Save the seeds from your pumpkins this year and make roasted pumpkin seeds for a healthy, crunchy snack. If you’re carving a Jack-O-Lantern, then don’t waste the goodness inside, follow this easy step-by-step guide, and you’ll be rewarded with a special treat!
Whether you’re carving spooky Halloween pumpkin faces or making homemade pumpkin puree from scratch, don’t forget to save those edible seeds inside! I had a fond childhood memory of my elementary school teacher showing our class how to roast pumpkin seeds in a toaster oven after making our Jack-O-Lanterns. This healthy snack recipe is easy to make at home and a fun project to get the kiddos involved.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Don’t throw out the seeds! Make a tasty and healthy snack in a few simple steps to add flavor and irresistible texture to each bite. 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 and enjoying the maximum nutritional benefits.
STEP 1: Remove the Seeds
Use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to remove the inside pulp, stringy fibers, and entangled raw seeds from the pumpkin. The seeds from carving pumpkins and pie pumpkins are edible. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, the more or less yield you will have. My pumpkin seed recipe uses a 3-pound pie pumpkin that I used to make homemade pumpkin puree for a delicious pumpkin pie.
STEP 2: Wash and Dry Seeds
Add the seeds to a colander, wash and remove any pulp left on the seeds. It’s okay if some flesh remains. Make sure to dry the seeds as much as possible in between a towel. This process will help to crisp up the seeds during roasting. Any excess moisture will create steam in the oven and prolong the cooking time.
STEP 3: Season the Seeds
Toss the seeds in a bowl with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Make sure to separate and spread the seeds evenly on a lightly greased cookie sheet for even roasting.
STEP 4: Roast the Seeds
The seasoned pumpkin seeds get roasted at a moderate heat of 350°F (177ºC) for about 12 to 15 minutes, tossing the seeds every 5 minutes to encourage even browning. When the seeds give a nutty aroma and golden brown color, they are ready!
Benefits of Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
- Ease: Since you’re already taking the time to cut and remove the seeds, why not pre-heat the oven and quickly make a snack!
- Versatility: I’m sure your pantry is already filled with seasonings to create unique and tasty combinations. You can use any seasoning mix, like some chili powder for heat, curry powder or cumin for a more earthy flavor, or even a sweet taste with cinnamon and maple syrup. Feel free to use vegetable oil, butter or coconut oil instead of olive oil.
- Nutrition: Eating the whole pumpkin seed provides fiber and an excellent source of zinc from the shell and the nutrients phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and iron. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, in 1 ounce (28 grams) of pumpkin seeds provides approximately 126 calories, 5.3 grams of protein, 5.5 grams of fat mainly from unsaturated sources, 15 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of total dietary fiber.
If you’re a fan of pumpkin seeds, I’d love to hear your flavor combinations and uses in the comments section below!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC).
- 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 (if using), 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.
Equipment
Notes
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- The recipe can be easily doubled or tripled depending on how many seeds your pumpkin yields.
- To make separating the pulp from the seeds a bit easier, add them to a medium sized bowl. Fill the bowl with warm water and rub the seeds together in the palm of your hands to remove the stringy flesh. Allow the seeds to float to the top of the bowl, then use a spoon to skim them from the surface. Transfer to a colander to further rinse before drying.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
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Masooma says
Gloria and I were just talking about roasting seeds last week after we carve our pumpkins, but we were thinking it would be too much work lol! But now after reading your post, I might give it a try! Thanks for sharing!! Hope you’re doing well 🙂
Jessica Gavin says
Perfect timing Masooma! Yes, add any spices you like and enjoy the snack 🙂 I bet the boys would love to help you! We are doing great, miss you all!
Elena De' La Rosa says
What can we use besides kosher salt?
Jessica Gavin says
Do you have sea salt? Garlic salt would work as well. If you use table salt I would add half as much.
Michelle Aragon says
Every fall I struggle with how to do this. As usual your recipe was perfect. Thanks so much Jessica!
Jessica Gavin says
You are so welcome Michelle!
David Blair says
I’ve found that cooking up the job lot-flesh and seeds brings the seeds easily to the top of the pan with a bit less faffing about separating everything and sure looking forward to trying your recipe, though will be using Cornish Sea Salt.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for the tip David!
