Crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
How to make perfectly crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds. An easy method for roasting pumpkin seeds plus ideas for seasoning your roasted pumpkin seeds.
I will admit, I have been guilty of throwing away the pumpkin seeds from my carving and baking pumpkins. But no more! Once you discover how easy it is to roast pumpkin seeds, you’ll never toss those seeds again.
You can roast the seeds of your baking pumpkin that you use to make pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie, or the seeds of your jack-o-lantern pumpkin. Either way, they are sure to turn out deliciously crunchy using this easy pumpkin seeds recipe.
Read on to learn how to clean pumpkin seeds for roasting, how to bake pumpkin seeds so that they are crunchy, and to get ideas for flavoring your pumpkin seeds. My favorite are sweet and salty pumpkin seeds. They are so addictive!
Not only are roasted pumpkin seeds a tasty snack, they are a healthy choice. Add them to your salads and oatmeal, or just eat them by the handful!
Pumpkin seeds nutrition
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of fiber, protein, healthy fats, magnesium and zinc. Zinc is beneficial for your immune system. The fiber, protein and healthy fats help to keep you full.
What’s the difference between pepitas and pumpkin seeds?
The word pepitas translates to “little seeds of squash” in Spanish. If you removed the outer shells from the seeds of your jack-o-lantern or baking pumpkin, you would find a small seed, or pepita, inside. There is no need to do this, since you can roast and eat the whole pumpkin seed, shell and all. Even if you did try to shell your pumpkin seeds, the small seeds that you would find inside would likely be nothing like the green pepitas that you find at the store.
So where do those green pepitas come from? There are certain varieties of pumpkins that produce pepitas without shells. You can buy them at the grocery store. They are delicious in my pumpkin spice granola recipe.
Now that you know all about why you should eat them, let’s learn about how to make pumpkin seeds!
How to clean pumpkin seeds
To clean pumpkin seeds the easy way, start by removing any large pieces of pumpkin guts/pulp from the seeds. Place the seeds in a large bowl and run cool water over them until the bowl is full of water.
Then, use your hands to separate the remaining pumpkin guts from the seeds. It is much easier to do this when the pumpkin seeds are in water.
Let the seeds and guts rest in the bowl for a few minutes. The guts will sink and the pumpkin seeds will float so that they are easy to separate. Don’t worry about getting the pumpkin seeds perfectly clean. It’s ok if a little bit of pumpkin remains.
Remove the seeds to a clean, dry kitchen towel (or paper towels) and pat dry. If you want, you can leave the seeds out to dry overnight but this isn’t necessary. Just get as much of the moisture off as you can and your oven will do the rest.
How to roast pumpkin seeds
Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. The parchment paper keeps the pumpkin seeds from sticking and makes clean-up easy.
Place your cleaned pumpkin seeds in a bowl. Drizzle the seeds with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, to taste. I used 2 teaspoons olive oil and a generous 1/4 teaspoon sea salt for 1 cup of seeds. Add any other desired seasonings. I’ve listed some flavor ideas below. Stir the seeds around to evenly coat them with the oil and seasonings.
Lay the pumpkin seeds out in a single layer on the baking sheet. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan because your seeds won’t get crunchy that way.
Bake pumpkin seeds at 275 degrees F for 40-45 minutes total. Using low heat is the secret to crispy, crunchy pumpkin seeds. The low temperature allows the pumpkin seeds to roast slowly, so that they dry out and crisp without burning. Stir the pumpkin seeds every 15 minutes or so to help them cook evenly.
Once they are lightly browned, remove the pumpkin seeds from the oven. Let them cool on the pan. The roasted pumpkin seeds will continue to crisp as they cool.
Store roasted pumpkin seeds at room temperature.
Do you boil pumpkin seeds before roasting?
If you wish, you can boil your pumpkin seeds before roasting. Boiling the seeds in salted water helps to infuse them with salt for flavor. I usually skip this step to save time. I find that salting the seeds while they roast is enough.
If you want to boil your pumpkin seeds, boil them for about 10 minutes in generously salted water. Then drain (do not rinse) and dry.
What spices do you put on pumpkin seeds?
Here are just a few ideas to get you started. Be creative and make your favorite roasted pumpkin seeds flavor, then let me know what it is in the comments!
- brown sugar and sea salt
- pure maple syrup, cinnamon and sea salt
- pumpkin pie spice
- oregano, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese
- chipotle chili powder, cumin, brown sugar
- brown sugar, cayenne, salt, black pepper
Crunchy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- generous 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or Kosher salt
- other seasonings, as desired (see suggestions above)
Instructions
Clean the pumpkin seeds
- Remove any large pieces of pumpkin guts/pulp from the seeds. Place the seeds in a large bowl and run cool water over them until the bowl is full of water.
- Then, use your hands to separate the remaining pumpkin guts from the seeds.
- Let the seeds and guts rest in the bowl for a few minutes. The guts will sink and the pumpkin seeds will float so that they are easy to separate. Don't worry about getting the pumpkin seeds perfectly clean. It's ok if a little bit of pumpkin remains.
- Remove the seeds to a clean, dry kitchen towel (or paper towels) and pat dry. If you want, you can leave the seeds out to dry overnight but this isn't necessary.
Roast the pumpkin seeds
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Place your cleaned pumpkin seeds in a bowl. Drizzle the seeds with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, to taste. Add any desired seasonings (optional). Stir the seeds around to evenly coat them with the oil and seasonings.
- Lay the pumpkin seeds out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake pumpkin seeds for 40-45 minutes total. Stir the pumpkin seeds every 15 minutes or so to help them cook evenly.
- Once they are lightly browned, remove the pumpkin seeds from the oven. Let them cool on the pan. The roasted pumpkin seeds will continue to crisp as they cool.
- Store roasted pumpkin seeds at room temperature.
Roasted pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite things to make this time of year! They’re just SO addicting. Love all your tips for making them perfect!
The pumpkin seeds were really good but they were really sticky and got stuck to the paper and the pan this made it really hard to get off the pan.
I’m surprised they stuck to the parchment paper, but glad that they tasted delicious!
These were really greasy, but tasty!
I find that a combination of butter and oil make them tastier!!! Melt the butter and mix with oil then toss with seeds and other spices you wish!
Oooh, that sounds really good!!
How long will these stay good stored in an airtight container?
You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week.
Can they be frozen after baked?
I have not tried that, but I think they would lose some of their crunchy texture if you froze them.
My 9 year old son was eager to make roasted pumpkin seeds this year. He did all of the prep to clean them, I roasted them. These were delicious! Perfect amount of time in the oven, and perfect amount of salt!
good! thanks