Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (2024)

I have a confession: For years, I threw away the seeds after carving pumpkins. Roasting them just didn’t seem worth the trouble—why mess with all that stringy, slimy pumpkin flesh? But then I became the executive chef of a farm-to-table restaurant and realized I had to stop throwing away food. My farmer friends had gone through the trouble to grow these pumpkins, so I wanted to find a roasted pumpkin seeds recipe to make the most of every ingredient!

After learning how to roast pumpkin seeds, I realized these crispy, roasted seeds taste great on everything. Their nutty flavor was so incredible that they didn’t even make it to the pantry. My family gobbled them up as a snack straight from the sheet tray. They also tasted fantastic atop warming pumpkin soup recipes, crisp fall harvest salads or as a substitute for nuts in recipes like pumpkin pie-spiced granola.

The best part is pumpkin seeds are good for you. They’re high in protein, fiber, and minerals like zinc and iron. So the next time you make jack-o’-lanterns, save the insides and make these roasty, toasty seeds.

Which pumpkins have the best seeds for roasting?

You can make this roasted pumpkin seed recipe using seeds from any type of winter squash or pumpkin. If you prefer pumpkin seeds with thin outer shells or no hulls at all, look for Styrian or Kakai pumpkins. These varieties contain hulless seeds (aka pepitas) that can be enjoyed raw. Pumpkin seeds with a hull (like seeds from a sugar pie pumpkin or butternut and acorn squash) must be roasted to crisp up the outer shell. They’re crunchier and slightly chewier than pepitas.

How do you prepare pumpkin seeds for roasting?

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Preparing pumpkin seeds is a two-step journey. First, you’ll scoop the seeds out of the pumpkin or squash. Most of us are pretty familiar with this part from a lifetime of pumpkin carving. Using a sharp, sturdy knife, cut around the top of the pumpkin and remove the “lid.” Using a large spoon, scrape the interior sides of the pumpkin to remove the seeds and flesh. Place everything—flesh and all—in a large bowl.

Next, it’s time to separate the gunk from the pumpkin seeds. You might be wondering, “Do you have to clean pumpkin seeds before roasting?” The answer is yes! I used to dread handling the slimy, stringy pumpkin flesh, but it’s actually much easier than I thought. Just use your fingertips to pull the seeds free. Leave the large pieces of pumpkin flesh in the bowl as you transfer the seeds to a colander.

The fibrous strands can be more challenging to remove, but we have a trick for that: Rinse the seeds in the colander under cold running water. The water will loosen the strands and make it easier to pull them off. Don’t worry if you have some pumpkin flesh clinging to the seeds. It’s really hard to remove every last bit. During testing, we found that extra strands didn’t make a huge difference once the seeds were roasted. But leaving on all the gunk prevents the seeds from getting nice and toasted.

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Ingredients for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• Fresh pumpkin seeds: You can use the seeds from any type of winter squash, including acorn or butternut squash. Prepare the seeds as directed above and pat them dry.
• Butter: Melted butter adds fantastic flavor to pumpkin seeds, but you can swap in healthy oils to create a dairy-free roasted pumpkin seeds recipe.
• Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce is a fermented condiment that adds a salty, umami-rich character to the pumpkin seeds. Most brands include anchovies, so look for a brand with plant-based ingredients to make a vegan roasted pumpkin seed recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the seeds

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Preheat the oven to 250°F. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the melted butter, salt and Worcestershire sauce.

Editor’s Tip: Some people swear by boiling or soaking the seeds in salt water before baking them. I’ve done it both ways and have never noticed a difference. Instead, I like to simply rinse the seeds under cold running water and pat them dry with a towel. Patting the seeds dry is an important step. Excess water can create steam in the oven, which prevents the seeds from crisping. The seasonings will also adhere better to dry seeds.

Step 2: Bake the pumpkin seeds in a low-temperature oven

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Spread them evenly in a greased foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

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Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Editor’s Tip: Most ovens have hot spots, which can lead to burnt seeds. Stirring the seeds from time to time promotes even browning.

Step 3: Increase the oven temperature

Increase the oven setting to 325°. Bake until the pumpkin seeds are dry and lightly browned, about five minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Editor’s Tip: Roasting the pumpkin seeds in a 250° oven helps them cook evenly inside and out so they don’t burn before they’re cooked through. But to make the seeds crispy, they have to be finished in a higher-temperature oven. Just keep a close eye on the seeds, as they can go from browned to blackened in no time flat.

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Recipe Variations

• Keep it simple: Skip the Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds with salt and pepper.
• Make them spicy: For those craving a little heat, make spicy pumpkin seeds by adding 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to the seasoning blend.
• Give them a savory finish: Make garlic pumpkin seeds by adding 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or smoked paprika to the seasoning blend. You can also use other savory spices, like 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin or coriander.
• Add sweetness: To give the pumpkin seeds a dessert-y vibe, make mocha pumpkin seeds by finely grinding 6 tablespoons sugar with 2 tablespoons baking cocoa and 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules. Brush the seeds with a beaten egg white and sprinkle on the seasonings. You can also use other warming spice blends instead of the cocoa and coffee, such as pumpkin pie spice or the seasoning blend used in our chai spice mix recipe.

How to Store Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

You can serve the seeds warm (I always risk singed fingertips to snatch a snack right off the sheet pan), or you can let the seeds cool and enjoy them at room temperature. If preparing this roasted pumpkin seed recipe for later, set the pan on a cooling rack until the seeds are fully cooled. Then, store the cooled seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (like the pantry).

How long do pumpkin seeds last?

Roasted pumpkin seeds should last for about two weeks in an airtight container or up to three months in the freezer. Thawed pumpkin seeds might not be as crispy as before freezing, but they’ll still have a nutty flavor.

If you carve a pumpkin but don’t want to roast the seeds right away, rinse them to remove the flesh and refrigerate them in an airtight container. Roast them within three days. You can also freeze raw pumpkin seeds if you let them dry completely after rinsing them. Freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to three months, and thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.

Roasted Pumpkin Seed Tips

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Do you have to soak pumpkin seeds before roasting them?

Some people soak pumpkin seeds before roasting them to make the seeds extra-crispy, but our Test Kitchen didn’t notice much of a difference between soaked and unsoaked seeds. If you do soak the seeds, be sure to dry them thoroughly before roasting. Otherwise, the water could create steam in the oven, causing the seeds to be chewy instead of crispy.

Why are my roasted pumpkin seeds chewy?

There are several reasons why roasted pumpkin seeds may be chewy. For starters, make sure there isn’t too much flesh still attached to the seeds before baking them. It’s also vital that the seeds are plenty dry after rinsing off the flesh. Once it’s time to bake the seeds, make sure they aren’t crowded on the pan. Spread them evenly and in a single layer on the baking sheet. Finally, increase the oven temperature for the last five minutes or until the seeds are golden brown.

How do you eat pumpkin seeds?

Pumpkin seeds can be used in dozens of ways, whether you snack on them straight from the sheet pan, toss them on salads or add them to granola. You can also try sprinkling them on a bowl of butternut squash soup or whipping up a batch of this pumpkin seed toffee.

Taste of Home Senior Food Editor Peggy Woodward, RDN, and former Taste of Home Associate Digital Editor Teddy Nykiel contributed to this article.