Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/28/22
Tested by Mary Jo Romano
Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Variations

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 2 cups

When you carve your jack-o'-lantern or cut up your pumpkin to make purée for pumpkin pie, make sure you save the seeds! Pumpkin seeds can be toasted or roasted for tasty snacks. Just scrape the seeds out when you cut the pumpkin and clean them.

Use table salt, sea salt, or kosher salt, and add a dash of pepper if you like. There are all kinds of seasonings you might add—choose your favorite or see the variations below.

“One of my fall family favorite memories is carving pumpkins and making homemade pumpkin seeds! Nothing is easier than making roasted pumpkin seeds and enjoying then as a snack. Plus, they are adaptable to any seasoning desired. Now, I not only snack on them, I sprinkle them on my salad.” —Mary Jo Romano

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Ingredients

  • 1 large pumpkin, to yield approximately 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, more to taste

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or other neutral oil

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Variations ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Scoop out the seeds from the pumpkin. Discard the big chunks of stringy pulp. Put the seeds in a colander.

    pumpkin seeds removed from pumpkin, pumpkin seeds in a colander

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Rinse the pumpkin seeds under cold running water. Swish them around to remove any pieces of pulp clinging to the seeds. Drain.

    clean pumpkin seeds in a colander

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Spread the seeds out onto a kitchen towel to dry. Don't use paper towels to dry the seeds; they will stick.

    pumpkin seeds on a towel

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 300 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

    baking pan with aluminum foil

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Put the seeds on the baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and drizzle with vegetable oil. Toss to coat the seeds thoroughly. Spread in an even layer. Bake the pumpkin seeds, stirring and turning once or twice, until light golden, about 40 to 45 minutes.

    baked pumpkin seeds on a baking pan

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  7. Serve and enjoy!

    Basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Variations

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Recipe Variations

  • Spicy Cajun Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Spread the cleaned and dried pumpkin seeds on the prepared baking sheet. Toss the pumpkin seeds with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of Cajun or Creole seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, and salt, as needed (depends on the saltiness of the Cajun seasoning). Add a dash of cayenne pepper for spicier seeds.
  • Garlic and Parmesan Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 2 cloves of minced and mashed garlic and sauté until the garlic is tender and aromatic. Bake the pumpkin seeds following the recipe above; 10 minutes before they finish baking, toss them with the garlic and melted butter mixture. While they are still hot, toss the seeds with a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Pumpkin Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Toss the cleaned and dried pumpkin seeds with 2 tablespoons of butter or vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. Bake as directed; sprinkle with 1 or 2 tablespoons of sugar while they are hot.
  • Curry Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Toss the pumpkin seeds with the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. Bake as directed.
  • Matcha Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: Toss the pumpkin seeds with 1 teaspoon of matcha or green tea powder along with the vegetable oil and salt. Bake as directed.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
135 Calories
9g Fat
11g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 135
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 444mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 196mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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