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 (shell-free seeds from specific pumpkins) throughout the year—they’re delicious sprinkled on this sweet potato soup—but I only roast pumpkin seeds in the shell in the fall. Pretty sure that’s true for everyone.
Baked pumpkin seeds with salt or seasonings are the best fall treat.
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 from the pumpkin, separating the fiber from the pumpkin seeds as best you can.
Step 2: Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander, discarding any remaining pulp. The running water makes it easier to pull the fiber away from the seeds.
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 the pumpkin seeds in salted water for about 10 minutes, then drain in a colander and pat dry. Don’t worry about getting them completely dry; just pat away excess moisture.
Step 4: Season pumpkin seeds. Toss with olive oil, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt.
Step 5: Bake pumpkin seeds in a 350-degree F. oven for 12-25 minutes (depending on seed size and oven), stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even toasting and prevent burning. They’re done when the pumpkin seeds turn golden brown, and you begin to smell a nutty fragrance. You can taste them to check for crispness.
Step 6: Store pumpkin seeds in an airtight container for up to a week.
Other Toasted Pumpkin Seed Seasoning Ideas
You can season the whole batch the same way or divide and season them a few different ways. The possibilities are endless with roasted pumpkin seeds seasoning flavors and they can be customized to taste.
- SALT AND PEPPER – olive oil, sea salt, black pepper
- SPICY CAJUN – melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt to taste (some Cajun seasoning is very salty, so you may not need to add salt)
- CHEESY ITALIAN – olive oil, Italian seasoning,grated Parmesan cheese
- LAWRY’S – olive oil, seasoning salt
- CINNAMON SUGAR – olive oil, pinch of salt, brown sugar, cinnamon
- OLD BAY – olive oil, sea salt, Old Bay seasoning
- PUMPKIN PIE SPICE – melted butter, cinnamon, ground ginger, pinch of nutmeg
- SMOKY & SPICY – olive oil, sea salt, garlic powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper
- MAPLE ROASTED – olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice.
Try other flavor combos using your favorite seasonings and blends. Mix in a small bowl, taste, sprinkle and roast!
Recipe FAQ
Because the center of pumpkin seeds takes longer to cook, boiling before roasting pumpkin seeds helps ensure the insides are fully cooked. This will result in crispy, crunchy pumpkin seeds rather than chewy ones. Make sure to salt the water; it helps a bit of the salt flavor get inside the seeds.
Nope. I did it that way for years! They’re just a bit chewier and not as crispy.
The outer shells are perfectly edible; I’ve always eaten them along with the seeds. Besides, the shell is often where the salt and/or seasoning is!
Homemade roasted pumpkin seeds will stay fresh when stored at room temperature in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag for about a week.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1½ cups pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste
Instructions
- Remove the seeds from the pumpkin, separating the fiber from the pumpkin seeds as best you can.
- Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander, discarding any remaining pulp. The running water makes it easier to pull the fiber away from the seeds.
- Boil the pumpkin seeds in salted water for about 10 minutes, then drain in a colander and pat dry. Don’t worry about getting them completely dry; just pat away excess moisture.
- Season pumpkin seeds. Toss with olive oil, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt.
- Roast pumpkin seeds in a 350-degree F. oven for 12-25 minutes (depending on seed size and oven), stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even toasting and prevent burning. They’re done when the pumpkin seeds turn golden brown, and you begin to smell a nutty aroma. You can taste them to check for crispness.
Notes
SPICY CAJUN – melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt to taste (some Cajun seasoning is very salty, so you may not need to add salt)
CHEESY ITALIAN – olive oil, Italian seasoning,grated Parmesan cheese
LAWRY’S – olive oil, seasoning salt
CINNAMON SUGAR – olive oil, pinch of salt, brown sugar, cinnamon
OLD BAY – olive oil, sea salt, Old Bay seasoning
PUMPKIN PIE SPICE – melted butter, cinnamon, ground ginger, pinch of nutmeg
SMOKY & SPICY – olive oil, sea salt, garlic powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper
MAPLE ROASTED – olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice.
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