This butternut squash chili is loaded with sweet-tart apples, warming spices, hearty chickpeas and black beans. Easy to make, super flavorful, and guaranteed to warm you up!
It's hard to pick a favorite chili recipe. I'm a girl who loves her vegan chili. But I will say this: butternut squash is probably my favorite fall produce, so a chili based around butternut squash is most certainly my favorite fall chili.
This recipe makes a batch of chili that's perfect for warming you up on a cold fall night! Not only that, it incorporates an apple — another fall favorite that's perfect tor adding touches of tartness and sweetness.
What You'll Need
- High-heat oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Smoked paprika
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Vegetable broth
- Crushed tomatoes
- Diced tomatoes
- Butternut squash
- An apple
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Butternut Squash Chili
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make butternut squash chili. Scroll down to the bottom of the post if you'd prefer to skip to the full recipe.
- Start by heating up some oil in a large pot. Once the oil is nice and hot, add diced onion. Cook it for a few minutes to soften it up, making sure to give it a stir every so often to prevent burning.
- Now add minced garlic and all of your spices. Continue cooking everything for a few minutes until the mixture becomes very fragrant.
- Now stir in your broth, tomatoes (diced and crushed), diced butternut squash, diced apple, and both kinds of beans.
- Bring everything up to a boil, lower the heat and let the chili simmer until it's thick and the squash is tender.
Be sure to season your chili with some salt and pepper to taste before serving it.
Now grab some bowls and dig in!
Butternut Squash Chili Tips & & FAQ
- Is this chili gluten-free? It is!
- Shelf life & storage: Leftover butternut squash chili will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
- Is this chili spicy? The chili will be pretty mild as long as you use a mild chili powder. To add some heat, throw in some cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste.
- Serving ideas! I topped my chili with some diced avocado and scallions. Other great toppings are cashew cream, shredded vegan cheese, fresh cilantro or crushed tortilla strips. Instead of eating your chili in a bowl, try stuffing it in a potato, over fries, or over a vegan hot dog!
- Feel free to switch things up and make this chili your own. Try different types of beans or add some veggies. You could even use another type of winter squash like acorn squash or sugar pumpkin.
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📖 Recipe
Butternut Squash Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or high-heat oil of choice)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Generous pinch ground cloves
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups diced (½ inch) butternut squash
- 1 medium apple (I used Granny Smith), peeled and diced (½ inch)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil and place it over medium heat.
- Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and spices (chili powder through cloves). Cook the mixture while stirring for about 1 minute, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, chickpeas, black beans, crushed and diced tomatoes, butternut squash and apple. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer the chili until thickened and the squash is tender, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from heat and season the chili with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
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The seasonings make this so unique! We really liked it!
Thank you!
oh no I did it and it's really cool and I'll do it again someday
oh no his dish was amazing!! I didn’t have chickpeas on hand, so used black beans instead and it was so good.
Definitely will make again :)
I made it with a hokkaido squash and it was sooo delicious! Thanks for this great recipe :) and a big hello from Berlin, Germany
This chili is excellent ! I had already roasted a squash so it was really easy to put together. The blend of spices is wonderful. Thank you Allisa
This dish was amazing!! I didn't have chickpeas on hand, so used black beans instead and it was so good.
Definitely will make again :)
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I can defintely see how this would be good with black beans. I might try that myself next time. :)
Can this be done in the crockpot?
I'm sure it could, but I'm not sure about the cook time since I haven't tried it myself. I'd just put everything except the chickpeas in at once, and after a couple of hours start checking every thirty minutes or so, then add the chickpeas and give them a few minutes to heat up. :)
Just made it in a crock pot! Used black beans instead of chick peas. Delicious!!
I made this the other day - a double batch because I love chick peas and we have nearly 30 butternut squash from the garden - it was absolutely incredible! I added pepitos to the top when serving - for a little crunch! This is my favorite chili recipe now! Thanks so much!
Awesome! I think I pretty much decided that this was my new favorite too. Glad you enjoyed it!!
This is like the perfect POST thanksgiving meal, just totally different than mashed potatoes and roasts! XD
YES! I'm seriously considering making another big batch to have around, because I have a feeling cooking is the last thing I'll feel like doing next week. ;)
YUM that looks so good. Chickpeas are the best! :)
Thanks Amy! Heck yeah they are!!
This seems absolutely delicious and tasty!
Thank you! It was!!