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Simple, sweet roasted pumpkin seeds are ready in 30 minutes or less and are just so yummy. You can enjoy them as a snack for you and your family, or jar them to give as a food gift over the holiday season! Everyone loves these crunchy, sweet roasted pumpkin seeds!
Jump to:
- Sweet Pumpkin Seeds
- Can you eat pumpkin seed shells?
- Ingredients for Toasting Pumpkin Seeds
- How to Separate Pumpkin Seeds from Pulp
- Squash Seeds Work, Too
- How to Dry Pumpkin Seeds
- How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds in the Oven
- Also try...
- More Pumpkin Recipes
- Tips for Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
- How to Store Baked Pumpkin Seeds
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds Instructions
- FAQ
- Holiday Food Gift Recipes
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
- Reviews
Sweet Pumpkin Seeds
I don't know about you, but personally, I can't resist the allure of autumn. Living in Florida, it feels like magic when the weather finally starts to cool down, even if "cool" for Florida means rarely any lower than 65°F!
But with food, you can bring just a little of that autumn magic to your family, no matter what the season is like for you. One of my favorite ways to do that is with sweet roasted pumpkin seeds, the perfect fall snack recipe!
Not only are they easy and delicious, but by making use of the seeds from carving pumpkins, a fun family activity can turn into a treat everyone will enjoy.
Can you eat pumpkin seed shells?
If you've bought pumpkin seeds from the store before, you're probably used to them being crispy, thin, green seeds without a shell. But when you harvest them yourself, they'll have the shell on!
Luckily, pumpkin seed shells are fully edible. The shell itself is soft and high in fiber, which makes them a great and healthy treat. Combined with a crispy caramelized sugar coating and maple syrup, they're the perfect crunchy snack you can feel great about indulging in!
Ingredients for Toasting Pumpkin Seeds
- Pumpkin Seeds: You can use any sort of pumpkin seed for this recipe! I like to harvest seeds out of pumpkins myself, but you can also use store-bought seeds. Raw, out of the shell seeds can be cooked just the same way as whole pumpkin seeds!
- Maple Syrup: This is what makes these sweet roasted pumpkin seeds sweet! Make sure to use real maple syrup, not imitation corn syrups. The flavor is critical.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a delightful warmth that just yells "autumn"!
- Salt: You can't skip salt when you're making sweet treats! I like larger, flakier salt like sea salt or kosher salt for that satisfying crunch.
Instead of cinnamon, you could use a mix of seasonings like my pumpkin pie spice.
Isabel's Top Tip
Where to Get the Seeds: You can get seeds any way you'd like, from harvesting them from a whole pumpkin or buying them from the store. I'm kind of obsessed with reducing food waste, so I love collecting them from pumpkins when we carve them for the holidays or make pies! I've included a big guide on how to collect them below!
How to Separate Pumpkin Seeds from Pulp
- Place a whole pumpkin on a heavy cutting board. Slice off a tiny bit of the bottom to ensure it doesn't roll around while you're cutting it.
- Using a very sharp knife, pierce one side near the stem and cut down towards the base. They are very hard, so take your time and be very careful!
- Once you've cut down to the base, repeat on the other side of the stem.
- Using your hands, split the pumpkin along the cut line - it should break around the stem and leave you with two halves.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the gooey insides of the pumpkins, scraping down the edges. Place the insides in a bowl. Set aside the pumpkin flesh for more pumpkin recipes!
- Place the bowl of pumpkin insides and seeds in the sink and fill it with cool water, and shuffle the contents around with your fingers, gently separating the seeds from the pulp. The seeds will gradually float to the top, and the heavier pumpkin flesh will sink.
- Scoop out the seeds with a strainer, rinsing them off again with cold water, then it's time to dry them!
Squash Seeds Work, Too
You can harvest the pumpkin seeds out of carving pumpkins to reduce waste around Halloween, but if you're just looking for seeds, I recommend pie pumpkins and sugar pumpkins. You can also use acorn squash or butternut squash seeds! Any large squash seed will work great.
How to Dry Pumpkin Seeds
- Air Dry: If you don't mind waiting, you can easily air dry pumpkin seeds! Just lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (NOT paper towel, or they'll stick!) and let them air dry in a well ventilated area for at least 1 day.
