Name: Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 yellow onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp oil (olive, avocado, or coconut); 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed; 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped; 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed; 1.5 cup corn (~1 can); 28 oz can diced tomatoes; 1 cup water; 1/2 cup vegetable broth; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 2.5 tbsp chili powder; 1 tbsp coconut sugar; 1.5 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

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This vegan sweet potato black bean chili is incredibly delicious, comforting, and filling. The flavor is lightly sweet and spicy + packed with healthy ingredients including sweet potato, black beans, corn, and more. It will be your new favorite dinner recipe!

two white ceramic bowls filled with vegan sweet potato black bean chili surrounded by corn tortilla chips, chili powder, cilantro, and garlic

Has anyone ever prompted you with the question, “If you could live off of one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?” or is that just me? Maybe I’m a major foodie (true) and I love talking about food (also true), but I’ve been asked this question several times. My answer is always, without a doubt, chili.

Growing up, chili was a favorite in my household. I think my adoration for it is partially just a reminiscent thing. I even add sugar because it was my mom’s secret ingredient! But, I also love it because chili is warm and cozy, comforting, and packed with healthy ingredients. I love how versatile it is, too.

Today, I’m bringing you my vegan sweet potato black bean chili. It’s gluten-free, easy to make, lightly sweet and spicy, nutritious, and just all around delicious. I promise you’ll love it!

a white ceramic bowl filled with vegan sweet potato black bean chili surrounded by cilantro, tortilla chips, and chili powder

How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

For the full recipe, scroll down to view the recipe card below.

Chili is one of the easiest recipes to create. Essentially, it only requires three steps: prepare the ingredients, add them to a stock pot, and simmer for an hour. Boom. That’s it. Nevertheless, I’ll go into a little more detail for any first timers out there!

First, prepare the ingredients by mincing garlic, dicing yellow onion, cubing sweet potato, peeling/chopping carrots, and draining/rinsing black beans. I also prefer to prep the seasonings and spices by adding each measurement to a small bowl.

chili ingredients including black beans, corn, potato, spices, and garlic on top of a marble and wood cutting board

Now that you have prepped all of the ingredients, it’s go time!

Start by heating a stock pot on medium temperature. Add the oil, onion, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, then add all other ingredients. Stir everything to combine and bring ingredients to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to medium-low temperature and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

diced yellow onions and minced garlic inside a metal stock pot

beans, carrots, tomatoes, corn, spices, and potatoes inside a metal stock pot

After, serve the vegan sweet potato black bean chili with your favorite toppings. I love adding my easy vegan cashew sour cream (recipe link below), avocado, cilantro, and corn tortilla chips. Trust me when I say this is the best combination. I highly recommend it!

a bowl of vegan chili surrounded by a wooden bamboo spoon and corn tortilla chips

two bowls of chili on a distressed white cutting board with a small bowl of chili powder, a small bowl of cilantro, and tortilla chips

Kaylie’s Tips:

Here are a few tips to perfect this vegan sweet potato black bean chili.

What are good chili toppings? My absolute favorite way to eat this chili is with my vegan cashew sour cream, avocado, fresh cilantro, and corn tortilla chips. You could also add shredded vegan cheese, lime wedges, and jalapeño.
I use no salt added black beans and corn. If your canned beans and corn contain salt, you may want to add less salt to the recipe.
Got leftovers? No problem. In fact, I happen to think chili is best served as leftovers the following day. The flavors have had plenty of time to marinate and it’s super easy to reheat.
- To store leftovers, allow chili to cool down for ~20 minutes before transferring to a container and placing in the refrigerator.
- To reheat leftovers, add chili to a bowl and microwave for 3 minutes.

a hand holding a tortilla chip to scoop a bite of vegan chili

More healthy vegan dinner recipes:

If you try this Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!