Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

To make roasted pumpkin seeds is extremely easy. You can save the seeds from your Halloween pumpkin decorations or from the delicious roasted pumpkins you make during the season. This makes for a healthy, crunchy everyday snack. Not to mention the lovely roasted pumpkin seed smell that’ll fill your kitchen on chilly fall and winter evenings…

In other words: don’t throw away the seeds from your pumpkin. They make a delicious Halloween and wintertime snack!

Roasted pumpkin seeds is a very simple snack, but you can spice it up to your liking to make it more unique. You can have them without additional seasoning, just like the way they are usually sold at grocery stores. But it only takes a couple of tricks to make these simple seeds really stand out, and believe me, you wouldn’t want to miss out on this – see my tips below!

What Type Of Pumpkin To Use

In terms of the type of pumpkins, any one that you would use for carving out your Jack-o’-lanterns or making roasted pumpkins will do just fine. In the pictures I just did that, carved out and roasted the seeds of a Halloween Jack-o’-lantern pumpkin.

It is important to note though that the seeds of different types of pumpkins taste slightly different, so it’s worth experimenting with which you like best!

Preparing The Pumpkin Seeds

To prepare the seeds for roasting is very easy. Simply carve them out with a spoon as you would do for your lantern.

Of course if you are roasting your pumpkin and not using it as a decoration, you can cut it in half first so it will be easier to carve out the seeds.

Then place the whole thing, the seeds along with the strings attached (no pun intended), in a colander and rinse them under cold water. And just like magic, the strings will separate and you will be left with the pumpkin seeds.

How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds

1. Wash and dry the seeds. Put the pumpkin seeds in a colander, wash and remove any pulp left on the seeds, then let them dry.
2. If you are using any seasonings (see some ideas below), add them now so the seeds can soak it in with any remaining moisture. This allows the spice to coat the seeds evenly.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the seeds on it, and let them dry while your oven is heating up. Turn your oven to 350 F (180 C), no fan.
4. Depending on your preference and the seeds you used, let them roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, tossing them every 5 minutes. Let them cool off for a few minutes before serving.

How Long To Bake Pumpkin Seeds

To make the best roasted pumpkin seeds you need an oven temperature and baking time when the seeds turn out crunchy on the outside but still soft in the inside.

When researching this recipe, I actually stumbled upon very different approaches to bake your pumpkin seeds. What I find to produce the best results is to use a moderate oven (350 F or 180 C) and bake them for 15-20 minutes (depending on their size), tossing them every 5 minutes.

Seasoning Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

You can use just about any kind of spices or seasoning mixes. No need to hold back on the quantity, you can go as heavy-handed as you like. This snack really benefits from the added flavoring.

For the simplest mix, I recommend two parts salt, one part ground pepper and one part smoked paprika.

I would also suggest experimenting with rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil or even marjoram. If you use herbs, make sure to only used dried ones though in your mix, and add plenty of salt and pepper.