The first time I looked into how to roast pumpkin seeds, I was carving a pumpkin. Is that you, too? Welcome. I’ve got you covered. This is my favorite method for how to roast pumpkin seeds! For more pumpkin recipes, see our homemade pumpkin puree (it’s easy), which you can use in this pumpkin pie, maple pumpkin butter, or pumpkin spice latte.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Please don’t throw away those pumpkin seeds! Use our recipe and turn them into a delicious snack! After scooping out your seeds (they will be messy), we need to clean them of all those stringy bits. To clean your pumpkin seeds, throw them into a bowl of cold water. Swish the seeds around the bowl, then remove them as they float to the top. They’re mostly clean now, but we have one more chance to clean them up. Next, add the mostly clean seeds to a pot of boiling salted water and simmer for about 5 minutes. This step cleans the seeds even more and seasons them (like adding salt to the boiling water to season pasta). Drain and rinse the seeds. Pull away any extra bits of pumpkin left, then dry them as well as you can. The more dry your pumpkin seeds are, the better they will roast in the oven. Toss the dry seeds with oil (use olive oil, coconut oil, or a nut oil like walnut). Add a sprinkle of your favorite spice blend. I used harissa in the photo, but curry powder, pumpkin spice, or chili powder is also excellent. Spread your seeds into one layer and roast them in a 350°F oven until crisp and browned around the edges. By the way, Halloween isn’t the only time to roast pumpkin seeds. You can do it throughout fall and winter or swap the pumpkin for other winter squash, such as butternut squash, spaghetti squash, or delicata squash. The method stays the same, although you may find the smaller seeds don’t need as much time in the oven. 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more for serving 2 teaspoons olive oil, melted coconut oil, or nut oil like walnut 2 teaspoons favorite spice blend such as pumpkin pie spice, curry powder, harissa or chili powder 2Fill a medium saucepan with 2 cups of water and season with 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil. 3Meanwhile, scoop the seeds from your pumpkin. Add the pumpkin seeds to a bowl filled with cold water and swish them until they float and are mostly clean. 4Add the cleaned seeds to the boiling salted water. Simmer for 5 minutes. 5Drain and pull away any remaining pumpkin attached to the seeds. 6Scatter the seeds onto clean dishcloths and pat them very dry. 7Mound the dried seeds onto the prepared baking sheet. Add the oil and spices, then toss until well coated. 8Spread the seeds into one layer. Bake, stirring the seeds at least once, until fragrant and golden around the edges, 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds.
