This epic Pumpkin Chili with cheddar béchamel and spiced popcorn is everything you didn’t know you wanted from a chili. This hearty, meaty chili is loaded with veggies and beans and is flavored with pumpkin lager and pumpkin purée. Topped with a creamy cheddar sauce and spiced popcorn, this chili is sure to surprise your taste buds!
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Pumpkin doesn’t have to just be a dessert ingredient. It has a beautiful color and texture and is full of nutrients, making it easy to mix into just about anything. This pumpkin chili has an amazing, hearty texture and is perfect for those colder months. Switch up the recipe and test out different pumpkin beers for different flavor profiles.
Growing up, my mom used to make an amazing homemade chili topped with cheddar popcorn. I loved the contrast in textures and the cheddar complimented the chili perfectly. This recipe is a more refined version of the chili I grew up eating. The cheddar béchamel tastes so good in the chili and melts into every bite, while the popcorn is loaded with delicious spices and adds that crunch that I find a good chili needs.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Chili
When you take a bite of this chili, there will be no doubt that it’s loaded with pumpkin flavor. The pumpkin puree provides a smooth, creaminess to the chili while the pumpkin beers adds some subtle spice flavors. The cheddar béchamel and spiced popcorn are purely optional but you really don’t want to miss out on that awesome flavor combination!
- ground beef – you can use any type of ground meat in this recipe. For instance you can use ground bison, ground turkey, ground chicken, ground venison or even ground lamb. For vegans or vegetarians, substitute with plant-based beef.
- yellow onion
- bell peppers
- jalapeño – remove the seeds if you don’t want any added heat.
- garlic
- chili powder
- dried oregano
- ground cumin
- pumpkin purée
- diced tomatoes
- black beans
- pumpkin beer or amber ale – my go-to for this recipe is the Dogfish Punkin Ale.
- chicken broth – for vegans or vegetarians, substitute with vegetable broth.
- maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar Béchamel – optional
- unsalted butter – for vegans, substitute with vegan butter.
- all-purpose flour
- whole milk – for vegans, substitute with plant-based milk.
- sharp cheddar cheese- for vegans, substitute with plant-based cheddar.
- salt and pepper to taste
- nutmeg
Spiced Popcorn – optional
- olive oil
- popcorn kernels
- salt
- black pepper
- nutritional yeast
- smoked paprika
- dried oregano
Here’s what else you’ll need:
- large pot or Dutch oven with lid
- stirring spoon
- cutting board and knife
- bottle opener
- can opener
- medium saucepan
- whisk
- large pot with lid
- measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Pumpkin Chili
The chili is very easy to make and you can throw all the ingredients into 1 big pot. Your kitchen will smell incredible while the chili simmers! You can make the béchamel and popcorn while the chili is cooking so that when it’s ready, you’ll have all the toppings ready to go!
- Cook the beef in a large pot, then add onions, peppers and garlic. Stir occasionally.
- Season with spices and stir well.
- Next, add pumpkin, diced tomatoes and beans and stir. Pour pumpkin beer, chicken broth and maple syrup into the pot and bring to a boil. Stir well.
- Reduce heat and let simmer, partially covered, until chili has thickened.
Cheddar Béchamel – optional
- Whisk together butter and flour to form a paste then cook until nutty.
- Add milk and whisk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
- Reduce heat and let simmer until thickened. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese and let simmer until cheese is melted.
Spiced Popcorn – optional
- Add oil and kernels to the pot and cover with a lid. Shake the pot occasionally while the kernels pop.
- Remove from heat then drizzle with oil and season with spices. Give it a good shake.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
Please let me know how your Pumpkin Chili turns out in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Make sure to checkout the Spotify playlists I’ve paired with this recipe below!
Pumpkin Chili
This epic Pumpkin Chili with cheddar béchamel and spiced popcorn is everything you didn't know you wanted from a chili. This hearty, meaty chili is loaded with veggies and beans and is flavored with pumpkin lager and pumpkin purée. Topped with a creamy cheddar sauce and spiced popcorn, this chili is sure to surprise your taste buds!
In a large pot (that holds at least 7 quarts) over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and cook until just browned, about 5 minutes. Season beef with salt and pepper. To the same pot, add the onions and both peppers and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
Season everything with salt and pepper, chili powder, oregano and cumin then stir well.
Add the pumpkin, diced tomatoes and beans to the pot and stir well. Pour the pumpkin beer, chicken broth and maple syrup into the pot and bring to a boil, stirring everything together.
Once the chili has reached a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
While the chili is simmering, prepare the béchamel sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until a paste forms. Let cook for about 3 minutes or when the paste browns slightly and develops a nutty aroma.
Pour the milk into the saucepan and whisk until there are no clumps. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk constantly until boiling, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 Minutes or until the mixture thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg then add the cheese. Whisk until well combined and cheese has completely melted. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Serve warm over the chili.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add a few test kernels to the pot once the oil is hot, then cover with a lid. When the test kernels have popped, add the remaining kernels to the pot and cover with a lid. Give it a good shake to make sure all kernels are covered in oil.
Allow the kernels to pop, shaking the pot occasionally. Remove from the heat then drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the spices over the popcorn then cover with a lid and shake until combined. Add a handful of popcorn to the chili for some extra crunch.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large pot (that holds at least 7 quarts) over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and cook until just browned, about 5 minutes. Season beef with salt and pepper. To the same pot, add the onions and both peppers and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
Season everything with salt and pepper, chili powder, oregano and cumin then stir well.
Add the pumpkin, diced tomatoes and beans to the pot and stir well. Pour the pumpkin beer, chicken broth and maple syrup into the pot and bring to a boil, stirring everything together.
Once the chili has reached a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
While the chili is simmering, prepare the béchamel sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until a paste forms. Let cook for about 3 minutes or when the paste browns slightly and develops a nutty aroma.
Pour the milk into the saucepan and whisk until there are no clumps. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk constantly until boiling, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 Minutes or until the mixture thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg then add the cheese. Whisk until well combined and cheese has completely melted. Taste and add more seasoning if desired. Serve warm over the chili.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add a few test kernels to the pot once the oil is hot, then cover with a lid. When the test kernels have popped, add the remaining kernels to the pot and cover with a lid. Give it a good shake to make sure all kernels are covered in oil.
Allow the kernels to pop, shaking the pot occasionally. Remove from the heat then drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the spices over the popcorn then cover with a lid and shake until combined. Add a handful of popcorn to the chili for some extra crunch.
Notes
Notes
MAKE IT VEGAN: Make this recipe completely vegan by making the following substitutions:
- substitute ground beef with plant-based beef.
- substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- substitute butter with vegan butter.
- substitute whole milk with plant-based milk.
- substitute cheddar with plant-based cheddar.
RECOMMENDATIONS: I suggest using a pumpkin lager or ale for this recipe. My go-to for this recipe is the Dogfish Punkin Ale.
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