Crazy Good Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Crazy Good Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are sweet, salty and a hint of spice to snack on while carving your pumpkins this halloween season. Tried and true pumpkin seeds that won’t last long! When carving pumpkins snacking is a MUST! Try this Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip or Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Chips.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkins are everywhere and when you are a kid all you think about is carving the perfect pumpkin. I love seeing pumpkins in every color, shape and size during the fall season. Picking the perfect pumpkin to carve is the fun part, especially with children. There are so many options and so many ideas running through them. Halloween would not be the same without carving a pumpkin and enjoying that time together. Even though carving a pumpkin is a mess and takes a little bit of time, the pumpkin seeds are the reward in the end. My favorite part is smelling them roast in the oven while we are finishing the final touches of our carvings. You will love the flavorful pumpkin seeds that will melt in your mouth one handful at a time.

What you need to make pumpkin seeds

The most important part are the pumpkin seeds. And yes, you have to go digging for them! Which can be the best and most fun part for some. Once you have your pumpkin seeds out and cleaned off there are so many options for roasting pumpkin seeds. We love a little bit of spice of our recipes and these pumpkin seeds have just enough spice to give a kick but also sweet enough that kids will enjoy them too. Every seed is coated with just a enough seasoning to enjoy!

Raw pumpkin seeds: washed and cleaned gently. Olive oil: lightly coating the seeds and adds a little flavoring. Sea salt: adds texture and has a sweet and salty taste to the seeds.

Optional seasoning:

Chili powder: a hint of spice. Paprika: sweet and warm seasoning. Garlic powder: a sweeter and less power than fresh garlic. Salt and pepper: just a dash!

How to make pumpkin seeds

The hard part is getting the pumpkin seeds out of the pumpkin. There are a few steps in preparing your pumpkin seeds but that makes it more rewarding when they are sitting in a bowl all roasted. You will want to make sure that you clean your seeds throughly and pat dry with a paper towel. Then add your seasonings and you have one great snack to enjoy all night long. These pumpkin seeds are irresistible and wont last long!

Preparing pumpkin seeds: Remove the pumpkin seeds from pumpkin and place in a colander. Rinse the seeds thoroughly and remove the pulp. Pat the seeds dry with a paper towel. Prepare your baking sheet: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium sized bowl add the pumpkin seeds. Add the olive oil, and sea salt to taste. Add your seasoning: If using the seasoning: add the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss evenly to coat with seasonings. Roast pumpkin seeds: Let the seeds roast for about 15-20 minutes tossing half way in between. The seeds should be golden brown in color.

Tips for making pumpkin seeds

The great thing about pumpkin seeds are the health benefits that they have. They are heart healthy and have antioxidants, magnesium, zinc which are all good to keep your heart and body healthy. These are all great things to know about pumpkin seeds and why they can be valuable to some people. Pumpkin seeds are simple to make and can be light or added with flavorful seasonings. These are tried and true pumpkin seeds that are loaded with so much flavor!

Easily double or triple your recipe depending on how many seeds that you have. Boiling your pumpkin seeds in salted water for about 10 to 15 minus prior to roasting helps enhance the flavors and removes any extra membranes on the pumpkin seeds. Dry your pumpkin seeds before roasting by laying them out on the baking sheet. You don’t want any moisture when baking pumpkin seeds or they will dry out. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to dry your pumpkin seeds but you can leave them over night to completely dry if needed. Parchment paper or aluminum foil are great ways to roast your seeds on.

Variations of pumpkin seed seasoning

We love seasonings in our house. Always experiments and always planning what would go best on recipes. There are so many choices of seasonings and ways you can flavor your pumpkin seeds. You can have a sweet and salty snack or a pumpkin spice flavor. The variations are endless!

Seasoning salt Melted butter Coconut oil melted or sprayed Cinnamon Red pepper flakes Pumpkin spice Parsley Cumin Ranch seasoning Dill Dry Mustard Italian seasoning

How to get strings off pumpkin seeds

It may seem impossible to separate all the bright orange strings from the seeds. There is a way to help and make it easier for you to do. Simply rinse your pumpkin seeds under water and you will see the seeds separate in a matter of minutes. You can discards the membranes or add it to your compost if you need it for that. In a matter of minutes you will have clean, fresh looking pumpkin seeds!

First, scoop all the pumpkin seeds out from the pumpkin and place them on a baking sheet or in a bowl with the membranes on it. Separate seeds from large chunks of pumpkin membranes. Once they are separated, soak them in warm water. Swirl them around to loosen all the pumpkin membranes off if there are any remaining on the seeds. Then, let the seeds rest for about 5 to 10 minutes. After, they rest you will notice the seeds are floating and the remaining pumpkin membranes have sunk to the bottom of the bowl. Using either a slotted spoon, sieve or your hand scoop out the seeds and lay them on flat surface to dry. Gently pat dry with a paper towel or dish towel. Your seeds are ready to be roasted!

Storing pumpkin seeds

These are a great source of fibre and nutrition throughout the year. Adding them to salad or baked goods are always fun ways to enhance your recipes. Storing pumpkin seeds are simple and don’t take up that much room plus they last long enough to have around to enjoy often.

Airtight container: pumpkin seeds do not need to be stored in the refrigerator if you are planning to eat them within a month. They will be kept in an airtight container up to 1 month sitting out at room temperature in your home. Placing them in the refrigerator will last longer storing them up to 3 months. Freezer: these seeds can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator then warm back up in the oven until they are warmed through.

Try these pumpkin recipes

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili Grandma’s Famous Pumpkin Pie Pumpkin Pudding Cake Soft nad Puffy Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Iced Pumpkin Spice Cookies

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.