These Vegetarian Pumpkin Sloppy Joes are cozy, hearty and great for a fall-inspired weeknight dinner! They’re made with crumbled tofu and a flavorful homemade pumpkin sloppy joe sauce. These protein-packed, plant-based sandwiches come together in under 30 minutes and can easily be prepped ahead of time.
I love pretty much all pumpkin-flavored desserts, but savory pumpkin recipes can also be delicious. These Vegetarian Pumpkin Sloppy Joes allow pumpkin to shine in a way that it usually doesn’t. These plant-based sandwiches have the perfect hint of fall flavor and will be on the dinner table in about 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love These Plant-Based Pumpkin Sloppy Joes!
- They’re made with mostly pantry ingredients – Don’t be scared off by the list of ingredients, it’s all things that you probably already have in your pantry or refrigerator! You can add any toppings you like to the sloppy joes though, for freshness.
- They’re perfect for fall – Now that the weather is cooling down, flavorful and hearty meals are on my mind! These pumpkin sloppy joes have a subtle seasonal flavor and they will fill you up. Serve with fries or veggies.
- They’re full of flavor – There’s so much flavor in this pumpkin sloppy joe sauce! It’s loaded up with spices that give it a cozy, seasonal flavor, including cinnamon, cumin and chili powder.
Vegetarian Pumpkin Sloppy Joe Recipe Ingredients
- Tofu – I like to use super firm, pre-pressed tofu that I buy at Trader Joe’s or Sprouts. This tofu usually has higher protein and the texture is great. If you can’t find super firm, you can use extra firm. Just make sure you press as much liquid out of it as you can.
- Onion & Garlic – Onion and garlic make a great base for so many different recipes. They’re aromatics and they add lots of flavor.
- Pumpkin Sauce – The pumpkin sloppy joe sauce does have quite a few ingredients, but hopefully most of them are already in your pantry! Ingredients include: marinara sauce, pumpkin puree, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, tamari and a few others, listed in the recipe.
- Buns – Use any kind of buns you like for these sloppy joes. If you prefer not to use a bun, you could make lettuce wraps or bowls with the filling.
- Additional Toppings – I just enjoyed my sloppy joe with some thick-cut dill pickle slices. Coleslaw would also be great!
How To Make Easy Vegetarian Sloppy Joe’s
- Pat tofu dry and press out any excess liquid with a tofu press, if needed. I like to use super firm tofu that doesn’t require any pressing. Use your hands to crumble the tofu blocks into small pieces resembling sloppy joe meat. Set tofu aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in the diced onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, until onions have softened and then add in the minced garlic. Cook for another minute, until garlic is fragrant.
- Next, add in the crumbled tofu and mix everything together well and allow the tofu to cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the pumpkin puree, marinara sauce, ketchup, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, regular paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and cinnamon (basically all the remaining ingredients). Mix everything together and let cook for 3-5 minutes, on low heat, to let the flavors develop.
- Toast your hamburger buns, if desired, and then add a couple big spoonfuls of the pumpkin sloppy joe mixture on. Add any additional toppings you like and enjoy!
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- This recipe is vegan.
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using a gluten-free hamburger bun.
- Is this pumpkin sloppy joe recipe sweet? No, not really. Some maple syrup and cinnamon are added, but I feel that it has more of a savory pumpkin flavor.
- Can the tofu be substituted? Yes, you can substitute the tofu with tempeh or any type of bean you like. Chickpeas work great in this recipe. You can also use a mix of both tofu and chickpeas.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, leftovers should last about 4-5 days. Re-heat sloppy joe mixture in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.
- Is the sloppy joe mixture freezer-friendly? Yes, this is a great freezer recipe! Allow the mixture to cool completely before storing it in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP.
Looking For More Vegetarian Pumpkin Recipes?
Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili with Black Beans
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Vegetarian Pumpkin Sloppy Joes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Vegetarian Pumpkin Sloppy Joes are cozy, hearty and great for a fall inspired weeknight dinner! They’re made with crumbled tofu and a flavorful homemade pumpkin sloppy joe sauce. These protein packed, plant based sandwiches come together in under 30 minutes and can easily be prepped ahead of time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (16 oz) packages super firm tofu, crumbled
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 1/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, or more if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 6–8 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Pat tofu dry and press out any excess liquid with a tofu press, if needed. I like to use super firm tofu that doesn’t require any pressing. Use your hands to crumble the blocks of tofu into small pieces that resemble sloppy joe meat. Set tofu aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add in the diced onion and the crumbled tofu. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions have softened and tofu is golden brown. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute, until garlic is fragrant.
- Next, add in the pumpkin puree and marinara sauce. Mix together well and then add in the ketchup, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, regular paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt and pepper (basically all the remaining ingredients). Mix everything together and let cook for 3-5 minutes, on low heat, to let the flavors develop.
- Toast your hamburger buns, if desired, and then add a couple big spoonfuls of the pumpkin sloppy joe mixture on. Add any additional toppings you like and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Vegetarian, Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
If you choose to make this recipe with half chick peas and half tofu, how much chick peas do you recommend?
Hi Holly!! I would just do about one can of chickpeas!