Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Baking pumpkin seeds is a great way to utilize all parts of the pumpkin. If you like to carve pumpkins for Halloween, use the seeds from the pumpkin to create a nutritious snack. Packed with essential nutrients and bursting with flavor, these tiny superfoods have been enjoyed for centuries for their countless health benefits.

Whether you’re carving spooky Halloween pumpkin faces or making homemade pumpkin puree from scratch, don’t forget to save those edible seeds inside! This healthy snack recipe is easy to make at home and a fun project to get the kiddos involved. Pumpkin seeds are composed of two parts: the cream-colored shell and the kernel or pepita, which is olive green in color. Both are edible, so you can’t go wrong roasting the whole seed.

Tips for roasting Pumpkin Seeds

• Rinsing and rubbing the seeds helps to loosen the pulp and fibers.
• Dry the seeds well! Moisture creates steam, making them chewy instead of crisp.
• Roasting the pumpkin seeds at 350ºF (177ºC) steadily dries them, while tossing them after 5 minutes ensures even browning.

How to make Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• ¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°Fahrenheit.
• Wash pumpkin seeds in a colander to remove the pulp and fibers. Thoroughly dry with a towel.
• In a small bowl combine pumpkin seeds, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper.
• Lightly grease a sheet pan with olive oil. Evenly spread the seasoned pumpkin seeds on the sheet pan.
• Bake until the seeds are toasted and crunchy, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes for even toasting, and check for doneness with each stir by tasting a seed for crunchiness.
• Transfer the roasted pumpkin seeds to a bowl to cool down.
• Once cool enjoy your healthy, scrumptious snack!

Seed Swaps:

Other types of squash have edible seeds that can be roasted like butternut, acorn, delicata, spaghetti, honeynut, or kabocha. Reduce cook time for smaller seeds.