Learn how to roast pumpkin seeds using this savory recipe. It’s a delicious snack idea to make as a family when you’re done carving pumpkins for Halloween.
Don’t throw out those seeds when you’re carving your pumpkin this year! Instead turn them into a delicious and healthy snack using this recipe for Savory Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. Today, I’ll show you step-by-step how to roast pumpkin seeds.
Fall Family Fun
One of our favorite things to do as a family in the fall is to take our kids to a local farm. The one we go to has an incredibly large pumpkin patch. I think the boys enjoy the hayride pulled by a tractor just as much as they enjoy trudging through the mud and muck in search of the perfect pumpkins to carve for Halloween. The whole experience is topped off with fresh apple cider and donuts, of course.
Last year for some reason or another we kept putting off our annual journey to the pumpkin farm. If you follow us on Instagram, you’ll know that by the time we got around to it the night we wanted to go was a cold, rainy mess and we opted for an alternative plan.
I doubt the kids will let us get away with that two years in a row. Now that the weather is getting cooler, they’re already starting to talk about when we can go to the pumpkin farm again.
Carving Pumpkins
The next step after getting fall pumpkins whether they’re fresh from the farm or carefully selected from the store (you know how the kids seem to need to check out every. single. one. in the pile…) is to carve them for display on the front steps. It always seems like it takes forever to dig all the guts and seeds out of the pumpkin. At least the reward is worth the effort – it’s like getting two prizes at once: a festive jack-o-lantern and pumpkin seeds to roast!
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
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Kitchen Tools Needed:
Ingredients Needed:
Here’s what you’ll need from the store. The exact amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Roasting pumpkin seeds is incredibly easy. When you’re first learning how to roast pumpkin seeds, I’ve found the trick is to use a low temperature and cook for a longer amount of time. This helps to remove all the extra moisture and gets the pumpkin seeds really good and dry. Higher temperatures might cause you to burn them.
Instructions:
1. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin.
Cut a hole around the stem of the pumpkin and lift the lid to get to the inner “guts” where all the juicy pumpkin seeds are. Use your hands or a spoon to remove the seeds and place them in a large bowl.
We’ve used the orange scoops that come with kid’s pumpkin carving kits. These work fairly well especially if the kids are removing the pumpkin seeds. If you really want to make quick work of it though I recommend using a metal ice cream scoop. It makes it super easy to scrape the edges of pumpkin to clean out the insides very well.
After you’ve removed all the insides from the pumpkin, separate the seeds from the guts. I wish there was an easy way to do this part, but at some point, it’s faster if you just dig in with both hands.
2. Rinse the pumpkin seeds.
Put the pumpkin seeds in a kitchen colander and run under lukewarm water for several minutes to remove the last bit of guts from the pumpkin seeds. You may need to dig in with your hands again to rub the gunky parts off.
3. Coat the pumpkin seeds with olive oil and spices.
Place the pumpkin seeds in a medium-sized bowl. Toss them with a little olive oil and your favorite spices. Pumpkin seeds can be made sweet, spicy or savory. Our recipe favors the savory side by combining spices like garlic, seasoning salt and cumin to give them a delicious flavor. You’ll find a printable version of the actual recipe and ratios we used of each further down this post.
4. Place the seasoned pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet.
Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer so they can roast more evenly.
5. Slow roast the pumpkin seeds.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the baking sheet on the center rack in your oven and bake for 50 minutes. Turn them every 15-20 minutes to help them cook evenly.
6. Cool the pumpkin seeds and enjoy!
Allow the roasted pumpkin seeds to cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy this fun fall treat.
What is the best way to scoop out pumpkin guts?
We found the quickest way to scoop out the flesh of the pumpkin is to use a metal ice cream scoop. You can also use a large tablespoon, but an ice cream scoop is more effective.
What is the fastest way to separate the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin guts?
Yes, this is the messiest part! If you put the stringy pumpkin guts in a bowl of water, some of the seeds will naturally begin to float to the top. Then, it is easier work to just use your hands and separate the rest of them.
Why didn’t my pumpkin seeds roast evenly?
Keep your pumpkin seeds in one layer on the baking sheet. If you have any seeds covering other seeds, you won’t have an even roasting experience.
Savory Slow Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
Instructions
- Clean and rinse pumpkin seeds.
- Toss them in a small bowl with olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder and cumin.
- Spread in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 50 minutes. Turn the seeds over 2-3 times during the roasting process so that they brown evenly. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Did you learn a few new ideas for how to roast pumpkin seeds? What’s your family’s favorite spices to use? Please comment below and share. We’d love to hear about your family’s traditions and are always looking for new ideas.
More Fall Snacks
While you’re here, be sure to check out other snack ideas for fall:
If you enjoyed learning how to roast pumpkin seeds, please share this recipe with your friends or pin it for later:
I haven’t had roasted pumpkin seeds in a long time. I like the ingredients you used, sounds yummy!
Thanks, Carole! I think the cumin adds a fun flavor. Hope you enjoy this savory version!
Love roasted pumpkin seeds! Now nothing will go to waste. 🙂 Thanks for joining the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop!
Thanks for hosting the party, Jas! I’m so glad you came by to check out the roasted pumpkin seeds. It’s definitely one of the highlights of fall pumpkin carving.
I love roasting my own pumpkin seeds!! Love your post! I would love if you stopped by my place and Joined My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday Link Party going on now till Monday!! I’d Love to have you!
Thanks, Elaine! You are so sweet. Thanks for your kind words and invitation.
Yes! Roasting the seeds is my favorite part about carving pumpkins. We don’t have a lot of pumpkin farms where I am so I pick out my pumpkins the way you did last year. It works 🙂 I’m here from Foodie FriDIY!
Thanks for visiting, Hannah! Roasting seeds is one of my favorite parts too! Enjoy your pumpkin picking adventure this year at your local store. It sure is a lot warmer and less messy doing it that way. 🙂
Perfect timing! I’ve always wanted to try this!
Hope you love it Michelle! It’s a fun way to enjoy fall.
You are so sweet, Lou Lou Girls! Thanks for always coming over to say hello and check out the ideas we share at your parties. Hope you have a great week!