Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a fall staple in my house and they are bound to be in yours as well. This is a spiced and savory recipe that takes minimal prep time and the rest of the time they’re baking in the oven.
Ingredients
Can you really beat a recipe that only requires 4 ingredients?
- Pumpkin seeds – The next time you and the family carve pumpkins, don’t throw out the seeds! Larger carving pumpkins yield cups and cups of seeds. I always prefer fresh pumpkin seeds too. You want clean seeds, so make sure they are clean from the slimy pumpkin flesh. Sugar pumpkin (pie pumpkins) have tasty seeds, but are smaller and will have less per squash- I use these when making my own pumpkin puree.
- Butter – In order to get that delicious spice blend to stick to the cleaned seeds, we need a binding agent. Melted butter does just that, but also provides great flavor. You could use olive oil instead if you prefer. This helps it stick and brown- dry seeds won’t adhere to the spice mixture.
- Coarse kosher salt – If you are using salted butter, I would omit the salt or at the very least cut it down. I like using fine sea salt for this tasty snack. Coarse sea salt also works.
- Seasonings – I like to use a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and ground red pepper. Of course, the combinations are endless so feel free to get creative.
Variations
There are many ways to season this easy roasted pumpkin seeds recipe. Here are a few of my favorite ways, both sweet and savory.
- Black pepper
- Curry powder
- Chili powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Maple syrup
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon sugar
- Agave nectar
- Italian Seasoning
How Make Pumpkin Seeds
These are really quite easy — just take some butter and seasoning and roast!
- Prep the Seeds. The hardest part might be prepping the slippery seeds. Rinse with cold water to remove any large pieces. Blot with a paper towel so the butter can coat them.
- Prepare oven and sheet pan. Preheat the oven and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Make the seasoning blend. Combine the salt and other seasonings in a small bowl and mix well.
- Toss seeds. In a medium mixing bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with butter to coat evenly. Add spice mix, tossing to coat. If you have rinsed them with cold water to get rid of the pulp, blot them dry with a paper towel.
- Bake. Lay in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast, turning halfway through until golden brown.
What to Serve With Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Of course these make a great snack just like sunflower seeds, but you can really use them for so much more than a healthy snack. Top any number of pumpkin recipes like pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, or even pumpkin muffins.
You can also sprinkle them on anything from salads to ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s always a good idea to dry them before roasting. They will roast better the drier they are.
Soaking the seeds makes the husk of the seeds easier to digest. You will still need to make sure they are dry too.
Yes! You can absolutely eat the shells of roasted pumpkin seeds.
Storage
These seeds don’t need to be refrigerated, so you can carry them around with you as a snack. The best way to store them is at room temperature for up to a week in an airtight container, but good luck getting them to last that long!
Freezer
Pumpkin seeds can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight plastic bag or container. Or, freeze them for up to 6 months in a deep freezer or the way back of a regular freezer.
More Pumpkin Recipes
On the search for more recipes that use pumpkin? We have plenty to choose from!
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch ground red pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with the butter to coat evenly. If the seeds are recently rinsed, blot with a paper towel before coating.
- Stir together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and red pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the buttered seeds, tossing to evenly coat.
- Lay the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, roasting for 20 minutes. Turn and roast for an additional 20 minutes.
- Eat warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
- If you've tried this recipe, please come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
So good! We finished the whole batch the same day we made it!