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    Home » Recipes » Seasonal Recipes » Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

    Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

    Published: Oct 4, 2019 Modified: Apr 20, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    Sweet roasted pumpkin seeds are the perfect Fall snack! They’re crunchy, crave-worthy, and are one of the easiest baking gifts you can make for the holidays.

    Everyone will be asking you how you make your pumpkin seeds recipe!

    roasted pumpkin seeds in a mason jar with some on the table

    One of my favorite ways to welcome the arrival of Fall is to embrace all things pumpkin. After mastering this roasted pumpkin seed recipe, I’m making it a must-have for any other pumpkin-lovers.

    Roasted pumpkin seeds on baking sheet after roasting

    What are Pepitas?

    What are pepitas? To put it simply, pepitas are pumpkin seeds! Pepita literally means “pumpkin seed”.

    I grew up with a mother who hated seeing anything go to waste so re-purposing pumpkin seeds after carving a pumpkin is a no-brainer.

    Toasting pumpkin seeds is such an easy way to use up all parts of the pumpkin you are carving, and make a delicious treat to snack on while enjoying the fruits of your labor.

    How to Prepare Pumpkin Seeds

    If you plan to carve pumpkins this year, the answer to how you get the seeds out of your pumpkin is easy! You can collect the seeds while carving a pumpkin as usual.

    There are three ways you can prepare pumpkin seeds for roasting, and they are:

    • Carving a pumpkin and scooping out the seeds
    • Cutting into a pumpkin for the pumpkin flesh and seeds
    • Buying raw pumpkin seeds from the grocery store – these are usually shelled pumpkin seeds

    Buying raw pumpkin seeds from the store will save you time carving out, cleaning, and drying your pumpkin seeds, But, gathering them yourself from the pumpkin offers you the opportunity to save pumpkin flesh for baking (and what could be better than baked pumpkin recipes this time of year?).

    Also, raw seeds bought at the store will usually be shelled pumpkin seeds. If you carve them out of the pumpkin yourself, you can enjoy pumpkin seeds with shells!

    Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
    Already Shelled Pumpkin Seeds

    Shelled Pumpkin Seeds vs. Unshelled

    You do not need to shell your pumpkin seeds to enjoy them. Roasted pumpkin seeds are just as delicious with the shells on! The instructions for roasting pumpkin seeds is the same regardless of if you use shelled seeds or unshelled, so it’s a matter of preference.

    Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
    Shelled Pumpkin Seeds

    How to Retrieve Seeds from a Pumpkin

    To retrieve the seeds from a pumpkin, you need to either know how to carve a pumpkin or how to cut a pumpkin. Thankfully, it’s easy to learn how! You will need a sharp knife and a pumpkin to cut.

    Please note, this is much easier to do with smaller pumpkins, so we recommend using pie pumpkins.

    Pumpkins for pies have much better flavor than pumpkins for carving, too, so if you plan on baking with them, this is a must.

    How to Cut a Pumpkin

    1. While firmly holding the pumpkin, take a sharp knife to the top on either side of the stem.
    2. Pierce all of the way down through the pumpkin. Make sure your pumpkin is on a sturdy surface and firmly held down so there is no chance of slipping while cutting.
    3. Once the knife is through the pumpkin, cut down the side of the pumpkin. Remove the knife.
    4. Pierce all of the way through the pumpkin on the opposite side of the stem.
    5. Cut down the opposite side of the pumpkin.
    6. If your knife is sharp enough, you should be able to cut right through the stem. Cut through the stem in half to completely halve the pumpkin.
    7. Using your hands, pull apart the pumpkin halves.

    For how to carve a pumpkin, all you need to do is cut a lid large enough to reach into the pumpkin to retrieve the seeds, then scrape the insides out with a metal spoon or scoop of some kind.

    See the instructions below for how to clean pumpkin seeds.

    Pumpkin seeds inside of a pumpkin

    Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Seasoning

    Alright, so let’s talk about this recipe! I roast pumpkin seeds with maple syrup, which adds a deep maple flavor in addition to a sweet taste.

    Maple is a versatile ingredient and adds a lot of flavor to this sweet pumpkin seed recipe!

    You’ll want to make sure you splurge on real maple syrup for this recipe, rather than imitation corn syrup. The flavor is worth it, and then you can enjoy it on your Pumpkin Waffles or Fluffy Pancakes!

    Pumpkin Seeds Recipe Ingredients

    • 2 cups dried pumpkin seeds
    • 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
    • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
    • â…› teaspoon salt
    Ingredients for pumpkin seeds

    How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

    Roasting pumpkin seeds is as easy as can be, but before you roast your seeds, you will need to clean them. If you are pulling your pumpkin seeds out a pumpkin, you are likely going to be getting a lot of pulp and pumpkin bits as well.

    That is unless you’re buying raw pumpkin seeds from the store! If so, skip the cleaning and drying instructions and proceed to roast. Otherwise, follow these instructions on how to clean pumpkin seeds!

