Whether you’re scooping seeds from a soon-to-be Jack-O-Lantern, or from a small pie pumpkin, don’t forget to save the seeds!
You can roast those seeds to create your own crispy and delicious snack that is packed full of nutritious goodness with this simple method.
Let’s get started!
Scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp of the pumpkin and place them in a bowl. Separate the seeds and pulp as much as you can. Place the seeds in a smaller bowl and give the pulp to your compost.
Pour water into the bowl of seeds, just enough to cover the contents. Give it a stir. Let sit on the counter overnight or about 12 hours.
After you’ve soaked the seeds, leftover pulp and any undeveloped seeds should be floating. Strain off and dispose of the floating bits, then rinse the seeds that had settled to the bottom.
Place the seeds in a small saucepan and cover with 2 cups of water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil. (If you have a lot of seeds, you would have to double this amount of water and salt.)
Keep at a gentle rolling boil for 10 minutes.
Strain off the water, but do not rinse.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Dry the seeds on a towel or paper towels.
In a bowl large enough to hold the seeds, whisk together:
- 3 TBS melted butter (or roasting oil of your choice)
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional seasoning)
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
Toss the seeds in the mixture, then spread them onto a lined baking sheet. I prefer a silicone baking mat, but you can use parchment paper or aluminum foil also.
Bake 15 – 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Once they look lightly brown and toasted, they are ready.
Note: You may hear a popping sound in your oven.
Sometimes they will pop like popcorn!
Cool on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Serve and enjoy!
Store seeds in an airtight container 1-2 weeks if you have any left after snacking.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Large knife to cut pumpkin
- Small saucepan (1 qt.)
- Spoon to scoop seeds
- Medium size bowl to hold the seeds
- Colander
- Towel
- Baking sheet with liner
- Paper towels
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp melted butter or roasting oil of your choice
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce optional seasoning
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 small Pumpkin 2-4 lbs.
Instructions
- Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seed and pulp mix.
- Soak seeds overnight or about 12 hours to help release pulp from seeds.
- Rinse seeds. Discard any pulp.
- In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water with 1 Tbsp of salt to a boil.
- Add seeds and boil for 10 minutes.
- Remove from stove and drain in a colander, but do not rinse them.
- Dry seeds on a towel or paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Combine in a small bowl: melted butter, worcestershire sauce and fine salt.
- Stir in the seeds, then using a slotted spoon, spread the seeds in an even layer on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
- Seeds are done when slightly brown and toasted.
Notes
- The worcestershire sauce will darken the seeds, so you’ll need to watch carefully to make sure they don’t overcook.
- You can omit the worcestershire sauce for a more natural flavor and color.
- Ovens vary in temperature, watch carefully to make sure the seeds don’t overcook.
- Every pumpkin is a different size. A small pumpkin should yield approximately 1 cup of seeds.
Serving Ideas
- Mix with popcorn, nuts, trail mix, or granola
- Try other flavor combinations such as smoked paprika, garlic, or cinnamon and sugar
- Use as a garnish for pumpkin soup, oatmeal, or salads
- Blend into smoothies
How Healthy are Roasted Pumpkin Seeds?
Pumpkin seeds are packed with nutrients such as magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, healthy fats, and lots of fiber if you eat the husk with the seed. Soupersage has an informative article regarding the nutritional value of pumpkin seeds.
Enjoy!
Alisa
[…] How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds […]