These crispy, toasty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Salt and Pepper are a simple, delicious, and good-for-you fall snack!
Happy Halloween, everyone! So, have you carved that pumpkin yet? Whether you’re making a jack-o-lantern or some fresh pumpkin purée, don’t throw away those seeds. Roast them up and enjoy them!
My plans for this Halloween? Snuggling up on the couch in the dark with some snacks and watching my favorite spooky movie: Halloween (the original).
I do this pretty much every single year (creature of habit, I am). I LOVE scary movies (my mom always said it was from all the horror movies she watched while pregnant with me). Michael Myers is still the creepiest dude I’ve ever seen.
One year, my brother got himself a Michael mask and some overalls and stood silently outside of my kitchen window as I washed dishes. I looked up, and there he was just staring in at me. He scared the crap out of me…and it was awesome!
Anyway, back to those snacks. I’ll definitely be munching on a bowl of these crunchy, salt and peppery pumpkin seeds. They’re so good (and a little bit addicting, to be honest).
And, although I’m not a nutritionist or anything like that, pumpkin seeds are full of vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium just to name a few), so they’re actually a healthy snack!
Even after today, the pumpkins will still be around for a little bit yet (the farmers’ fields around my house are absolutely filled with them right now), so there’s still time to make some.
Sure, it’s a little messy getting those seeds out of the pumpkin and clean (if you have kids, they would probably love to help you with this), but the end result is so worth it!
Ingredients you need:
- Pumpkin
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Here’s a look at how to make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Salt and Pepper:
Tips & Tidbits:
- Get the seeds as clean as you can. It’s really hard to get every tiny bit of pumpkin off of them, and it’s okay if there is a little here and there. If you leave too much on, the seeds may not get all toasty and crisp.
- You likely won’t get the seeds completely dry, either, and that’s okay too. The oven will finish that part. You don’t want them super wet, though, because then they might steam rather than roast or burn before they are dried out. Just get them as dry as you can.
- Roast the seeds until they are golden brown and slightly crisp. They will crisp up even more as they cool. Keep a close eye on them in those last few minutes, as they can go from golden brown to overdone very quickly.
- Some people like to boil or soak their pumpkin seeds before roasting (for extra crispiness). I’ve tried both and, to me, it didn’t make much of a difference. My pumpkin seeds are always plenty crisp, so I skip it.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds are best when fresh from the oven, but they will last for several days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- I like keeping it super simple with the seasonings – just salt and pepper – to let the flavor of the pumpkin seeds shine through, but hey, feel free to jazz things up and add other seasonings!
By the way, roasting isn’t just for pumpkin seeds! You can also roast the seeds from other winter squashes like buttnernut and spaghetti squash, and they’re just as yummy!
Have a super fun and safe Halloween!
I hope you try this recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Salt and Pepper and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Salt and Pepper
Ingredients
- 1 large pumpkin, for about 2 cups of raw seeds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and place them in a large bowl; cover with water.
- Using your hands, separate the seeds from the pulp (the seeds will float to the top while most of the pulp will sink to the bottom, especially the larger pieces).
- Remove the seeds to another bowl; cover with water and swish them around to rinse and remove any remaining pulp. Note: You likely will still have a few bits of pulp here and there, and that's okay. Just get as much off as possible so that they seeds will be able to get nice and crisp in the oven.
- Remove the seeds from the water (I put them on a tray lined with paper towels); pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Note: You probably won't get them completely dry, and that's okay. Just get them as dry as you can so that they don't steam rather than roast in the oven.
- Place the seeds in a bowl; toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the seeds out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the seeds are golden brown and slightly crisp. Note: They will crisp up even more as they cool. Keep an eye on things towards the end of the cooking time, as the seeds can go from golden brown to overcooked quickly.
- Allow the seeds to cool in the pan, and then enjoy!
Notes
- Roasted pumpkin seeds are best when fresh from the oven, but they will last for several days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- I like to keep my seasonings simple to allow the natural flavor of the pumpkin seeds to shine through, but feel free to add your favorite seasonings!
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