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I started making pumpkin seeds when I became interested in reducing my food waste. It seemed a shame to toss out all of the innards of my jack-o-lanterns or the scraped out flesh of my pie pumpkins right into the garbage. I live in an apartment complex that makes composting difficult (because I cook so much, I produce a lot of organic waste), so I’m always looking for ways to get more mileage out of my vegetable “scraps”.
Roasting pumpkin seeds is now just as second-nature for me as making chicken or turkey stock from the leftover bones and vegetables scraps of a roast dinner. Making them doesn’t take a lot of extra work or time. Indeed, the hardest part of the process – removing the seeds themselves – is something you would be doing anyway if you were baking or carving your pumpkin. And there are an infinite number of ways to flavor them, you simply have you pick your favorite!
This is also a great project if you have kids. Because you’re already doing something fun like baking a pie or carving a jack-o-lantern you can transition them easily into a quick baking lesson. They can help sprinkle the flavorings in and help you stir a big bowl of squishy, gooey pumpkin seeds. Don’t be afraid to let them use their hands! Sometimes half the fun of cooking is getting your hands dirty.
Pumpkin seeds are extremely healthy. They are high in fiber and protein. The seeds are rich in monounsaturated fats, which are the good fats linked to lowering bad cholesterol and increasing the good kind. They are also full of other important vitamins and minerals, specifically vitamin E and the B-complex group of vitamins.
After you make a big batch, you can store them in an air-tight container and use them in a variety of ways. I love savory roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled over salads and baked on top of more savory quick breads. They’re delicious stirred into chilis or served as a topping for your favorite kind of tacos. If you’ve ever wanted to make your own trail mix, either whole roasted pumpkin seeds or roasted pepitas are a great addition. I also just like to eat them like popcorn while I’m watching a movie.
This recipe is for whole-roasted pumpkin seeds, but you may want to try pepitas. They’re traditional in Latin American foods and you’ll come across them more frequently in your granola bars. They are simply hulled pumpkin seeds. To roast them, you’ll have to adapt your recipe for a shorter cooking time and reduce your seasoning.
There are two camps when it comes to roasting pumpkin seeds: those who clean their seeds before roasting them and those who don’t. If you want really clean looking seeds or if the pumpkin “guts” freak you out, by all means clean them. All you need to do is rinse them in cold running water. It’s easy to do this in a colander in the sink.
However, you get a lot of extra pumpkin flavors baked into your seeds when you don’t clean them. Plus, it saves you a step. I’m a firm member of the leave the stringy bits attached camp.
Don’t worry if you’re sick of pumpkin after Thanksgiving. You can roast the seeds of a variety of winter squashes. Try saving and roasting seeds from butternut squash, acorn squash, or any other hearty winter squash you find yourself preparing this season.
The nice part about pumpkins is that you get a lot of seeds from one fruit. If you’re going to roast the seeds from winter squash you might need to save up some seeds in your fridge to get ready for roasting. Alternatively, you can roast a big batch of squashes to get enough seeds and then freeze your cooked squash in portions for later use.
What’s your favorite way to season your pumpkin seeds? And we need to know: do you clean your pumpkin seeds before you roast them or do you prefer them au naturale?
Roasted Salty Sweet Pumpkin Seeds
Be aware that seeds from sugar pumpkins and seeds from jack-o-lantern pumpkins will probably cook differently.
Seeds from one pumpkin OR seeds from your favorite winter squash (it’s your choice to either rinse them clean or leave them uncleaned)
1-2 Tbs melted butter, cooled slightly
1 Tbs smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like things spicy!)
2 Tbs white or brown sugar
1-2 tsp cinnamon
salt to taste
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl or on your baking sheet, toss your pumpkin seeds, melted butter, paprika, cayenne, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until the seeds are well-coated.
3. Brush a baking sheet with some extra butter or olive oil. You can also spray it with a cooking spray.
4. Spread the seeds in an even layer on the baking sheet with a spatula. You don’t want there to be too many lumps because you want your seeds to cook as evenly as possible.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Sometimes when you leave the seeds uncleaned, you’ll need an additional 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time because of the additional moisture. I like my seeds crispy, so I’ll start tasting them after 30 minutes and keep cooking them until I reach my desired texture.
6. Taste your seasoning. You can add a little more of any of the ingredients if you’d like.
Substitutions
- Try using 1 Tbs of melted coconut oil instead of butter for your fat. Coconut oil has a number of health benefits and your vegan friends will be thankful that they can enjoy your treat as well.
- For savory pumpkin seeds, simply leave out the sweet ingredients. For sweet pumpkin seeds, leave out the savory ingredients. If you want sweet pumpkin seeds, I would still recommend adding a pinch of salt because salt helps bring out the flavors in all kinds of food.
- In a savory batch of pumpkin seeds, try adding a sprinkling of curry powder for an Indian-inspired flavor.
- In a sweet batch, try adding cinnamon, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spices for different treat experiences.