Fall is a glorious time of year when pumpkins and squashes come into season, and all kinds of good things happen. Roasting pumpkin seeds is one of them!
If you’re like me this is a nostalgic time of year. Roasted pumpkin seeds take me back to the days of being a kid. My mom would roast them every year.
I loved snacking on the salty, crunchy seeds freshly warm from the oven. It’s a tradition that is still alive and well in my home.
Pumpkin seeds are a good for you and are a great source of vitamin E, zinc and other essential minerals. They also make for great snacking any time of day, and travel well too.
My favorite way to eat pumpkin seeds is simply with mineral salt but if you like more flavor, I’ve noted various spices you can use. The hardest part to roasting the seeds is separating them from the stringy mass. After that, it’s easy as can be.
I used a sugar pumpkin here but you can use any size pumpkin you like. This recipe works well with all pumpkin and squash seeds like delicata, acorn, butternut, etc.
It’s easy to prepare your own pumpkin seeds at home. So without further ado, gather your pumpkins and let’s get roasting!
HOW TO ROAST PUMPKIN SEEDS: STEP BY STEP
Slice in half and you’ll see all those precious seeds. If using a large carving pumpkin you’ll cut a circle about 2 – 3 inches away from and around the stem, remove top and scoop out seeds.
Scoop out seeds and rinse well removing any orange flesh…
Dry…
Place on baking sheet, oil and add salt/spices…
- For savory sprinkle with any single or combo of these: garlic powder, onion powder, black/white pepper, chipotle, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, old bay, garam marsala, smoked paprika or curry. Use combos at your own discretion.
- For sweet add cinnamon and sugar while omitting the salt.
Once done, let cool a bit and enjoy your freshly roasted pumpkin seeds. Be sure to share the love!
ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS
Roasted pumpkin seeds are a must when in season. They are so easy to make, nutritious and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin
- olive oil, grapeseed or coconut oil
- mineral salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
If using a sugar pumpkin, cut in half, scoop seeds out using a good-sized spoon and discard any orange flesh. If using a large carving pumpkin, cut a circle about 2 – 3 inches away from and around the stem, remove top and scoop out.
Place seeds in a colander and rinse well removing any small pieces of pumpkin. Dry excess water from pumpkin seeds using a dish towel or laying the seeds between a few sheets of paper towels.
Place seeds on rimmed baking sheet, add a small glug of olive oil and toss the pumpkin seeds until well coated. Spread evenly in a single layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and any other desired spices or herbs.
Place in oven on middle rack and bake for 20 – 30 minutes, depending on your oven, shuffling the seeds every 7 minutes or so. After 20 minutes, keep a close eye on them, as they can burn fast if cooked too long. You may hear some crackling and popping, this is normal. I would tend to suggest going the extra time as long as seeds are not burnt, especially for larger seeds.
Once done, let cool 10 minutes and enjoy!
NOTES:
For savory sprinkle with any single or combo of these: garlic powder, onion powder, black/white pepper, chipotle, chili powder, cayenne, cumin, old bay, garam marsala, smoked paprika or curry. Use combos at your own discretion.
For sweet add cinnamon and sugar while omitting the salt.
This recipe works well all pumpkin and squash seeds like delicata, acorn, butternut, etc.
NUTRITION FACTS ARE CALCULATED USING 1 CUP PUMPKIN SEEDS
Karen says
Don’t judge, but I’ve never eaten pumpkin seeds before, just pepitas. For this, are we supposed to eat the whole seed, or do we crack it open?
Karen says
Do we eat the whole seed or crack it open? Is there a pepita inside?
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
LOL, you’re too cute! It’s totally ok not to know. You can eat the whole seed. There is a pepita inside and you can crack it and eat only that but the shells are delicious too. So give try the recipe as is and experience something new. I think you’re going to like them this way too! Cheers :)
Lynn Nagle says
Hi, I followed the directions exact but burnt a whole batch at 25 minutes. I would only put them in for 20 as 25 was to much for me. Sad I lost such a large batch of seeds.
Julie | The Simple Veganista says
So sorry you lost your batch of seeds. I have the time from 20 – 30 minutes, depending on your oven. I hope you try them again at 20, your oven must work reallt well. I’ll adjust the recipe with clearer notes so others dont have the same issue. Thank you for the feedback and again my apologies.