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Best Guide On How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Name: Best Guide On How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: seeds from one large pumpkin; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Last Updated: Dec 4, 2020

The best guide on how to perfectly roast pumpkin seeds! Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder make these pumpkin seeds a crunchy, savory and addictive snack.

Of course, in case you haven’t figured it out by now, I am not crafty and I do not come from a crafty family. We are foodies, thru, and thru. At the end of the day, we carved pumpkins with one goal in mind: roasted pumpkin seeds.

Over the years, I’ve perfected the crunchy, savory, addictive snack.

I love the month of October for so many reasons but carving pumpkins with my dad definitely ranks up there.

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Tips on how to make the best pumpkin seeds:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Favorite pumpkin recipes:
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Every fall, sometime between my birthday and Halloween, he would gather me and my sisters and we would all head out to the driveway. When we saw the big round pumpkins and the piles of newspapers, we knew it was time.

We would lay the paper out on the ground to collect all of the seeds and grab the biggest metal spoon we could find in the kitchen for scraping. My younger sisters would use the protective kiddy knives and eventually I was able to use a real chef’s knife. The leaves were bright orange, the air smelled like wood-burning stoves and it was cool enough to wear a jacket but not too cold that you needed gloves. It was perfect.

Time needed: 40 minutes.

5 Steps to prepare and roast pumpkin seeds

Cut
Get a paring knife or get a pumpkin carving kit and cut the top of the pumpkin
Scoop and Rinse
Scoop out the seeds with a large spoon & rinse in a colander under cold water.
Soak
Soak the seeds in saltwater. You do this to make the seeds easier to digest and ensures the slimy stuff is off of them.
Boil
Boil the pumpkin seeds- this is to ensure even baking.
Season and Bake
For 15-20 minutes

Pumpkins at Farmers Market - The Lemon Bowl

Tips on how to make the best pumpkin seeds:

Heavier pumpkins = more seeds. It’s a labor of love and these crunchy, salty seeds will be eaten in no time so I always suggest getting the heaviest pumpkin you can carry.
Boil the seeds first to ensure even baking. Since the inside of the pumpkin seed takes longer to cook than the shell, boiling them in a bit of salty water ensures a crispy pumpkin seed that won’t be burnt.
Season them any way you wish. We grew up tossing them in a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. You can use just salt and pepper or kick them up a notch with curry powder and cayenne. The options are endless.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do pumpkin seeds need to dry overnight before roasting?

No. I would just pat them down with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.

What toppings can I add to pumpkin seeds?

Garlic powder
Cayenne
Cinnamon and sugar
Salt and Pepper
Onion Powder and Seasoning Salt
Chili powder with some lime and salt

How do I get the slimy stuff off the pumpkin seeds?

Soak them in water and it comes off pretty quickly.

How long can pumpkin seeds be stored for after roasting?

Up to 7 days in an airtight container

Are pumpkin seeds good for you?

Yes! They are a good source of fiber and other minerals.

Favorite pumpkin recipes:

Whatever you do, I encourage you to grab the family, head out to the driveway, and make some delicious memories.

No forks required.

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