How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Save your pumpkin seeds and toast them in the oven for a healthy crunchy snack.  Your kids will love these roasted pumpkin seeds, too!

Many of you might be carving pumpkins this week or next for Halloween.  We carved pumpkins at Judah’s school this week.  He begged to bring the seeds home so we could roast them and share with his class the next day.  It reminded me that y’all would probably benefit from a post about how I roast my pumpkin seeds!

I first clean the seeds from the pumpkin pulp and strain them in a colander.  Then, boil for at least 10 minutes in some salty water.  Let them dry a bit then toast them on a pan.

Of course, some of y’all already have your method and will stick to it.  You should!  If you’ve got your perfect way to get the seeds crunchy and flavorful, don’t go changing what you do.  This recipe is basic and turns out salty and crunchy seeds that my entire family loves to snack on.

Some recipes will instruct you to roast the seeds at a lower temperature for at least 45 minutes.  That’s too slow for me and my begging kiddos.  I turn the temperature up to 400°F and they’re done within minutes.  At this temperature, though, you really need to watch them so they don’t burn.  Depending on the size of the seeds, they can be done in 5 minutes or up to 15 minutes.

Season them how you like before putting them in the oven to create your own variations!

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Save your pumpkin seeds and toast them in the oven for a healthy crunchy snack. Your kids will love these roasted pumpkin seeds, too!

Course Snack

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 6 cups water
• 3 tablespoons salt plus more, to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

1. Separate pumpkin seeds from pumpkin pulp.  Rinse in colander.
   

2. In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of salt to a boil.  Add the pumpkin seeds and boil for at least 10 minutes.  Drain and spread to dry on a clean kitchen towel.
   

   
   

3. Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Add the seeds to the baking sheet and toss to lightly coat with the oil.  Spread the seeds to a single layer and sprinkle with desired amount of salt.
   

   
   

4. Roast in the oven on the top rack until just starting to brown (do not toss).  The roasting time can be anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the seeds.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.
   

   
   

Recipe Notes

It is important to keep the seeds in a single layer and not crowded to ensure they get crunchy.  Overcrowding will result it a chewy seed.  (Yuck!)

If you have more time, another method is to bake at 300°F for 20-25 minutes until golden.

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