I’m sharing How To Roast Homemade Pumpkin Seeds with an easy smoky sweet spice mix. It’s fall y’all! Let’s enjoy the pumpkins! [VIDEO in recipe card!]
This post was updated 10/19 with new tips and photography. Looking for my Pumpkin Puree’ Post? It’s been moved here so it shines on its own!
Save the Pumpkin Seeds!
Those pumpkin seeds are so delicious for snacking and worth the effort! Roasting pumpkin seeds in the oven couldn’t be simpler. I know, they can be such a stringy mess. But, I hope this method will take some of the frustration out of preparing homemade pumpkin seeds.
The pumpkin seeds you’re roasting still have a seed coat on them, so they are chewy. The pepitas are inside that white seed coat. I don’t recommend peeling each seed, rather, the entire seed is to be enjoyed!
How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds in the Oven
- First, place the pumpkin seeds in a bowl of water and give them a good agitation. Swish them around!
- Second, skim the seeds off the top and transfer to a colander. Rinse the seeds under running water. Discard the water and solids.
- Third, transfer the seeds to a towel and cover with another towel. Blot dry. Be patient here, this takes a few minutes. As you continue to blot, some of the pumpkin solids will fall away. If you have time, allow the seeds to air dry further for about 30 minutes.
- Fourth, preheat to 300F. Place the dry seeds (they’ll still be a bit slippery) on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of coconut oil over the seeds. Use your hands to toss the seeds until they are all coated. I recommend about 1 Tbs of coconut oil per cup of seeds.
- Fifth, sprinkle the seeds with the smoky sweet spice blend (or create your own favorite blend!).
- Next, toss with hands to distribute the seasoning.
Last, roast seeds for about 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden.
Cool completely before storing at room temperature in a covered container. Homemade roasted pumpkin seeds are best enjoyed within a few days.
RELATED: Whip up the most silky and flavorful Homemade Pumpkin Puree to use in all your homemade pumpkin recipes! See my Pumpkin Puree recipe to learn more!
A Few Roasted Pumpkin Seed Notes
- For this recipe, you’ll roast the seeds for about 30-35 minutes. I sometimes push this to upwards of 40 minutes because I like my seeds extra crunchy. Due to oven variations, keep an eye on them! Roast until golden to golden brown without burning the sugar. The transition from extra crispy to burned can happy quick!
- DIY SPICE BLENDS: Make your own spice blend and play with those flavors! Try a Cajun spice blend, pumpkin pie spice or BBQ. The possibilities are endless! If mixing and matching, mix the spices in a small bowl and taste before adding the seasoning blend to the oiled seeds.
- For one cup of seeds, you’ll need 1 tablespoon of oil and about 1 teaspoon of spices (this doesn’t include the salt and brown sugar).
Watch a Video Below See How Simple This Recipe Is!
Looking for my Pumpkin Puree’ Post? It’s been moved here with tons of tips and extras and so it shines on its own!
the recipe
Homemade Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 C Scooped out Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 Tbs Coconut Oil melted
- 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1 Tbs Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Smoky Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Add the scooped out pumpkin seeds, about 1 cup, to a large bowl of water. In the bowl of water with the pumpkin seeds, give them a good agitation. Swish them around! The seeds will float to the top. Place the seeds in a colander to drain. Transfer the seeds to a towel and cover with another towel. Blot dry. Be patient here, this takes a few minutes. As you continue to blot, some of the pumpkin solids will fall away. If you can let the seeds set on a new, dry towel for about 30 minutes, this will help them dry out further.
- Preheat or turn oven down to 300F. Place the dry seeds on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of coconut oil over the seeds and use your hands to toss the seeds until they are all coated. Sprinkle with all the remaining ingredients for a smoky sweet blend (or create your own favorite blend!)
- Toss with hands to distribute the seasoning. Roast seeds for about 30-35 minutes (or up to 40 minutes) or until fragrant and golden. Cool completely before storing them at room temperature in a covered container for up to two days.
Roasting pumpkin seeds brings back such a flood of memories for me. I remember the first time my Mom made these with me and my sister. It’s still one of the best parts of carving the pumpkins for me. I love the sweet and spicy seasoning mix here. Thanks for sharing this seasonal treat, Traci.
Thank you! So much easier than the way I’ve been doing it. I miss roasting pumpkin seeds. I’ll definitely give this recipe a try.
I roasted my pumpkin whole, can i not use the seeds now?
Hi Denice… I’m sure you still can, although I’ve not tried it. I’ve always removed mine first if toasting the seeds. I hope this helps.
what’s the best way to de-shell the pumpkin seeds?
