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 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 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!
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.
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.
There are so many different pumpkin seed flavor variations you can make! Here are some ideas:
Pumpkin seeds are so delicious, I eat them by a handful. Here are more fun ideas to try:
If you make these roasted pumpkin seeds be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting us know how they turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for the EBF team and our readers!
Leave a Comment
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 🙂
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 🙂
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