A hearty black bean chocolate chili that is vegan, gluten free, and nut free, with a deep flavor from chocolate powder and lots of chili. Enjoy!
I don’t know if you’ve ever made chili with chocolate powder before, but I can say that you probably should. The chocolate adds a depth of flavor unlike anything else and is reminiscent of a long-cooked mole sauce in Mexican cooking. This black bean chocolate chili is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and can even be made oil free if you’re looking to go low fat! No matter what you’re eating, I can’t recommend this enough, as this is my favorite way to eat chili.
Free From: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
This past weekend, this black bean chocolate chili was my go-to meal. My part of the world was hit with a massive ice storm, and power outages were happening all around me. I made this the day before the storm hit, knowing that chili does that magic thing of tasting even better when eaten as leftovers. The ice storm hit, but we were safe and sound inside with amazing chili to warm us up.
Black Bean Chocolate Chili Variations
Now, you can add meat to this recipe if you like, just reduce the beans by half and add in about a half pound of ground beef. If making with beef, I would recommend a good 80/20 blend to ensure a good flavor, and let it get a good seer by leaving it alone in the pot for 5 minutes before stirring.
When I make this black bean chocolate chili I usually end up with enough to feed a family of 4 for 2 dinners and one lunch. To make it stretch out so long, you can place it on top of different things. Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and brown rice are all fantastic choices.
Let me introduce you to my personal favorite method of eating this chili: Cincinnati Chili. Cincinnati chili is served over a bed of spaghetti pasta. What? I’m not crazy, this is so good! Top it with your cheese of choice (or leave off if dairy free), a good shake of hot sauce, some avocado, and it is amazing!
Make it Low-Fat
To make this a low-fat recipe, simply leave the oil out of cooking when sautéing your onions and use a little water or low-sodium veggie broth in its place.
How Spicy is this?
Not very spicy at all! The chocolate helps to tone down the spicy flavors in this chili. If you are someone (like me) who loves spice, feel free to add more to suite your taste buds. Some family members in my house are sensitive to spice, so I like to keep this on the mild side and use some hot sauce to get it to my level of spice!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion, chopped
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen corn roasted corn is amazing in this!
- 1 15.5 oz can black beans
- 3 15.5 oz cans beans of your choice you can use a mix of pinto and kidney, or use more black beans. up to you!
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 ½ tablespoons gluten free chili seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- 7 cups water
- Hot sauce, crackers, pasta, potatoes, sour cream, cheese, etc (for serving)
Instructions
- In your largest pot, saute your onion over medium heat until translucent - about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add your spices and cook for one minute.
- Add the tomatoes (with their juices), beans (rinsed and drained), tomato paste, and the corn.
- Bring to a simmer. Cook on medium-high for one hour, or until the liquid has boiled down into a rich sauce. Make sure you stir often to prevent burning on the bottom of your pot.
- Prepare your potatoes, rice, or pasta, if making.
- Serve with your toppings of choice. My go to is always hot sauce, avocado, and a dollop of sour cream. Sharp cheddar cheese can be nice if you are not avoiding dairy.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how this turned out for you! Pop over in the Facebook Group to share your success or tag me over on Instagram with the hashtag #livingbeyondallergies I love to see your creations!
Lynn Stuart says
Hello Laura,
I am loving your blog! I just found it when I searched for a "no-tomatoe" (I avoid night-shades). pizza sauce and have been intrigued by the pasta sauce option that I also found. I was excited, thinking maybe there would be a chili recipe that I could also make. Would you have suggestions about how to alter the pizza and pasta sauce recipes to create a "Mexican" version?
Laura says
Hi Lynn, Thank you so much!!! Comments like this mean the world to me. 🙂
Yes, I do have a tomato free chili recipe in the works and hope to have it up soon! I like to test my recipes multiple times so that I know they work for everyone. Until that time, the easiest thing to do would be to swap out the Italian herb/spices in the pasta sauce and add some Mexican inspired herbs and spices. I'm thinking things like cumin, garlic, onion, cilantro, cinnamon, and cloves. I'll let you know as soon as the chili recipe is posted!
Let me know how you like the pizza sauce and pasta sauce! I can't wait for your feedback.