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.
I love the month of October for so many reasons but carving pumpkins with my dad definitely ranks up there.
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.
5 steps to roasting pumpkin seeds
- Get a paring knife or get a pumpkin carving kit and cut the top of the pumpkin
- Scoop out the seeds with a large spoon & rinse in a colander under cold water.
- 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 the pumpkin seeds- this is to ensure even baking.
5. Season and bake for 15-20 minutes.
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.
💭 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.
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:
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese.
- Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal with Chia
- Pumpkin Chocolate Espresso Brownies
- Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- Healthy Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins
Whatever you do, I encourage you to grab the family, head out to the driveway, and make some delicious memories.
No forks required.
📖 Recipe
Best Guide On How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds
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
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring a small pot of salty water to a boil and add pumpkin seeds. Boil for 9-10 minutes then drain. Carefully pat pumpkin seeds with paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients (olive oil through cayenne). Add pumpkin seeds to the bowl and toss until evenly coated.
- Spread seeds in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Roast in the oven until crispy, 15-20 minutes depending on oven.
Chef's Notes
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?
If you're not a fan of garlic powder and cayenne you could try these combinations:- 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 air tight containerNutrition
For more great snack recipes, check out my Pinterest board!
Anon reader
Hi, so excited to try this! Previously have always had burnt uneven seeds. Hoping that the boiling in salt water is the trick I needed. In the above 5 easy step break down, step 3 says to soak them in salt water to make them easier to digest? Then the next step to boil them. But in the recipe it doesn’t say to soak them at all? Do I soak them in salt water then boil in the same salt water? Do they get rinsed after soaking or boiling in salt or just before? Slightly confusing. Thank you!
Liz DellaCroce
Soaking them is just one tip but not REQUIRED for delicious seeds. :) Rinse before boiling!
Tim
What if you’re not ready to roast them right away. How do you store them and how long can you wait before you roast them?
Liz DellaCroce
You can store in refrigerator up to 3 days.
Toni
I love this! Really an addictive snack!
Liz DellaCroce
Yay so glad!
Dorothy Reinhold
Your savory ingredients are really calling my name! I may need to make a doible or triple batch!
Mc
How long do you soak them? I’ve read that 7hrs to overnight makes them easier to digest….
Liz DellaCroce
Oh no I just rinse off really. :)
Christine
I have yet to try it but many say that they have to be completely dry even left overnight to do so before roasting. How dry should they be when it is stated pat dry…and if i wanted to leave them sit for awhile in between since they can be hard to pat dry, what would you reccommend?
Liz DellaCroce
I make these all the time and I never let them dry overnight. I just pat them dry with paper towel. :)
Andrea
Wow great recipe! My husband likes them, he was hesitant at first but can’t keep his fingers out of the bowl now! Thank you! i’ll remember this recipe.
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so happy to hear that!! :)
Jane
thank you for making this seem easy enough to try. I’m going pumpkin shopping and look forward to trying these.
Liz DellaCroce
I hope you love them!
Stacey
what is the olive oil used for? I don’t see you reference it in the instructions. Is it used in the worstershire mixture. It says to mix from worstershire to cayenne pepper. The olive oil is listed before the worstershire.
Liz DellaCroce
My apologies, Stacey! It’s mixed with the Worcestershire and the other spices. I’ve updated the recipe – so sorry for the confusion. :) Happy Halloween!
Erin Black
My son and I cleaned out the pumpkin tonight and he has never tried the seeds. I am going to make them with salt and with cinnamon and sugar to see how he likes them best, if at all. I am also taking the rest to my preschool class for a taste testing. Thank you so much for the step by step. I have always just winged it.
Liz DellaCroce
Oh I can’t wait to hear what he thinks!! Sounds so tasty!
Maureen Coffey
The very first pumpkin seeds I proudly “harvested” as a child I discovered got moldy soon after although I had thought I had dried them enough in the sun before putting them in a jar. Never thought of roasting them nor did I know one could eat them …
Liz DellaCroce
No way!! Too cool!
Diana
Yum! We love pumpkin seeds! Super idea of worcestershire with garlic powder–kind of a Chex Mix-y flavor.
Question: has anyone ever tried roasting them in a microwave? I put a bowl of acorn squash seeds to soak one night (I was trying soaking them in salt water before roasting to see if it made them crispier) and that night our oven door ended up breaking so we don’t have a functioning oven currently. Or maybe a flat electric griddle? Would love any tips from someone who’s tried a non-oven method!
Liz DellaCroce
I’ve never done the microwave but that’s a great question!! I’m thinking it might work but I really don’t know?
rachel
awesome post! never tried to roast my own seeds but I will def now!
Liz DellaCroce
I hope you like it!
Joanne
this is going to sound crazy…but I’VE NEVER ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS. That feels a little bit like a blogger fail.
Liz DellaCroce
What in the heck!?!?!?! ROAST THEM NOW!
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm
What irks me about pumpkin seeds is the slimey insides that get stuck to all of them! Suck a pain in the butt! Do you get all the slimey stuff out?
Liz DellaCroce
If you soak them in water it really comes off quickly!! Try it!
Dave Richey
A few minutes of proof reading would have been worthwhile…
Liz DellaCroce
Hi Dave – Forgive me for missing it but I don’t seem to see any type-o’s in this post. Can you be more specific so that I can edit the post? Thanks so much!
Guest
I’m not Dave, but under tip #2 it does say “slaty” instead of salty. He could have been a little more helpful and pointed it out specifically so you could correct it.
Liz DellaCroce
Thanks so much – I corrected it. :-)
Annie @ ciaochowbambina
You brought me back with this one! I’ve always only salted my pumpkin seeds…will be trying the Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder!
Liz DellaCroce
Woohoo!! Let me know what you think Annie!!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love.
Pumpkin seeds are one of my favorite snacks this time of year!
Liz DellaCroce
Mine too Steph – I wish I had some more right now!
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog
OMG! LOVE this step by step guide…there’s nothing better than roasted pumpkin seeds after carving pumpkins!
Liz DellaCroce
There is seriously nothing better!! Can’t wait to see you soon!!
Ashley Morgan
I love pumpkin seeds and have just realized that I have never made them for my husband. I am going to buy a pumpkin today!!
Liz DellaCroce
Did you get the pumpkin?? :)
Amanda
Great post! Your pictures are so pretty!
Liz DellaCroce
Aww thank you my friend.
Jessica | Saucy Pear
Boiling them?! Is that what I’ve been missing? Headed to the pumpkin patch this weekend, so we’ll have to give this a try with the littles!
Liz DellaCroce
YES!! Let me know if you try it and what you think!!