Vegan Apple Chili

This vegan apple chili is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy! One of the easiest vegan crockpot chili recipes that you will taste! It will quickly go in your meal plan rotation! Top 8 Allergen Free!

If you are looking for the best vegan chili recipe, then I’m happy to tell you that your search is over.  This delicious vegan chipotle apple chili is amazing and a huge hit even amount the little ones.

Chili is one of those dish that you make for two reasons.  It’s either freezing outside or you are trying to feed a crowd.  Whatever your reason, people are going to line up to ask you what the secret is to making this delicious vegan chili recipe!

This vegan apple chili recipe is actually an inspiration from my friend over at Snacking in Sneakers.  Her Turkey Apple Chili sounded delicious and I knew that I needed to recreate it to be a plant based chili as soon as possible! 

What ingredients do I need to make this Vegan Apple Chili?

This Vegan Apple Chili does need 17 ingredients to make, but before you click that X because you think that’s too many, most of the ingredients are spices!

When you make any type of a vegan chili recipe you are going to need a variety of spices for it to really come together.  Still, I would call this an easy vegan chili recipe. 

The ingredients that you need for this vegan apple chili are: 

• red onion
• garlic
• chipotles in adobo (*See notes below)
• tomato paste
• salt
• pepper
• cumin 
• smoked paprika
• chili powder
• cinnamon
• red apple
• low sodium vegetable stock
• apple juice
• lentils
• kidney beans
• pinto beans
• fire roasted tomatoes

How do I make Vegan Apple Chili?

One of the best things about making a vegan crockpot chili recipe is that you can pretty much dump and go!  Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and then stir is until very well combined.  Once combined, cook it on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Stir to combine again at the end and serve.  

Where do you find chipotles in adobo?

It is usually a small can that you will find in almost any grocery store in the Mexican/Spanish aisle. Chipotles are smoke dried jalapeños. You can find them in a can of adobo sauce. It leads to the spiciness of the dish. 

You don’t need many for any dish that you make, but the sauce and adobos can be frozen for later use since you won’t use the whole can.  

Do I have to use red apples in this vegan chili?

You do not.  We like the flavor the red apples give; however, you can use another apple that you have on hand also. We like something that is slightly sweet with a little tart with this recipe.

Red delicious apples are easy to find and great; however, golden delicious or pink lady apples would yield a very similar flavor.  But feel free to use any other type of apple also! 

Can I make vegan crockpot chili on the stove instead?

Yes! Whether you don’t have a crockpot or you need to make this easy vegan chili recipe in a shorter amount of time, you may need to make on the stove.  To do that you need just a few different changes to the recipe. 

To start, you will need to peel the skins off the apples if you are making this way. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook 3 minutes until translucent. Add in the garlic. Cook for 1 minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

If the chili is too thin after 30 minutes, turn the heat up slightly and let evaporate until desired thickness is achieved.  

CAN I MAKE VEGAN APPLE CHILI IN THE INSTANT POT?

Yes! Add a little of the stock into the bottom of the Instant Pot and hit the Saute method. Add the apples and onions and let saute for 3 minutes. Then, add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Turn off the saute function.

Add all the remaining ingredients + an extra ½ cup vegetable stock and stir together well. Push down the ingredients into the broth.

Place the lid on, making sure the valve is set to seal. Cook on High Manual Pressure for 15 minutes.

When done let naturally release for 15 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure.

Serve.

Can I make this a Top 8 Allergy Friendly Apple Chili recipe?

This recipe as written is already Top 8 Allergen Free. No changes need to. be made to make this a top 8 allergy friendly chili. 

What do I serve with this easy vegan chili?

This vegan apple chili is literally delicious all on its own, but there’s also a variety of ways to serve otherwise. We love pairing with vegan garlic bread. But another way we love chili is over baked potatoes or even served over rice (try this cauliflower rice). You could even serve over some warmed plain pasta. 

How do you tone down vegan chili that’s too spicy?

Typically, when someone has something too spicy, they reach for dairy. Obviously, we aren’t doing that here.  We don’t think this vegan chili recipe is too spicy, but everyone is different.

Still, there are some ways that you can tone down chili if you made it too spicy. Some ways you could do that here are: 

• Add more vegetable stock – thinning out the recipe can help
• Put more tomatoes in – tomatoes are acidic and balances out spice. 
• Throw in another can of beans. More ingredients tend to spread out the heat, so it can help.  You may need more liquid if too thick after adding
• Add in some sugar – sweetness can tame spiciness, but be careful of adding too much.  No more than a tablespoon.

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