We carved our family pumpkin on Sunday morning. The two older boys helped Michael scoop out the pumpkin guts and sorted the seeds into a bowl, and I cleaned and dried the seeds in preparation for roasting. Roasted pumpkin seeds are a tasty, healthy treat that we enjoy each year when we carve our pumpkins.
When you search the Internet for pumpkin seed recipes, you will find many variations. Recommended roasting temperatures range from 250 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, some recipes have you boil the seeds before roasting, and each recipe has it's own mix of preferred seasonings ranging from savory to sweet. We roast our seeds without preboiling, and our favorite flavors are cajun seasoning or curry powder and sea salt. Using spray oil was something new I tried this year, and I really like how it worked. Nice and neat, and not too oily.
[Updated November 1, 2009]
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Equipment
- cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil
- small to medium bowl
Ingredients
- 8 cups pumpkin seeds (rinsed and dried)
- 8 teaspoons olive oil (or canola oil spray, 1 teaspoon per cup of seeds)
- seasonings (roughly ¼ teaspoon per cup of seeds)
Seasoning Choices
- Cajun seasoning
- curry powder and sea salt
- Moroccan seasoning
- seasoned salt
- salt
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- taco seasoning
- worcestershire sauce
- soy sauce
- cinnamon and sugar
Preparation
- Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and rinse under cold water, removing the remaining pumpkin pulp. Drain the seeds well and spread them around an old kitchen tea towel to dry for about one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.
- Put the seeds in the bowl and toss with the olive oil. Make sure the seeds are all lightly coated.
- Sprinkle seasonings over the seeds and toss well. Spread out on the foil-covered baking sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until the seeds are golden. Allow to cool completely before eating.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
More Autumn Recipes
Resources
Keely says
Just wanted to say I'm glad someone else calls them "pumpkin guts". 🙂 And I too love roasting them with butter flavored spray oil.
johanna says
we have load of pumpkin seeds where i come from, but i never carve pumpkins, so always get the shelled version in the store. i do have some left over from this halloween, so will try and follow your recipe - thanks, just what i needed!