.

Tasting the hearty pumpkin crockpot chili

This is the best crockpot chili! It has a lovely earthy taste with lots of chunky goodness that comes from the beans, pumpkin purée, and ground turkey.

The recipe makes 8 delicious servings, and tastes even better when reheated. It is perfect for a nice crisp fall day, and your family will love the taste!

Share this recipe for pumpkin chili on X

If you enjoyed making this chili with pumpkin purée, be sure to share the recipe with a friend. Here is a post to get you started:

🍁 Cozy up with a bowl of Pumpkin Chili— hearty, healthy, and packed with fall flavor! 🎃🌶️Perfect for crock pot cooking on cool nights. 🥣✨👉 Get the recipe on The Gardening Cook. #FallRecipes #PumpkinSeason #ChiliLovers #ComfortFood… Share on X

More autumn chili recipes to try

If chili is your go-to recipe for hearty fall meals, you’ll also love these recipes:

Savory hearty white bean chili – made with ground beef
Crockpot taco chili – a hearty weeknight meal
Steak fajita chili – spicy Mexican recipe

How do your crockpot meals end up? If they are not living up to your expectations, you may be making one of these slow cooker mistakes.

Admin note: This autumn chili recipe first appeared on the blog in September 2017. This post has been updated with new photos, a printable recipe card and a slideshow video about common crockpot mistakes.

Yield: 8 servings of crockpot pumpkin chili

Pumpkin Chili for Fall - Healthy Chili Made with Pumpkin Puree

This hearty chili recipe is a twist on the classic turkey chili. It features one of the favorite ingredients for fall - pumpkin purée.

It will feed a crowd or give you leftovers for the week.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound of ground turkey
2 sweet bell peppers, chopped
2 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 ounces of fresh pumpkin purée - you can also use canned pumpkin puree
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon of cumin
2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of sea salt
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
dash of red pepper flakes
juice and zest from 1 lime

Instructions

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
Place these vegetables at the bottom of the crock pot.
Cook the ground turkey in the same skillet, until the meat has browned lightly- about 10 minutes
Place the turkey over the vegetables in the crock pot.
Add the diced tomatoes, beans, fresh pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, and spices to the slow cooker. Stir until they are well combined.
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
½ hour before serving, add the lime juice and lime zest.
Garnish the pumpkin slow cooker chili with cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

Crockpot Pumpkin Chili – A Must-Try Autumn Recipe

Ingredients for this healthy pumpkin chili recipe