Whether you carved a jack-o-lantern or just love to make your own pumpkin puree, crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds are easy to make in the oven for a nice little treat you’ll be happy to eat.
The next time you’re carving a pumpkin or scooping out a squash, save those seeds. Sugar pumpkins, carving pumpkins, and even winter squash varieties like acorn, butternut, and kabocha, all contain one of the best snacks nature has to offer.
It only takes a few minutes to separate the seeds from the pulp, salt ’em up, and roast them until crispy. The seeds turn deliciously nutty as they gently toast. Eat them by the handful, shell and all, or throw them on top of a salad. They’re so good, you will wish you bought another pumpkin.
Recipe ingredients:
Ingredient notes:
- Raw pumpkin seeds: Fresh out of the pumpkin works best. But don’t forget, you can also apply this recipe to squash seeds (you may not get as many out of a squash, but they’re just as good).
Step-by-step instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to make clean-up easier. Once you have removed the fibrous strings and pulp from the seeds, toss them in a bowl with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
- Spread them out evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or so. You can flip the seeds every few minutes to toast both sides.
- The seeds are ready when lightly toasted and no longer wet-looking. Cool before eating.
Recipe tips and variations:
- Best way remove pumpkin seeds: Run your fingers through the fibrous strands inside the pumpkin gathering the seeds as you go, and collect the seeds (along with any clinging pulp) in a bowl. Then fill the bowl with cold water, which helps loosen up the slippery seeds and makes the pulp easy to remove. Pat the seeds dry with a kitchen towel before seasoning.
- Storage: I usually store toasted pumpkin seeds in a bowl right out on the counter for easy munching, but an air-tight container at room temperature works, too. They won’t last long.
- Seasoning: This is up to you and your tastebuds, plus the amount of seeds you’re baking. if you like, add ½ teaspoon or more of another seasoning (lemon pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, etc) with the salt to flavor the seeds.
- Without oil: You don’t need oil, if you don’t want it. The natural viscosity of the wet seeds will make the salt adhere to them naturally.
- Pepitas vs. pumpkin seeds: The same thing in another language; “pepita” is Spanish for “little squash seed.” Usually, we think of pepitas as the green, already-shelled pumpkin seed, which is added to mole and other Mexican recipes. Pumpkin seeds with the shell are creamy off-white on the outside with a pepita inside.
Related recipes:
- Fresh Pumpkin Purée
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- How to Roast Sunflower Seeds
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Whether you carved a jack-o-lantern or just love to make your own pumpkin puree, crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds are easy to make in the oven for a nice little treat you'll be happy to eat.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds fibrous strings and pulp removed (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin seeds and olive oil. Sprinkle salt and mix thoroughly.
- Spread seeds evenly on prepared baking sheet and bake until seeds are toasted, flipping seeds over every five minutes, about 15 minutes total. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Notes
- Raw pumpkin seeds: Fresh out of the pumpkin works best. But don't forget, you can also apply this recipe to squash seeds (you may not get as many out of a squash, but they're just as good).
- Best way remove pumpkin seeds: Run your fingers through the fibrous strands inside the pumpkin gathering the seeds as you go, and collect the seeds (along with any clinging pulp) in a bowl. Then fill the bowl with cold water, which helps loosen up the slippery seeds and makes the pulp easy to remove. Pat the seeds dry with a kitchen towel before seasoning.
- Storage: I usually store toasted pumpkin seeds in a bowl right out on the counter for easy munching, but an air-tight container at room temperature works, too. They won't last long.
- Seasoning: This is up to you and your tastebuds, plus the amount of seeds you're baking. if you like, add ½ teaspoon or more of another seasoning (lemon pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, etc) with the salt to flavor the seeds.
- Without oil: You don't need oil, if you don't want it. The natural viscosity of the wet seeds will make the salt adhere to them naturally.
- Pepitas vs. pumpkin seeds: The same thing in another language; "pepita" is Spanish for "little squash seed." Usually, we think of pepitas as the green, already-shelled pumpkin seed, which is added to mole and other Mexican recipes. Pumpkin seeds with the shell are creamy off-white on the outside with a pepita inside.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 131kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 389mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
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I love to roast pumpkin seeds! These were so good.