I ended up chopping the pumpkin into semi circular slices! Can I still make the puree?
That’s fine. Just be sure to cover the pumpkin with foil before roasting, otherwise the exposed edges tend to dry out.
Made the roasted seeds with the seeds of a pumpkin we carved in my Early HeadStart class and sent them home with the kids they are a huge hit!! Thank you!!
I made both recipes. Yummy goodness!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Hi Cheryl! So glad to be of help! Thank you for sharing your success! :D
Homemade pumpkin pure is the best! I love making it! Thanks for the great step by step tutorial on roasting pumpkin seeds. They are a great healthy snack!
You are welcome, Mira! I hope you enjoy the seeds, healthy, yessss!
I seriously needed this post. I have not yet made ANYTHING with pumpkin yet. This definitely needs to change!
LOL! I can totally relate! I had been seeing so many pumpkin recipes and I thought, hello!!, it’s time to make some pumpkin recipes! SO glad this is helpful! :D
This was so handy Traci! I am bookmarking this for later. In the UK, pumpkin cans are very hard to come by – I have to buy mine online! So seeing this tutorial really inspires me to stop being a wimp and to just buy + prepare a whole pumpkin of my own…it’s so much cheaper and you sell it as being 10 x tastier too! Great photo’s, I’m Looking forward to making my own pumpkin puree!! :)
Hi Tash! Yes, tasty indeed! So glad you have pumpkins available too! Go for it! I think you’ll love the results!
Tracy, thanks a lot for this post. Although I live in the biggest city in Canada I found it is so hard to find can pure pumpkins here. I don’t know why. So, now I can make my own, which it is better because it is chip and healthier too ;-)
Oh yeah, Olivia, if you can get fresh, whole, pumpkins, DO IT! You’ll love the flavor!
What a fantastic tutorial! I ADORE pumpkin seeds and fresh roasted pumpkin. Love the versatility of them. You can make them savoury or sweet and use them in SO many recipe. Nice one, Traci! P.S. I need a silpat ASAP. So chef-y!!!
Hi Allison! Thank you! LOL! Chef-y! Get yourself a silpat. You’ll love it!
Oooh, I’ve never roasted my own pumpkin seeds before! This looks delightful and I’d love to try!
Hi Carla! Oh you should try it! These are not like the green pepitas purchased from the store. These have the seed coat on, so they are a bit tough and chewy. I love them, however, Rob does not. I like the process of eating these little morsels from chewing on them, enjoying the seasonings and then getting to the actual pepita inside. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Carla!
This is awesome Traci!! I’m embarassed to admit that I have never roasted my own pumpkin seeds or made my own pumpkin puree! I’m not sure why I haven’t done either, but now I really want to do both! I bet homemade pumpkin puree is much better than the canned stuff! I’m going to the pumpkin patch this weekend and I will have to look out for those sugar pumpkins so I can roast up something delicious! Have a great weekend :)
Oh Izzy.. no worries! Go get that pumpkin and roast it up! The pumpkin patch has the best sugar pumpkins! Load up on them, if you can. They store for a few months at least, so when you run out of puree’ you’ll have more to whip up! And it is worth the effort for sure! Can you imagine pumpkin mac n’ ‘cheese?’ There’s so much to make!!! Hope your weekend is beautiful, too, Izzy!
I live in Germany and I really struggle here buying pumpkin puree, so thanks for the great idea! Unfortunately my freezer is pretty small, so I can’t store a lot of pumpkin there :(
Hi Evi! So glad the tutorial is useful. You know, my freezer is small too. In fact, I can’t believe I was able to stuff 3 packs of pumpkin in there! Things fall out when I open it! :) I try to preserve as much as I can before winter hits.. So, I just keep stuffing it full!
Just put 2 small bags in my freezer, too. I’ll be very thankful in the spring and summer times to you :)
Woo hooo, Evi! Way to go!! Just think of all the delicious things you’ll create! And look at you! You were able to stuff those little bags in there! Made me smile, thinking of my stuffed freezer! :D
Great tutorial, Traci! With halloween right around the corner this couldn’t come at a better time. Love the combination of sugar and spice that you use on the seeds. Thanks!
YaY for pumpkin seeds!
What an excellent tutorial, Traci! Can you believe I’ve never made my own pumpkin purée? I’m always intimidated! But no longer.. I have two little pie pumpkins sitting outside our house and I think I know just what to do with them now.. I”m thinking an elegant pumpkin-something (hazelnut? chocolate? coconut milk?) tart and maybe a red curry soup?!
Mmmmm coconut milk and pumpkin… mmmmmmm… :D Cheryl, you must puree your own pumpkin! Do IT!