This roasted pumpkin seeds recipe makes a delicious autumn treat! Once you taste these golden pumpkin seeds, you’ll never go back to packaged. The sweet and salty flavors, combined with the most satisfying crunch, will have you reaching for seconds within seconds. It's also a perfect activity to pair with pumpkin picking and carving jack-o'-lanterns around Halloween.
Prep Time1 hourhr
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 170kcal
Author: Gina House
Ingredients
To Prepare The Pumpkin Seeds:
2cupsfresh pumpkin seeds
8cupswater
8tablespoonssalt
For The Seasoning:
2tablespoonsoilworks well with vegetable oil, avocado, safflower, coconut, or sesame oil
½cup+2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
½teaspooncoarse salt
1teaspoonground cinnamonapple, or pumpkin pie spice
½teaspoonground cumin
¼-½teaspooncayenne pepperoptional
Instructions
Wash and dry out the outside of your pumpkin. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the top off of your pumpkin and save for later, if making a carved pumpkin.
Scoop out all of the seeds that you can can from the inside of the pumpkin and place in a colander.
Rinse the seeds and separate from the pumpkin flesh and stringy bits. Save the pumpkin for cooking and the slimy bits can go into the compost. Remove as much pumpkin flesh from the seeds as you can. This part will take the longest, but is totally worth it in the end.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put aside two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Place a large pot over high heat and add the water, seeds, and salt. Mix well. Cover. Once the water begins to boil, turn down the heat to medium/low, uncover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, but do not rinse.
Using a clean cloth, dry the seeds thoroughly. It may take several passes or you might want to leave them spread out onto the countertop to dry for a while. The drier your seeds are, the crispier they will be after baking.
Once the seeds are dry, place them in a bowl and mix with the oil. Then, add the seasonings and mix again. Arrange the seeds in a single layer onto 2-3 baking sheets.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the seeds halfway through. Check the seeds every 10 minutes or so. Depending on your oven, you may want to cook them for less or more time. You’ll know they’re done when the seeds are golden brown, but do not have burnt edges.
Let cool for at least 10 minutes before eating, if you can wait that long. Store in a covered container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Enjoy!
Notes
Fresh Vs. Packaged Seeds - This recipe uses fresh seeds that are not separated from their shell. You could buy raw, shelled pumpkin seeds and skip the boiling part and simply combine with the seasoning mixture and roast until golden brown.
Oil-free Version - You can completely eliminate the oil if you wish or just give a couple of spritzes of oil spray on the pumpkin seeds instead. While they’re still delicious, the seeds will not be as crispy without the oil.
Formula - For every ½ cup of fresh pumpkin seeds, you need 2 cups of water. For every cup of water you need, add 1 tablespoon of salt. Make sure to adjust the seasoning amount when making more or less of the seeds.
Boost Your Batch - I can almost guarantee that you’ll want more, rather than less, pumpkin seeds to devour out of the oven. Because the cleaning and boiling process takes so long, it’s always better to prepare more seeds than you think you’ll need. Then, you can save the extra seeds for baking another day. Keep them in a covered container in the fridge or freezer until ready to season and bake. If making a double batch, make sure to double the spice seasoning amounts, too.