This tried and true method results in crunchy, salty, irresistibly Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds! This is a must make recipe for the Halloween season.
This post will help you choose the best pumpkin, collect and prep the seeds, and create the best Roasted Pumpkin Seeds you’ve ever had!
It’s not Halloween without crunchy, salty, roasted pumpkin seeds. They are packed full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals and they taste incredible. Maybe this will help offset the effect of the little chocolate candy bars I keep stealing from the Halloween stash in our pantry.
Here is my method, tried and true.
Table of contents
Which Pumpkins Have the Best Seeds?
In my experience, the larger the pumpkin the more seeds it will yield. So go big but not too heavy. According to The Kitchn, large is good but sometimes the heavier ones tend to have less seeds.
Choose a pumpkin that appears fresh, has a sturdy stem and a flat bottom so it will stay put while you’re carving. Small surface scratches are okay but avoid pumpkins with any deep cuts or bruises.
He has no idea what he’s in for.
If you are as crazy about pumpkin seeds as we are and want to be sure you’ll have enough, grab an extra pumpkin just to be sure.
Pumpkin Carving Tips
Here is the big man wielding a big knife.
Once you’ve used your artistic skills to draw the perfect face for your Jack O’Lantern, use a large, sharp knife to cut around the stem at a slight angle to create the lid. Cutting on an angle will ensure the lid will not drop straight down inside the pumpkin when placed on top.
Use a scooping tool, like a large metal spoon, to scrape and thin the wall of the pumpkin where you will be carving the face a bit so that it will be easier to cut through from the front.
How to Clean Pumpkin Seeds Before Roasting
- Use a large metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and strings.
- Transfer the seeds and strings to a colander.
- Place the colander in your sink and rinse the seeds with cool water. While rinsing, sort through them with your hands and pull out the stringy pumpkin guts.
- Place some newspaper on the counter next to the sink for the stringy guts. This allows you to just roll it up and toss the mess when you’re done. There will be some bits of pumpkin still mixed in with the seeds. Just get out as much as you can.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
I’ve found that allowing the seeds to dry overnight results in crispy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. Full disclosure, I discovered this technique after a long, exhausting day when I was too tired to deal with finishing the seeds. The next day, I roasted up the best batch of seeds I’d ever tasted and knew I was on to something!
Dry the Pumpkin Seeds
- Spread the rinsed seeds on a rimmed baking sheet. Unless you are an excellent pumpkin string picker, there will most likely still be some small bits of pumpkin innards left behind. Don’t worry, we’ll get those later.
- Leave the baking sheet on your kitchen counter overnight so the seeds can dry. They will not roast as well if you put them in the oven when they are wet. It will be easy to pick out any remaining bits of pumpkin the next day.
Prep and Roast the Seeds
- Prep – The next day pick out any remaining stringy bits and coat a clean baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dry seeds in a large bowl, toss them with olive oil and garlic salt, and spread them out over the baking sheet.
- Roast – Roast them in a preheated 325 degree F oven until toasted and golden brown. Use a spatula to stir them occasionally for even roasting.
- Season – Remove them from the oven, taste, and sprinkle with a little additional garlic salt if needed.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are delicious served warm from the oven. I dare you to try and eat just one!
Storing Pumpkin Seeds
After they cool, transfer the seeds to an airtight container and they will stay fresh and tasty for at least a week or more.
More Fun Halloween Recipes
- Caramel Popcorn
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
- Halloween Oreo Brookie Bars
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
Did you know that other seeds are also delicious roasted? Check out my recipes for Roasted Acorn Squash Seeds!
Be sure to watch the video in the recipe card below to see this process in action.
These seeds are excellent and it turned out okay for the pumpkin too. Happy Halloween!
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Perfect Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt, plus additional if desired
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Use a large metal spoon to scoop the seeds from your pumpkin and place them in a colander. Place the colander in your sink and rinse the seeds with cool water, removing as much of the stringy pumpkin guts as you can.
- Place some newspaper next to your sink for the stringy guts. This allows you to just roll it up and toss the mess when you're done. There will be some bits of pumpkin still mixed in with the seeds and this is okay. Just remove as much as you can. Drain the seeds well, pour them out on to a rimmed baking sheet, and allow them to dry overnight.
- The next day, pick out any remaining pieces of dried pumpkin. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Spray a clean rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Toss the seeds in a large bowl with the olive oil and garlic salt. Spread the seeds on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring about halfway through.
