Don’t throw away those Jack-O-Lanterns just yet. These step-by-step instructions will show you how to roast pumpkin seeds the easy way – no soaking required!
Whether you’re carving pumpkins for Halloween, making homemade pumpkin puree or just using them as decorations for the fall season, don’t forget to save those pumpkin seeds before throwing them away!
Pumpkin seeds are a delicious and healthy snack that are crispy, crunchy and super addicting, especially when roasted. They’re easy to prepare, ready to eat in only 40 minutes and perfect for tossing in salads, granola and trail mix. Pretty much any recipe that needs a little added crunch.
Cleaning pumpkin seeds and preparing them for roasting is probably easier than you think. It’s a quick process that doesn’t require soaking the seeds in water and letting them dry overnight.
The trick to getting them crispy and evenly toasted without burning them is to pat them dry as thoroughly and completely as possible using a dish towel or two. Once they’re dry, you’ll get great results every single time.
If you’re intimidated by the slimy insides of pumpkins and don’t even know where to begin, I’ve got you. Here’s what to do.
How to clean pumpkin seeds
- Cut off the top of the pumpkin.
- Scoop out the pumpkin seeds with your hands or a large spoon and place them in a large bowl or colander.
- Wash the pumpkin seeds under running water and remove as much of the pumpkin pulp and stringy bits as possible.
- Pat the seeds completely dry with a dish towel or two. They may stick to the towel a little – that’s okay. Just shake the seeds off and continue patting them until their fully dry.
Once you’ve got the pumpkin seeds cleaned and dried, the hardest part is over. Now the fun part begins – seasoning and roasting the seeds! For this recipe, I seasoned the pumpkin seeds with some of my favorite Mexican-inspired spices like chili powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
How to roast pumpkin seeds
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Combine seeds in a medium bowl with olive oil, salt, chili powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Toss to combine.
- Transfer seeds to a large sheet pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the seeds over every 10 minutes so they bake evenly.
How to Eat Pumpkin Seeds
You may be wondering if you have to shell each and every pumpkin seed or if you can eat them whole. Well I’ve got great news – you can eat the pumpkin seeds whole with their shell! In fact, I actually recommend that you do.
The shell provides some added fiber and crunch with just the right amount of chewiness. Whole pumpkin seeds, especially those found in large carving pumpkins, are easy to chew and aren’t as stringy as you may think.
Seasoning Ideas
While I used Mexican-inspired spices to season my batch of roasted pumpkin seeds, you can use your favorite combination of spices to switch things up a bit. Here are a few ideas:
- Plain: salt, black pepper
- Sweet: cinnamon, brown sugar
- BBQ: brown sugar, cumin, chipotle powder, salt
- Italian: grated Parmesan, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt
More recipes to try
Watch How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Wash pumpkin seeds under running water in a fine mesh strainer or colander and remove as much of the pumpkin pulp as possible.
- Pat the seeds with a dish towel or two until they’re completely dry.
- Combine seeds with olive oil, salt, chili powder, garlic powder and smoked paprika in a medium bowl. Toss to combine.
- Transfer seeds to a large sheet pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the seeds over every 10 minutes so they bake evenly.
- Remove from oven and let them cool completely before eating.
NOTES
- Plain: salt, black pepper
- Sweet: cinnamon, brown sugar
- BBQ: brown sugar, cumin, chipotle powder, salt
- Italian: grated Parmesan, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt
Chuck Boester says
Hi Isabel,
I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, still live in South Texas, but as a kid one of my favorite snacks to buy when my folks would visit Mexico, was a bag of pepitas.
I have roasted regular old pumpkin seeds and I have no use for the tough shell.
Sometime back in the middle 90’s I discovered a recipe for making a spicy pecan coating, but when me and “that” wife split, she took my recipe book.
I saw your pumpkin seed recipe and that isn’t even close to what I used to practice on pepitas with. But your chex and pretzel spice mix is pretty close.
I am going to try it out on some pepitas (the tender green ones) and if you are interested I’ll tell you how they come out.
The process is different than the chex mix. In a large frying pan you put the pepitas then add the butter and the spices (from your chex mix), keep on the middle heat until some of the seeds start popping. Then transfer to a sheet pan and lay out evenly and roast for about 15 to 20 minutes at 350. Let cool and try not to eat them all in one setting.
Thanks!
Chuck