The best part of carving pumpkins is knowing that roasted salted pumpkin seeds will follow! It’s only fair that all the scraping and sorting of the gooey, gloppy guts yields a reward of some kind.
I use pepitas, the shell-free seeds from certain pumpkin varieties, throughout the year. They’re delicious sprinkled on my sweet potato soup. But pumpkin seeds roasted with olive oil and salt? That’s a fall thing for me.
This recipe uses whole, shell-on pumpkin seeds from a fresh pumpkin, rather than bagged green pepitas. I boil them in salted water before roasting, then toss them with olive oil and sea salt. You can keep them simple or try one of the seasoning combinations below.
Anyhow… if you don’t know how to roast pumpkin seeds in the oven, here’s my go-to method.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Remove the seeds
Scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin, separating them from as much of the stringy pumpkin fiber as you can.
Step 2: Rinse away the pulp
Put the seeds in a colander and rinse under running water, pulling away the remaining strings and larger pieces of pulp.
It’s fine to leave a few little bits attached. Some will come loose during boiling, and you don’t need to get every seed spotless..
It’s perfectly ok to have a few bits of pulp attached to the seeds. It will probably come loose in the next step, but if it doesn’t, it’s fine.
Step 3: Boil in salted water
Bring 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil. Add the cleaned pumpkin seeds and boil for about 10 minutes.
Drain in a colander, then spread the seeds on a clean kitchen towel and pat away the excess moisture. They don’t need to be completely dry, but they shouldn’t be dripping wet when you add the oil.
Step 4: Add oil and salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Toss 1½ cups pumpkin seeds with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Spread them in a single layer on a large baking sheet, then sprinkle with up to 1 teaspoon sea salt, depending on how salty you like them.
The salt used here is separate from the salt in the boiling water. You can start with less and add more after roasting.
Use a second baking sheet if the seeds overlap or pile up. If you’re using a seasoning blend that already contains salt, reduce or skip the additional sea salt.
Step 5: Roast until golden
Roast for 12–25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to help the seeds toast evenly and prevent burning. Start checking at 12 minutes, since the timing will vary with seed size and your oven.
They’re ready when they turn lightly golden and you notice a nutty aroma. Let a few seeds cool briefly before tasting them to check for crispness.
If they’re still damp or chewy inside, spread them out again and continue roasting in short intervals, checking frequently to prevent burning.
Step 6: Cool and store
Let the seeds cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring them to an airtight container. Sealing them while they’re still warm can trap moisture and soften them.
Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to a week.
Other Pumpkin Seed Seasoning Ideas
You can season the whole batch the same way or divide it into smaller portions and try a few different flavors.
These combinations are ideas to customize to taste, rather than individually measured recipes. Start lightly, especially with cayenne and salty seasoning blends.
- Salt and Pepper: Olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Spicy Cajun: Melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Some Cajun blends are very salty, so you may not need additional salt.
- Cheesy Italian: Olive oil, Italian seasoning, and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Lawry’s: Olive oil and Lawry’s seasoned salt.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Olive oil, a pinch of salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Old Bay: Olive oil and Old Bay seasoning. Taste before adding extra sea salt.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Melted butter, cinnamon, ground ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Smoky and Spicy: Olive oil, garlic powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper, with salt to taste.
- Maple Roasted: Olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.
Use your chosen oil or melted butter in place of the olive oil in the basic recipe, then add the seasonings. Go lightly with liquid additions so the seeds aren’t sitting in a puddle.
Watch sweetened and cheese-coated batches closely, since the coatings may brown before the seeds are ready. The roasting time for the plain salted version is a guide, rather than a guarantee for every variation.
Recipe FAQ
Boiling in salted water helps the seeds roast more evenly and lets them pick up some salt before they go into the oven.
I prefer the texture when I boil them first, but boiling isn’t the only thing that matters. Draining well, giving the seeds room on the pan, and roasting them long enough all help
Nope. I roasted them without boiling for years! I found them a bit chewier, which is why I now include that step.
If you skip boiling, rinse and dry the seeds well before adding oil and seasonings. Check them as they roast rather than assuming they’ll need exactly the same amount of time.
Yes, the outer shells are edible, and I’ve always eaten them along with the seeds. Besides, the shell is where much of the salt and seasoning is!
Whole pumpkin seeds have a firmer, more fibrous bite than shell-free pepitas, so don’t expect the two to have the same texture.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1½ cups pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste
Instructions
- Remove the seeds from the pumpkin, separating them from as much of the stringy fiber as possible.
- Rinse the seeds in a colander under running water, removing the remaining strings and larger pieces of pulp.
- Bring the measured water and boiling salt to a boil. Add the seeds and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain well and pat away excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the seeds with the olive oil, spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet, and sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Use a second pan if needed to avoid overlapping seeds.
- Roast for 12–25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Start checking at 12 minutes. The seeds should be lightly golden with a nutty aroma. Let a few cool briefly before tasting to check for crispness.
- Cool completely on the baking sheet before storing in an airtight container.
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