- Taste and season with additional garlic salt if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Just used this recipe but I used 1/2tsp garlic powder and 1/2tsp seasoned salt. Since I doubled the amount of seeds it worked out perfectly! Thanks for the recipe! I’ll be trying out different spices for this, my 5 yr old loves trying new things so I think this will be a hit!
Hi Chantise. I wrote the recipe to use the approximate amount of seeds you would get from one good sized pumpkin but I always double the recipe too. We go through a double batch pretty quick! So glad they worked out for you. 🙂
Can you use canola oil instead
Sure!
I happened to be using a pumpkin pie, pumpkin for some soup and decided to save the seeds. The seeds were removed easily and with very few strings or guts attached. One thorough rinse was all that was needed to get them clean!
You got yourself a cooperative pumpkin! 🙂
Got 3 pumpkins seeded so I could try different seasonings! I am very excited. Chili powder will be one of them
Has anyone done pumpkin spice roasted pumpkin seeds?
Yes! I used this recipe and just adapted it using coconut oil, 1/2-1tablespoon of sugar and pumpkin spice to taste. I heat it in the microwave until dissolved then toss the seeds in it and bake!
No……but that sounds really good tho….what’s the recipe plz….
I boil mine in salt water for about 10 min then strain the water and put butter in them and cook them on the stove for a little bit until they start to look wet through then , spead out on a bakeing sheet back until golden brown and let cool then eat ….yum yum !!
Ohhhh please don’t rinse off the stringy stuff!! That’s where all the good pumpkin flavor is & tastes so yummy when roasted!!! I’ve been doing it this way for 30+ years. Scoop everything out of the pumpkins & into a large bowl. Then remove the seeds from the big stringy pieces & leave whatever stays on the seeds on them. Just don’t rinse them!!!
Hi Marcia. I think clean, dry seeds roast up better and we prefer them free of pumpkin string and debris. I guess it’s a matter of personal taste 🙂
I have to agree, when gutting our pumpkins, we carefully squeeze the seeds out of all the stringy stuff, saving the step of having to sort through it and pull out each string after. All that’s left on them is kinda an orange glaze on the seeds from The pumpkin guts, and we leave it on and roast them like thAt. I have done both rinsed and pumpkin gut glaze still on and leaving that on is a WHOLE lot better!
Yes, love the stuff on the seeds, not rinsed off. They have a great flavor! Much better IMO then the rinsed off ones. Just remove the big chunks.
I always fry my pumpkin seeds in butter in a skillet…maybe not the healthiest way to eat them, but been doing it for decades 😉
i boil my seeds for 10 min, pat dry, sprinkle a lil EVOO on them, scatter on baking pan, no overlapping, bake for 10 min, the inside meat cooks faster than the shell so do not over cook… the next day they actually tasted stale so back in the oven they went for like 6 min and they were awesome!!!!!
Yummy! You should also try roasting cantelope and watermelon seeds the same way.
Hi Val! This is an awesome site! Sooo proud. LOVE seeds. I will be checking back often. Oh, and Paul did a great job too!
Hi Linsey! Thank you 🙂 Glad you stopped by!
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that eating pumpkin seeds in their shells tastes like eating mulch?? I love pepitas – the seeds out of the shells, but I don’t get how you can eat the shells…
I love them in the shells but I’m weird that way 🙂 I want all of the good salty stuff so I eat the whole darn thing.
Just wondering, can you do sunflower seeds the same way, or do you have to remove the outer shell?
Hi Donna. Here is a link to what looks like a great method for roasting raw sunflower seeds in the shell from Simply Recipes. Roasted In-Shell Sunflower Seeds
OK so I always roast my seeds directly from the pumpkin. But I saw your recipe and took your advice but I forgot the seeds on a pan drying in my oven for 2 days. I remembered them tonight and they still feel damp and have since grown sprouts! I hope there is nothing wrong with them because I am going to bake them now:)
Uh oh! I wouldn’t recommend drying them in an enclosed space like an oven. You want to leave them out where the air can get to them and they should be dry within 24 hours. Plus if they are on your kitchen counter you won’t forget about them 🙂 I hope you can salvage them – or you could always plant them in your garden and grow your own pumpkins for next year!
I wouldnt recommend eating them once they started e grown sprouts ,also they didnt mention what temp or how long ???
Hello Tammy. If you scroll down to the bottom of the post you will find the printable recipe with all the details. They bake at 300 degrees for about 30 or 40 minutes. They are best if roasted as soon as they dry out a bit as stated in the directions. Definitely not after they sprout! 🙂