With fall come the inevitable pumpkins: to roast and carve and decorate our homes, and to accompany the pumpkin spice everything flooding our stores and menus. The next time you’re making your own pumpkin purée, roasting some pumpkin for a stew, or just having a carving party, be sure not to throw away the pumpkin seeds—they make for a delicious and extremely versatile snack.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Simply remove all the seeds from your pumpkin, then rinse off the stringy, wet orange bits that hold them together. Boil them in salted water for 10 minutes to ensure they cook evenly, then let them cool and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Toss with one tablespoon of oil for every cup of seeds—you can use something neutral like vegetable oil, or something more flavorful like olive oil or melted coconut oil—and a sprinkle of salt, then add whatever spices and seasonings you like.
Bake for 10 minutes at 325° F on a lined baking sheet (or, even better, a non-stick baking sheet that doesn’t need lining), stirring occasionally to keep them from burning.
Here are five seasoning ideas to get you started:
5 Delicious Pumpkin Seed Flavor Ideas
Rosemary Garlic Pumpkin Seeds
Toss your seeds with olive oil and salt, then add 2 teaspoons of minced fresh rosemary and 1 teaspoon of garlic salt for every cup of seeds. Optional: finish with a few cranks of freshly cracked black pepper(Opens in a new window). These are a fun alternative to savory bar nuts.
Curry Lime Pumpkin Seeds
Definitely use melted coconut oil on these if you have it—it adds a lot of flavor, and is a great oil for roasting. Toss with 2 teaspoons of curry powder and 2 teaspoons of lime juice for every cup of seeds.
Maple Spice Pumpkin Seeds
Baking spices are one of the best things about fall cooking, and this is a great way to show them off. Add 2 teaspoons maple syrup, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and a pinch of ground ginger to 1 cup of seeds. Optional: you can also add a bit of freshly cracked black pepper, if you’d like a little more bite.
Honey Sriracha Pumpkin Seeds
Sweet and spicy and perfect for snacking, these are sure to please a crowd, particularly all the Sriracha fanatics out there. Combine your oil with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/2 a tablespoon of Sriracha.
Buffalo Butter Pumpkin Seeds
Pull these out for the next football game and watch your friends go wild. Toss the seeds with 2 teaspoons of melted butter and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil—to keep the butter from burning—then add a few good shakes of hot sauce. We recommend using Frank’s Red Hot since that’s what they use in Buffalo, and it’s always fun to lean into tradition.
Still can't get enough pumpkin? Try David Burtka's pumpkin seed bar mix recipe or make your own pumpkin spice latte. And stay in the festive spirit by learning to carve a pineapple like a jack-o-lantern.