    How to Clean Pumpkin Seeds

    1. Add the pumpkin seeds (pulp and all) to a large bowl in the sink and fill the bowl with enough cold water to cover everything with at least a few inches of extra space. 
      Pumpkin seeds on paper plate uncleaned
    2. Use clean hands to work the seeds underwater and remove the pulp and pumpkin pieces. Once this is done, add more cold water to fill it almost to the top of the bowl. The heavier pulp and pumpkin will fall to the bottom while the lighter seeds will rise to the top. 
      Pumpkin seeds in sink while cleaning
    3. Skim the seeds out of the water, drain the bowl and repeat the process until your seeds are completely clean. 
      Cleaned pumpkin seeds on a paper plate

    Once done cleaning, you will need to dry your pumpkin seeds. Follow these easy instructions for drying pumpkin seeds.

    How to Dry Pumpkin Seeds

    1. Lay the clean pumpkin seeds out on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. It’s important not to use a paper towel for this step as the seeds will stick to the paper towel and cause a big mess. 
    2. Leave the seeds out at room temperature for about a day to fully dry out.

    Once your pumpkin seeds are dry, it’s time to get roasting! Roasting pumpkin seeds is super easy. Follow these instructions for how to make pumpkin seeds in oven.

    Raw pumpkin seeds on paper towel to dry

    How to Roast Raw Pumpkin Seeds

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. 
    2. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well to combine. 
    3. Transfer the contents of the bowl to the parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin seeds are just starting to get fragrant. Every 5-10 minutes check on the seeds and use a spatula to flip them around.
    4. Let cool on the parchment paper until ready to enjoy or store. 

    📌 Pin these sweet roasted pumpkin seeds to save for later!

    Toasted cinnamon pumpkin seeds are truly the best for Fall! We know you will love these as much as we do.

    Roasted pumpkin seeds on a parchment-lined baking sheet
    Shelled Pumpkin Seeds after Roasting

    How to Store Pumpkin Seeds

    Store your roasted pumpkin seeds in an airtight container for up to a week. If they lose their crunch after a few days, re-toast them at 350 for about five minutes before serving them. 

    There is plenty more you can do with pumpkin seeds! You can try different flavors for roasting, or add them to your favorite baked pumpkin recipes. For example, you could try these other recipes with pumpkin seeds…

    How to Eat Pumpkin Seeds

    • Spicy pumpkin seeds: try making your pumpkin seeds recipe with cayenne and chili powder for spicy roasted pumpkin seeds. Yum!
    • Pumpkin seed brittle: bake your sweet pumpkin seeds into a brittle for a delicious snack that makes a great gift, too. You can even do this with the spicy pumpkin seeds for an interesting twist on the traditional!
    • Pumpkin spice pumpkin seeds: make candied pumpkin seeds by using our easy Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe as the seasoning. So yummy!
    • Pumpkin bread topping: top your favorite Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf Recipe with these sweet roasted pumpkin seeds for an extra delicious flavor!

    Toasted pumpkin seeds are also one of the easiest holiday food gifts you can give, and everyone will love them! Put them in a jar decorated for Fall or festive cellophane bags and give them as baking gifts to friends and family.

    Pumpkin seeds in a jar

    Best Pumpkin Recipes

    • Pumpkin Empanadas
    • Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe
    • Starbucks Pumpkin Bread Recipe
    • Pumpkin Cobbler with Spiced Butter Toffee
    • Pumpkin Waffle Recipe
    • Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe

    Did you enjoy this pumpkin seeds recipe? Give it a rating and let us know in the comments below what your favorite way to roast pumpkin seeds is! We love to hear from you.

    📋 Recipe

    roasted pumpkin seeds in a mason jar with some on the table

    Sweet Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

    Isabel Laessig
    Sweet roasted pumpkin seeds are the perfect Fall snack! They're crunchy, crave-worthy, and are one of the easiest baking gifts you can make for the holidays. Everyone will be asking you how you make your pumpkin seeds recipe!
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 cups
    Calories 402 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups dried pumpkin seeds
    • 2-3 Tbsp. maple syrup
    • ¾ tsp. cinnamon
    • â…› tsp. salt
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
    • Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well to combine. Transfer the contents of the bowl to the parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin seeds are just starting to get fragrant. Every 5-10 minutes check on the seeds and use a spatula to flip them around.
    • Let cool on the parchment paper until ready to enjoy or store. 

    Notes

    • Check the guide in our post for how to cut a pumpkin if you want to retrieve the seeds yourself.
    • How to clean pumpkin seeds: Add pumpkin seeds, pulp and all, to cold water in a large bowl, working your hands to remove the pulp and pumpkin chunks. Rinse and repeat until the pulp and pumpkin pieces are removed from the seeds.
    • How to dry pumpkin seeds: Line a parchment-lined baking sheet with your clean pumpkin seeds and let them dry at room temperature for up to a day, until they are completely dry. 
    • Use store-bought raw pumpkin seeds: To skip cleaning and drying, you can buy raw pumpkin seeds from the store.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 402kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 19gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 125mgPotassium: 551mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword how to make pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seeds recipe, recipes with pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seed recipe, roasting pumpkin seeds, sweet roasted pumpkin seeds
    Did you try this recipe?Tag #SundaySupper on social and leave a comment below!
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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

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