Jeremy Verrillo says
Great simple recipe! Definitely the hardest part was separating the flesh and seeds. Ended up soaking the seeds in the sink. The seeds float and the flesh sinks/ suspends. Only had to skim the top of the water then, but I had to let the seeds dry over night. That actually seemed to work for the better as it provided another opportunity for a family afternoon activity for the weekend (having carved the jack-o-lanterns the previous afternoon). Mine seemed to be done after twenty minutes, but kept them in until closer to thirty. They have a slightly burnt taste, but it was a lot of fun! Thanks for posting.
Jessica Gavin says
I appreciate the tips, Jeremy! Do you think the slightly burnt taste from the cooking time or seasonings?
Martina says
We just made your recipe. Awesome! So at 20 minutes they were perfect for those who like the seed but not the shell. At 30, throw the whole seed in and eat it all! Both were perfect! Thanks!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much for your feedback on cook time and temperature Martina!
Natalie Anderson says
I just made these and they are delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Vernon Ullrey says
Avocado oil, pepper,and strawberry seasoning was my variation and they are delicious thank you. Haven’t done pumpkin seeds in 40 years your recipe popped and my family say’s they are delicious 😊
Jessica Gavin says
Thank sounds amazing Vernon! I’ve never heard of strawberry seasoning, what does it taste like? So fun to roast pumpkin seeds 🙂
Amanda Barnard says
I do a mix of Tony Chacheres and brown sugar and cinnamon. Yummm.
Jessica Gavin says
Oh, I’m loving the sweet and savory combination Amanda, yum!
Pamela Bell says
I love pumpkin seeds!!
Cooking them as I type this…
Ever tried other squash seeds?
Jessica Gavin says
Yay! I can’t wait to hear what you think Pamela. Yes, you can also do spaghetti squash seeds 🙂
Salome kessy says
Hi,thank you for the recipe was very very delicious.Is it okey to pack them for sale I want to pack for the business 🤦♀️
Patty Born says
Making these now with my 11 year old. He loves to bake.
Jessica Gavin says
Yay! I can’t wait to hear what you think about the recipe 🙂
Patti says
I rinse my seeds then let them soak overnight in 1/4 cup of melted butter and 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce. I do NOT dry them overnight. Then I spread them on a cookie sheet and bake them on 325 for about 30 minutes until a medium brown, “stirring” them often. Delicious!!!
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, that sounds savory and delicious!
Patti says
And yes, I have roasted spaghetti squash, acorn squash and butternut squash seeds as well, using this recipe. :o)
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, you are a pro! Nothing goes to waste 🙂
Forever Learning says
After carving the seeds, I forgot I left them in an air tight Tupperware for a week, not in the fridge. I cleaned them up pretty good even tho the smell was rather vile. 4 cups worth of seeds. I let them dry over night, 2 nights actually. After the 1st night, they still smelled kinda funky and still damp. Today they smell fine and are dry. Anyhow, is it worth still roasting to eat or am I putting my health in jeopardy?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi There! Although it sounds like a labor of love, if the sounds smelled sort of rotten or moldy, I would err on the side of caution and throw them out. Lot’s of great deals on pumpkins right now at the store!
Rebecca Berry says
If I left my seeds out on the. Ounter doe the weekend, will they still be okay to roast? Thanks!
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Rebecca- Were the seeds cleaned and dried when left out? If they still are pulpy, I would not use it and get some new seeds. Thanks!
CeCe says
This recipe turned out so good and it was very easy. Thank you for sharing!!
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome! Thank you for making the recipe Cece 🙂
Kenzi says
Do you boil the seeds first?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Kenzi- No need to boil the seeds.
Nathan says
I ended up with little over 3 cups raw seeds. My fault maybe because I nearly quadupled the seasoning. The result was a little too salty for me, but I was able to dust them off and they turned out great!! We squeeze a little bit of lime over a small plate of them and it really goes well 😋
Thank you!!
Jessica Gavin says
I love the addition of the lime Nathan! Thank you for your feedback.
Liz says
Curry powder, cinnamon, and coconut aminos!!
