Pumpkin chili sauce is a sweet and spicy sauce made by simmering pumpkin puree with maple syrup, red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, and red pepper flakes for 4–6 minutes. This 5-ingredient version is ready in under 10 minutes and works as a dip, glaze, marinade, or topping for appetizers, mains, and sides.

This Easy Pumpkin Chili Sauce always has my daughter and me licking our fingers and our plates. I have been making this sauce for a while now. And it’s a recipe that does not disappoint.

What Is Pumpkin Chili Sauce?

It’s a quick condiment, in the same family as sweet chili sauce. The pumpkin puree gives it body, color, and a subtle pumpkin flavor; the maple syrup adds sweetness, the vinegar adds tang, and the red pepper flakes bring the heat.

This isn’t a pumpkin chili recipe. Pumpkin chili is a hearty stew with beans, warm spices, and ground beef or ground turkey. This is a sauce you spoon, dip, or slather on anything and everything.

What about pumpkin hot sauce? If that’s what you searched for, this is a quick, sweet-and-spicy take. It’s thicker and sweeter than long-simmered or fermented hot sauces, and you control the heat with the red pepper flakes (use up to 3 tablespoons for a spicy sauce).

What Are the Ingredients for Pumpkin Chili Sauce?

You need only 5 ingredients, plus salt and pepper:

1. Maple syrup 
2. 100% pure pumpkin purée (I used a 15-oz can. Make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling)
3. Fresh garlic 
4. Red wine vinegar 
5. Red pepper flakes

How to Make this 5-ingredient Easy Pumpkin Chili Sauce in Under 10 Minutes

Can this sauce really be ready in less than 10 minutes? Most definitely.

1. Combine. Add the maple syrup, pumpkin puree, red wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes to a heavy-bottomed pan set on a stovetop with the setting between low to medium heat. You don’t need a large pot; a small one will do.
2. Add the garlic. Peel the garlic cloves and grate them into the mixture in the pan. Grating them is the trick to distributing the flavor throughout.
3. Simmer. Cook for 4–6 minutes over medium/low heat, stirring often (vigorously) so it doesn’t burn. This doesn’t have to come to a boil, just a slow simmer.
4. Season. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve warm or cold, as a marinade or topping.

The hardest step in making this sauce is peeling the garlic and grating it. The next hardest step is opening the can of pumpkin puree.

(The full recipe card is below.)

Variations and Substitutions

• Pumpkin: One reader asked about baked butternut squash puree, which should work as a swap. Use a smooth, thick puree. If you’re using fresh pumpkin, roast or steam it, mash it well, and drain any extra liquid.
• Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are good swaps to try.
• Sweetener: Honey may work in place of maple syrup. Taste and adjust. 
• Less spicy: Use 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes, taste and add more if you prefer. If you don’t have red pepper flakes, use 1 tablespoon chili powder or less. Or leave out the chili and red pepper flakes, and spice this with a combination of 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and a pinch of turmeric.

How to Serve Pumpkin Chili Sauce

This pumpkin chili sauce can be served warm or cold.

In the past, I have slathered chicken drumsticks with this sauce. This sauce can also be drizzled over roasted pork, turkey, salmon bowls, and roasted veggies.

I have also served this pumpkin chili sauce on top of little phyllo dough appetizers (this bonus recipe is above the recipe card). Sometimes these appetizers were stuffed with a spiced onion, ground chicken, and potato mixture, and sometimes the filling was veggie-forward with black beans, bell pepper, and other veggies. By the way, these apps are perfect for Halloween parties.

These days I usually serve this sauce with everything from baked purple sweet potato fritters to roasted cabbage. 

Sometimes, I make a batch and serve it on a charcuterie board along with mango chutney, sweet chili sauce, veggie crudités, homemade crackers, and some cut-up pita bread when we have guests.

How to Store Pumpkin Chili Sauce

Cool the sauce, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. I haven’t tested canning, so keep it refrigerated. I haven’t tested freezing it either. This is a small batch recipe and leftover chili sauce usually disappears quickly. I have made this 3-4 days before it’s to be served, so it can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed.

This can be left on the kitchen counter to come to room temperature or, if time is limited, place this sauce in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 10-15 seconds. 

How This Pumpkin Chili Sauce Happened

This sauce happened one day when I wanted to make a batch of homemade sweet chili sauce and did not have any tomato paste or tomatoes on hand. I did have some pumpkin puree and decided to experiment with it instead. And the result was simply delicious.

From September 2018: Tailgating at UGA

I first shared this pumpkin chili sauce when my daughter and I attended a football game at the University of GA in Athens. On game days, the little college town of Athens would transform into a sea of red and black in anticipation of a Bulldogs win.

Our first and last football game. We got free tickets to go and lasted all of 10 minutes before hightailing it out of that stadium!

Now, I am not a football fan at all. If I am invited to a friend’s place to watch a game, I show up. But, truth be told, I have no idea who is playing who or even for that matter what sport it is. The main attraction for me is the table of food!

One time we even had a tailgating get-together, and my daughter and I went all out and decked out the truck of my car! We had chicken drumsticks with pumpkin chili sauce, some phyllo appetizers (recipe below, just above the recipe card), and a plethora of drinks and veggies.

Bonus Recipe: Potato Hatch Chili Phyllo Shells

Ingredients:

1. Extra virgin olive oil
2. Onion
3. Fresh garlic
4. Yellow potatoes
5. Hatch chilies
6. Coriander
7. Smoked paprika
8. Parsley
9. Store-bought phyllo shells (baked according to package directions)

Directions:

1. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic.
2. Place a pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 7–10 minutes, stirring every so often so they don’t burn.
3. While they cook, wash and dice the potatoes and hatch chilies into very tiny pieces. Add them to the onion and garlic along with the smoked paprika, 1 tsp of the parsley, and the coriander.
4. Turn the heat down a bit and sauté about 10 more minutes, or until the potato bits are tender.
5. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Spoon the potato hatch chili mixture into the pre-baked phyllo shells.
7. Garnish with the remaining tsp of parsley and chili flakes (optional).
8. Add a small dollop of pumpkin chili sauce on each shell and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

More Sauce Recipes

• Sweet Chili Sauce
• Cauliflower Jalapeño Sauce
• Easy Spicy Mango Sauce
• Easy Pear Cranberry Sauce
• Easy Chili Cherry Sauce
• Dairy-free Sage Cream Sauce
• Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

I would love to know if you’ve made this recipe or any other recipe from this blog. Please rate the recipe and let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more recipe ideas.

Thank you for sharing!