How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds (and season them)!

Learn How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds, plus tips on cleaning and seasoning them to perfection! Plus, I’ve got 4 different fun seasonings for you to choose from on top of the traditional way of seasoning them! Your pumpkin carving tradition just got an upgrade!

Fall is near!! I am beyond ready for all the fun Autumn traditions and cooler weather! No more throwing out your pumpkin seeds this Fall! Today I am sharing the best ways to clean, season, and roast your pumpkin seeds! My husband LOVES Pumpkin Seeds and Pine Nuts in the Fall, so I was pretty much forced to learn all the best ways to prepare and flavor them! We started dating at the beginning of the Fall season and some of my earliest memories of him are of him eating Pumpkin Seeds and Pine Nuts! And now our whole family loves to enjoy them!

Looking for a few more fun fall recipes? Make sure and check out our Pumpkin Dump Cake, Crockpot Cinnamon Apples, Pumpkin Cheesecake Puffs, and 60+ Pumpkin Flavored Recipes!

Now, let’s just jump into making some roasted pumpkin seeds!

HOW TO CLEAN A PUMPKIN

For easier cleanup, I suggest putting something under your pumpkin as you clean it out. Either a large sheet pan or cover the table in a disposable table cloth that you can just roll up and throw away after.

Start by cutting around the stem of the pumpkin and set it aside.

Use a pumpkin scraper or metal spoon to gather and scrape the seeds from the sides of the pumpkin, until it’s completely clean. Collect all the pumpkin seeds in a bowl.

HOW TO GET THE STRINGS OFF OFF THE PUMPKIN SEEDS

When you first scoop all the pumpkin seeds out of the pumpkin, a lot of the pumpkin seeds are going to have stringy pumpkin insides stuck to them. There is a super-easy way to separate the seeds from the pumpkin strings.

Just rinse the seeds under cool water and the seeds will separate from the pumpkin strings. You can also fill your bowl of pumpkin seeds and pumpkin strings with cool water and use your hand to stir them in the water and the seeds will separate and float to the top.

HOW TO PREPARE PUMPKIN SEEDS TO BAKE THEM

Before your pumpkin seeds are ready to bake, you’ll need to make sure they’re completely clean. After I’ve separated the seeds from the pumpkin strings, I like to rinse them one more time in a colander.

Make sure to look through them and remove any bad seeds and any remaining pumpkin strings.

After they are well cleaned, lay them out on a paper towel and pat them dry with another paper towel. Then spread them out on a baking sheet and allow them to dry overnight. You want all the moisture gone before you cook them.

DO YOU NEED TO PRE-BOIL THE PUMPKIN SEEDS?

You do not have to pre-boil the pumpkin seeds prior to baking them. However, if you like a saltier-tasting pumpkin seed, then I do recommend quickly boiling them in salted water. Boiling the seeds in salted water, helps the salt flavor soak into the center of the pumpkin seed.

HOW TO ROAST PUMPKIN SEEDS

Regardless of how they are flavored or how many seeds are being roasted, you’ll want to cook them in a single layer at 350 degrees for approx 15-20 minutes. You’ll want to keep an eye on them, because depending on the size of the pumpkin seeds they may cooker faster or slower. They’re done when they are lightly brown on the top.

Also, keep in mind that everybody likes their seeds cooked differently. I like mine with a TINY bit of chew left. But, some people prefer them crunchy. It will not ruin the seeds if you open and check them a few times!

Start by separating your pumpkin seeds into separate bowls, so you can flavor them differently. Below I have some different recipes for seasonings that you’ll want to check out!

After you season them, lay them out on a sheet pan in a single layer.

HOW TO SEASON PUMPKIN SEEDS

Below I’m going to share a handful of our favorite flavorings for pumpkin seeds! I’m sure you’ll love at least a few of them!

Traditional Pumpkin Seed Seasoning

Coat 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds with 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter. Layout the pumpkin seeds on a sheet pan in a single layer and salt to the top of the pumpkin seeds prior to cooking.

Ranch Pumpkin Seed Seasoning

Coat 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds with 1-2 tablespoons of oil (olive oil or avocado oil), 2 teaspoons of dry Ranch seasoning.

Italian Pumpkin Seed Seasoning

Coat 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds with 1-2 tablespoons of oil (olive oil or avocado oil), 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning, and 1 teaspoon of Garlic Powder.

Sweet Pumpkin Seed Seasoning

Coat 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds with 1-2 tablespoons of corn syrup, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Spicy Pumpkin Seed Seasoning

Coat 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds with 1-2 tablespoons of oil (olive oil or avocado oil) and 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper and 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder.

CAN PUMPKIN SEEDS BE EATEN RAW?

They can! But, in my opinion, they taste 10x better roasted! But, I do sneak a few raw ones when I’m preparing them to roast!

What flavor are you most excited to try? We generally have enough after our family carves pumpkins to make large batches of all of the flavors! That way we can all enjoy the variety!

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