Slow Cooker Sweet Potato White Bean Chili
Bring a new take to fall chili with this slow cooker Sweet Potato White Bean Chili. This hearty, vegetarian meal brings warm spices together with hearty root vegetables and is sure to leave you satisfied!
Sweet Potato Chili
Today, we're bringing you a non-traditional, vegetarian Sweet Potato Chili that comes together quickly, and is slow cooked throughout the day to make those frosty, hectic evenings a bit slower and more relaxed.
If you've never put sweet potatoes in your chili, you're missing out!
Sweet potatoes pair so well with the deep, robust flavors of chili. And those classic chili flavors are the perfect companion to the light sweetness that sweet potatoes add to the mix.
Chili With White Beans
If there are rules for chili, we're probably breaking them all with this dish.
We like beans in our chili, but most of the time you'll find kidney beans or pinto beans gracing our chili bowls.
For this sweet potato chili , we decided to skip the traditional beans and replace them with a lighter flavored white bean.
We like the more mild, lighter flavor of he white beans here because they allow the flavor of the sweet potatoes to really shine through. But, we still get that classic, chili heartiness.
Our Vegetarian Sweet Potato White Bean Chili Recipe
As we continue breaking chili rules, this chili is vegetarian!
We're not chili purists over here, but if you are, go ahead and call this a stew or a soup. We won't be offended.
Just because there's no meat doesn't mean this chili doesn't mean it's lacking in flavor.
Au contraire!
This vegetarian chili gets some incredible flavor from the sweet potatoes as their sugars caramelizes over the course of the day's cooking.
Not only does the slow cooker make things easy, it makes them even more tasty!
We spiced our sweet potato chili with come classic southwest seasonings: cumin, paprika, oregano, and cinnamon. These give a sweet and smoky flavor that is the perfect complement to the sweetness of the sweet potato.
And, don't worry, we haven't forgotten the spice!
A double dose of chili powder and red pepper flakes ensure that this chili brings that sweet and spicy combo to the table.
So, go ahead.
Who needs meat to enjoy a tasty chili?
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato White Bean Chili
Ingredients
- ½ lb great northern beans, dry
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
- 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
- 1 onion chopped
- ½ red pepper, cut into 1” chunks
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tsp molasses
- 1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 c water
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a 4-6 qt crock pot.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.
Notes
Nutrition

Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.







This was good, but needed a little something extra. Maybe make with vegetable stock instead of water? Cut the root veggies a little smaller, shorter cook time, and add something spicy, maybe jalapenos? Otherwise, tasty and filling comfort food.
Great thoughts Jamie! Thanks!
That look so beautiful and it's the kind of dish to have when the weather runs nasty.
This looks so good for this time of year. I absolutely adore sweet potatoes!
I wish I had a bowl of this hearty soup right now!
If you broke some rules, it sure was a good call. This looks delish!
Seeing this makes me realize I need to use sweet potatoes more often in chili, soups, and stews.