- Oven Dry: You can dry the pumpkin seeds in the oven by setting the oven to Warm (if it doesn't have that setting, turn it on the lowest heat possible!) and laying the seeds out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and baking them for 3-4 hours.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. It can be the same one you used to dry the seeds.
- In a large bowl, mix together the seeds, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt, until well coated.
- Pour the seeds out on to the parchment paper and spread into a single layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until fragrant and crispy. Make sure to check every 10 minutes to ensure they don't burn!
- Remove, let cool completely, and enjoy!
More Pumpkin Recipes
Make use of the pumpkin flesh with these delicious fall treats! Just roast the pumpkin or squash halves at 400°F for 40-60 minutes, or until nice and soft. Scoop it out of the skin, blend it up in the blender until smooth, and get ready to enjoy fresh, pure homemade pumpkin puree goodness!
Tips for Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
- These snacks make great gifts! Bottle them up and give them out as delicious autumn-themed snacks- just don't be surprised if people start asking for the recipe!
- You may want to toast pumpkin seeds in the shell a little longer than seeds without the shell.
- You can make savory roasted pumpkin seeds, too! Try out any of these great flavor combinations:
- Chili Spice: Cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and olive oil
- Curry: Curry powder and warmed coconut oil
- Garlic Parmesan: Melted butter, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese
- Brown Sugar: Melted butter and brown sugar
- Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin pie spices and maple syrup
- Or a classic favorite, Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds: with white sugar, cinnamon, and butter!
How to Store Baked Pumpkin Seeds
Roast pumpkin seeds can be stored in the pantry or frozen. If you store them in the pantry, place them in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. To keep them for longer, store them in a plastic bag in the freezer with the air pressed out; they'll last up to 3 months!
My favorite way to store pumpkin seeds is to give them away! Cute little bags or bottles of sweet pumpkin seeds make excellent gifts that everyone will love. Tie on your favorite ribbons and name tags in pumpkin shapes for gifts that look as cute as they taste!
Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds Instructions
Yes, you can roast pumpkin seeds in the air fryer! Be careful if you're using very small seeds, as they can be so lightweight that the powerful circulation of hot air in the air fryer can make them fly around and potentially get stuck in the heating element.
- To air fry these pumpkin seeds, preheat the air fryer to 350°F and air fry for 15 minutes, making sure to give the basket a good shake halfway through.
- If the slots in the basket are too big and the seeds fall through, use a layer of aluminum foil at the bottom.
FAQ
Yes! You can use any sort of hard squash's seeds, such as acorn and butternut squash. I like to gather up all the seeds from any squash or pumpkin recipe I make and store them all in the freezer until I have enough to roast for snacking!
Pumpkin seeds should be baked at 350°F for about 25 minutes in a conventional oven, or 15 minutes in a convection oven. However, all ovens are different! You'll want to check on the seeds every 10 minutes to make sure they don't burn, and shuffle them around to avoid any hot spots.
Holiday Food Gift Recipes
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pumpkin seeds
- 3 Tablespoons Maple syrup
- ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. It can be the same one you used to dry the seeds.
- In a large bowl, mix together the seeds, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt, until well coated.2 cups Pumpkin seeds,3 Tablespoons Maple syrup,¾ teaspoon Cinnamon,⅛ teaspoon Salt
- Pour the seeds out on to the parchment paper and spread into a single layer.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until fragrant and crispy. Make sure to check every 10 minutes to ensure they don't burn!
- Remove, let cool completely, and enjoy!
Notes
- These snacks make great gifts! Bottle them up and give them out as delicious autumn-themed snacks- just don't be surprised if people start asking for the recipe!
- You may want to toast pumpkin seeds in the shell a little longer than seeds without the shell.
- You can make savory roasted pumpkin seeds, too! Try out any of these great flavor combinations:
- Chili Spice: Cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and olive oil
- Curry: Curry powder and warmed coconut oil
- Garlic Parmesan: Melted butter, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese
- Brown Sugar: Melted butter and brown sugar
- Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin pie spices and maple syrup
- Or a classic favorite, Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds: with white sugar, cinnamon, and butter!
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