Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
These roasted pumpkin seeds are crunchy and so delicious! Season them simply with salt or try one of the flavor variations below.
Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
I will admit, I have been guilty of throwing away the pumpkin seeds from my carving and baking pumpkins. But no more! Ever since I discovered how easy it is to roast pumpkin seeds and how perfectly snackable they are, I’ve been on a roasted pumpkin seeds kick!
The secret to making the best crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds is to make sure they are very dry before roasting. I like to pat them dry with a towel and then let them air dry for about an hour.
This recipe works with the seeds of a baking pumpkin that you use to make pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie, or the seeds of your jack-o-lantern pumpkin. Once roasted, pumpkin seeds are a tasty topping for salads, soups and oatmeal, or just eat them by the handful! I love them simply seasoned with salt, but it’s also fun to play around with the flavors. I’ve shared my favorite seasoning ideas below.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Clean the pumpkin seeds. Remove any large pieces of pumpkin pulp from the seeds. Place the seeds in a large bowl and fill with cool water. Then, use your hands to separate the remaining pumpkin pulp from the seeds. Let the seeds rest in the bowl for a few minutes. The pulp will sink and the pumpkin seeds will float so that they are easy to separate.
Dry the seeds well. Remove the seeds to a clean, dry kitchen towel (or paper towels) and pat dry. Leave the seeds to air dry for about 1 hour, or until fully dry.
Toss with oil and salt. I use 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of coarse kosher salt per cup of pumpkin seeds.
Roast the pumpkin seeds. Lay them out in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 20-28 minutes, until the seeds are lightly browned and crunchy. Stir them every 5 minutes or so to help them cook evenly.
Season. Toss the warm seeds with any additional desired seasonings. Then enjoy!
Flavor Variations
After roasting, sprinkle on your desired seasonings, to taste, and toss to mix. Try one of these ideas, or invent your own!
- Chili powder, for mild spice. This one is my favorite!
- Cinnamon Sugar: Use ground cinnamon and granulated sugar, if you’re craving sweet.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- Salt and black pepper.
- Curry powder.
- Cajun Seasoning.
How to Store Pumpkin Seeds
Store roasted pumpkin seeds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, or to taste
Optional Seasoning Ideas (Choose one, if desired)
- chili powder
- salt and black pepper
- granulated sugar and ground cinnamon
- pumpkin pie spice
- curry powder
- Cajun seasoning
Instructions
Clean the pumpkin seeds
- Remove any large pieces of pumpkin pulp from the seeds. Place the seeds in a large bowl and run cool water over them until the bowl is full of water. Then, use your hands to separate the remaining pumpkin pulp from the seeds.
- Let the seeds rest in the bowl for a few minutes. The pulp will sink and the pumpkin seeds will float so that they are easy to separate.
- Remove the seeds to a clean, dry kitchen towel (or paper towels) and pat dry. Leave the seeds to air dry for about 1 hour, if time permits.
Roast the pumpkin seeds
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Place the clean, dry pumpkin seeds in a bowl. Drizzle the seeds with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Stir to evenly coat the seeds with the salt and oil.
- Lay the pumpkin seeds out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake pumpkin seeds for 20-28 minutes, stirring them every 5 minutes to help them cook evenly. They are done when they are lightly browned and crunchy.
- Optional: Toss the warm seeds with your desired seasonings. (They're also delicious as is, with just the salt as seasoning.)
Notes
- Store roasted pumpkin seeds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- This method also works for roasting butternut squash seeds. Since they are smaller, butternut squash seeds won’t take quite as long in the oven. Mine took 17 minutes.
I originally shared this recipe in October 2018. Post updated with new photos and a retested, improved recipe in October 2024.
Roasted pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite things to make this time of year! Love all your tips for making them perfect!
The pumpkin seeds were really good but they were really sticky and got stuck to the paper and the pan this made it really hard to get off the pan.
I’m surprised they stuck to the parchment paper, but glad that they tasted delicious!
These were really greasy, but tasty!
I find that a combination of butter and oil make them tastier!!! Melt the butter and mix with oil then toss with seeds and other spices you wish!
Oooh, that sounds really good!!
How long will these stay good stored in an airtight container?
You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks.
Can they be frozen after baked?
I have not tried that, but I think they would lose some of their crunchy texture if you froze them.
My 9 year old son was eager to make roasted pumpkin seeds this year. He did all of the prep to clean them, I roasted them. These were delicious! Perfect amount of time in the oven, and perfect amount of salt!
good! thanks
Can the same method be done for spaghetti squash seeds ?
Yes!
We leave bits of pulp on the seeds. Tastes great!
Did you change the temperature?
Yes, I recently retested this recipe and found that roasting the seeds at 350 degrees for a shorter time produced crispier seeds. Originally, the recipe called for 40-45 minutes at 275 degrees F.
Worked great. One question: do you have an idea of how much of added spice would work? It was great to have exact proportions for the oil and salt.
Thanks!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! Since you add the spices/seasonings after baking, I find it’s best to just sprinkle the spices on, taste the seeds, and then add more if needed.