Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Don’t throw out those pumpkin seeds! With a bit of prep, you can prepare Roasted Pumpkin Seeds for a healthy snack or toss them in your salads. They’re crunchy and irresistible with savory spice flavor and keep for up to 2 weeks!
When I was growing up, my mom always reserved the seeds from our carved Jack-O-Lantern to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. We always loved them, but sadly I didn’t keep up with this tradition when I got older because I felt the process was a bit time consuming.
I prepare fresh pumpkin regularly during the fall and winter months, so I decided to revisit the process because I hate throwing those seeds away.
Over the years I’ve learned a few tricks to cleaning pumpkin seeds quickly and easily, so now I always reserve the seeds for roasting.
They take about 15 minutes of prep, and it can be done up to a few days before you plan to roast them.
Although I season them differently than my mom did, I’m taken back to my childhood every time I eat them.
They’re irresistibly crunchy and delicious, and are the perfect project for the kids to help with. 🙂
Table of contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- These easy roasted pumpkin seeds are addictively crunchy and packed with warm savory spicy flavor.
- They make a healthy snack or topping for my fall harvest salad or pumpkin soup.
- The recipe instructions include how to clean pumpkin seeds quickly and easy to utilize every part of your pumpkin.
- They’re dairy and gluten-free, vegan, paleo and keto-friendly, and they can be changed up with your favorite herbs, spices and sweeteners.
Recipe ingredients
This roasted pumpkin seed recipe takes just a few ingredients, and the seasoning can be customized based on your personal preferences.
Be sure to see the Recipe Variations section for additional ideas on seasoning pumpkin seeds!
Ingredient notes
- Pumpkin seeds. I’ve used a fresh 3 lb. sugar pumpkin for this recipe, which yielded about 1 cup of pumpkin seeds in the shell. The process takes a bit of time, but it’s much more cost effective than purchasing raw pumpkin seeds at the store.
- Olive oil. The olive oil helps the seasoning to adhere to the seeds and also promotes browning. It may be substituted with your favorite oil or even melted butter.
- Spices. I’ve seasoned the seeds with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, but you can season them any number of ways. They’re great sweet and savory!
How to make roasted pumpkin seeds
As I’m sure you know, pumpkin seeds are covered in stringy pulp when they’re scooped out of the pumpkin. The instructions below show you how to clean pumpkin seeds for roasting quickly and easily.
Once the seeds are clean and dry, they may be seasoned and roasted in the oven.
Pro tip: Clean and dry the pumpkin seeds up to a few days in advance and store in an air tight container at room temperature until you’re ready to roast them.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Clean the pumpkin seeds
- Cut the pumpkin in half following my instructions for how to cut a pumpkin.
- Scoop out the seeds and pulp by scraping the flesh with the tip of a large spoon and place in a bowl of water. Most of the seeds will float to the top, the rest can be released easily with your fingers.
- Rinse the seeds and drain well.
- Place the seeds in a single layer on a towel lined baking sheet and blot dry. Keep the seeds covered with the towel for 1-2 hours or overnight until dry.
Roast the pumpkin seeds
- Place the dry pumpkin seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and toss to coat with the olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
- Roast at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through the baking time.
FAQs
Pumpkin seeds provide many health benefits. They’re a good source of healthful oils, minerals such as magnesium, and antioxidants such as carotenoids and Vitamin E. They’re also a great source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and fiber.
See this article by Medical News Today to learn more about the benefits of pumpkin seeds.
The easiest way to separate pumpkin seeds from the pulp is place the pulp and seeds in a bowl of water. The majority of the seeds should float to the top, and you can separate the rest easily by using your fingers.
In order to achieve crisp, crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds, you should dry them out once they’ve been cleaned.
Simply blot them dry and place them on a towel lined baking sheet in a single layer. Cover the seeds with the towel and let stand at room temperature for a few hours or even a day in advance.
The shell of pumpkin seeds is completely edible and they are a great source of fiber. The high fiber content of the pumpkin seed shells aren’t ideal for people with digestive issues, however, so it really depends on the individual.
Pumpkin seeds are very easy to prepare in a few simple steps. First, they’re scooped out of the pumpkin along with the pumpkin pulp.
From there, the seeds are separated from the pulp by placing in a bowl of water (some will float to the top, and the rest can be removed using your fingers). The seeds are then rinsed clean and dried on a towel lined baking sheet.
Once dried, the seeds are coated with olive oil, spices, salt and pepper and roasted in the oven until golden brown.
Recipe variations
There are so many ways to change up this roasted pumpkin seed recipe as listed below.
- Make sweet roasted pumpkin seeds by tossing them in a tablespoon or so of honey, maple syrup or your favorite sweetener. Add a teaspoon or so of warm baking spices as well, such as cinnamon, ginger, or my homemade pumpkin pie spice or chai spice mix.
- Make spicy roasted pumpkin seeds by including 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or toss them in a teaspoon or so of my homemade blackened seasoning.
- Add 1 teaspoon freshly chopped herbs or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme or sage.
- Sub the oil with melted butter for even more flavor.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Clean and dry the pumpkin seeds up to a few days in advance and store in an air tight container at room temperature until you’re ready to roast them.
- Raw pumpkin seeds may be used if you wish to save time, but it’s much more affordable to clean the seeds yourself.
- Store roasted pumpkin seeds in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
More pumpkin recipes you’ll love:
- Gluten-free pumpkin bread
- Healthy pumpkin muffins
- How to make pumpkin purée
- Pumpkin overnight oats
- Roasted pumpkin
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 3 lb. sugar pumpkin or your favorite variety; a Jack-O-Lantern will yield a lot more seeds!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil sub with melted butter if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the pumpkin in half following my instructions for how to cut a pumpkin. Using a large spoon, scoop the seeds out by scraping them out with the tip of the spoon and place in a bowl of water. Most of the seeds will float to the top, the rest can be easily released using your fingers.3 lb. sugar pumpkin
- Transfer the clean pumpkin seeds to a mesh strainer and rinse well (it's ok if there is a small amount of orange pulp remaining). You'll have roughly 1 cup of seeds (the amount will vary based on the size of your pumpkin).
- Place the seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a towel and blot dry, then cover the seeds with the towel. Let stand for 1-2 hours or overnight until they've dried out. This will ensure they get nice and crispy once they're roasted.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss the dried pumpkin seeds with the olive oil, garlic salt, smoked paprika, salt and pepper until well coated and spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, tossing after 10 minutes of baking time.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Clean and dry the pumpkin seeds up to a few days in advance and store in an air tight container at room temperature until you’re ready to roast them.
- Store roasted pumpkin seeds in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- Make sweet roasted pumpkin seeds by tossing them in a tablespoon or so of honey, maple syrup or your favorite sweetener. Add a teaspoon or so of warm baking spices as well, such as cinnamon, ginger, or my homemade pumpkin pie spice or chai spice mix.
- Make spicy roasted pumpkin seeds by including 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or toss them in a teaspoon or so of my homemade blackened seasoning.
- Add 1 teaspoon freshly chopped herbs or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme or sage.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
