Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
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Published Oct 21, 2020, Updated Feb 20, 2023
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Don’t toss your pumpkin seeds! Roasted pumpkin seeds make a delicious fall snack. They’re crunchy, salty and so easy to make!
After sharing how to make your own pumpkin puree, I figured I would also share how to roast pumpkin seeds! If you usually toss out your pumpkin seeds while carving or cooking pumpkins, you’re missing out. Roasted pumpkin seeds are delicious, nutritious and fun to make.
Pumpkin Seeds vs Pepitas
Pumpkin seeds are often called pepitas. I always thought that pepitas were hulled pumpkin seeds, but upon research I’ve found that the two are different seeds. A pepita is harvested from specific pumpkins that produce hull-less seeds… the tasty green seeds are called pepitas! Whereas pumpkin seeds are harvested from pumpkins that produce the white seeds with hulls… the type of seeds most of us are used to finding when carving pumpkins.
When using pepitas and pumpkin seeds as a topping on something like soup or salad, either can be used interchangeably. If the seeds are being used in a specific recipe, I recommend following whatever the recipe calls for! For instance if you’re making a dip or sauce that calls for pepitas, pumpkin seeds won’t work well because the hull is quite hard! A good rule of thumb is that pepitas can always be a substitute for pumpkin seeds, but pumpkin seeds can’t always be used in place of pepitas.
Pumpkin Seed Nutrition
Pumpkin seeds are small, but mighty! They’re packed with fiber and healthy fats. They’re also a great source of antioxidants and other nutrients like iron, zinc and magnesium. Zinc helps to support our immune systems and magnesium is known as the “stress relief mineral”… basically two nutrients we could all use right about now!
What You Need to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
- pumpkin seeds – clean, dry pumpkin seeds work best
- olive oil – avocado oil also works!
- salt – for this recipe we’re keeping the seasoning simple with just sea salt, but you can certainly get creative and add different spices and seasonings.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Separate seeds – Right after you’ve scooped out the seeds from the pumpkin, separate the seeds from the stringy, fibery pumpkin innards. Put the pulp and seeds into a large bowl of water and work the seeds away from the pulp with your fingers. Drain the water and place the seeds on paper towels or a clean dish towel to try.
Season seeds – When the pumpkin seeds are dry, toss in olive oil and salt until all of the seeds are coated.
Bake – Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer seeds onto the baking sheet. Roast the pumpkin seeds at 300ºF for 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
How to Store Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
We eat these really quickly so we usually store them on our countertop because they don’t last long. Store in an airtight container on your countertop for a couple days. If you want to store them longer than a few days, store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Variations
There are so many different pumpkin seed flavor variations you can make! Here are some ideas:
- Chili powder – add 1-2 teaspoons chili powder for every 1 cup of pumpkin seeds.
- Curry powder – add 1 teaspoon curry powder for every 1 cup of pumpkin seeds.
- Pumpkin spice blend – add 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice for every 1 cup of pumpkin seeds.
- Cinnamon and sugar – add 3 teaspoons sugar + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for every 1 cup of pumpkin seeds.
What to Do With Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are so delicious, I eat them by a handful. Here are more fun ideas to try:
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try:
- 10 Minute Pumpkin Butter
- Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
- Pumpkin Puree
- Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal Cups
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups of pumpkin seeds (or whatever you get from one pumpkin
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon for every cup of seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F
- Separate seeds from the stringy fibery pumpkin innards. For best results, do it just after you’ve scooped out the seeds from the pumpkin and before the pulp has dried.Â
- Put the pulp and seeds into a large bowl of water, and work the pulp away from the seeds with your fingers, picking out the strings and pumpkin bits that cling on. Drain water and place seeds on paper towels or a dish towel to dry.Â
- Once dry, toss seeds in olive oil and salt until all the seeds are coated.Â
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and transfer seeds onto the tray.Â
- Roast pumpkin seeds for 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The cook time will depend on the size of the pumpkin seeds so be sure to watch them carefully so they don’t burn.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is very good recipe. I love all your recipes. You have the best many recipes what I love. Thank you.
Ahh thank you so much, Margaret. That makes me so happy to hear. <3
Okay so I have a tip! 5mins ago I just figured out that when you scrape out the seeds, you can do that só softly, only the seeds will come out and almost no flesh comes with it 🙂
i am no tossing pumpkin seeds! i am going Roasted pumpkin seeds make some delicious fall snack.with your help.
So glad this recipe was a hit, Vivek! Thanks for the review 🙂