Jessica Gavin says
Oh my gosh that sounds amazing!
Sherry says
I loved the taste of these but they were a bit “woody” I roasted them til golden brown but maybe not long enough ! Or too long ! The seeds were fresh , dried in a towel after washing them.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Sherry! What was the texture of pumpkin seeds? Did they seem crisp enough? Paprika has an earthy flavor, so you think that is the woody taste you perceived?
Tessa says
Salt, pepper, and olive oil for the kids, taco seasoning, cayenne, and chili salt for the grownups 😉
And a sweet batch with maple syrup, cinnamon and a dash of salt.
Jessica Gavin says
Oh I must try these tasty variations Tessa!
Christine says
This recipe is a nice mix with the Olive oil, garlic powder and paprika. My daughter wants me to roast pumpkin seeds every year but its always hard to crack and eat the seed inside the shell….what’s the best way to eat them?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Christine- Enjoy them whole (no need to peel!). Otherwise, crack the seeds with your fingers at the narrowest part of the seed and then peel it back.
Christine says
I made mine with olive oil, lawreys garlic salt, fresh ground black pepper, little bit of cumin and slap ya momma. They’re amazing!
Jessica Gavin says
Oh wow, I’m going to have to give that combo a try!
Anna Leah says
Last year I forgot about my seeds and was bummed they got moldy when I remembered to get to them.
This year, our two pumpkins had seeds about the same size and your post inspired me to get baking pronto!
I rinsed and rinsed but the easiest method was floating handfuls in a warm bowl of water and scooped all the floating seeds up and drained them. Your tip to towel dry them was a good reminder and my seeds toasted more quickly than I thought. 30 minutes was plenty toasty for ones on the sheet pan and I ate them shell and all! I had some in a casserole dish and they were less browned but easy to crack and eat.
I only used oil and kosher salt and with 3 cups worth, I can share with my dad.
Thanks for this
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Anna! That’s a great a great tip to wash them in a bowl of warm water, I’ll have to try that. So happy to hear that you got to share some with your family 🙂
Marco Contreras says
I found this recipe quick fast after looking to do something with the seeds from our pumpkin. Very tasty I shall say 😁. My kids loved it and perfect shell crisp. My sister in law never had pumpkin seeds with the shell, but this roast made it a good experience for her. Awesome recipe!!
Kay says
After washing the pumpkin seeds, I put them in a food dehydrator at 125 degrees for about 2 hours before adding the other ingredients and baking them. Turned out crispy and tasted great!
Jessica Gavin says
Wow that sounds amazing! I’ll have to try that Kay 🙂
Zumi Vance says
This is a great base recipe, they turned out delicious,
Thanks for all the variations,
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks for your feedback Zumi 🙂
Marcie says
I used sea salt and roasted garlic and rosemary infused olive oil.
Jessica Gavin says
Wow that sounds lovely!
Elaine White says
Thanks Jessica my first success at roasting pumpkin seeds, I’ll never compost them again! Some of the variations in the comments sound good, I’ll be trying some of those as well☺. I used home grown small sugar pumpkins, so many seeds!
Judy says
Made this recipe and it was really great 🙂 used salt pepper and some chipotle seasoning. Delicious! My five year old loved!
Jessica Gavin says
I love the addition of the chipotle, happy to see your son likes spicy too!
Belinda says
We carved a pumpkin today and used your recipe tonight to roast the pumpkin seeds. I followed your recipe and they came out perfect. This was the first time I tried this and it was a success. Thank you !
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so thrilled to hear that you had success with the roasted pumpkin seeds recipe Belinda!
Susan Ratcliff says
Thank you for the recipe. I’ve roasted seeds many times but needed the recipe as a reminder. I also used cinnamon and brown sugar for one of the batches. I may get crazy and experiment with other seasonings as well. We carved nine pumpkins this year so I have plenty to work with. Thanks again!
Jessica Gavin says
I love the cinnamon and sugar addition!
Calvin Lau says
What a great seasonal reminder what with neighborhood trick-or-treating in the Los Angeles area pretty much shutting down (large groups and social distancing). Here is my CAD formula: C + A = D (being Creative and Adventuresome equals Delicious!