‘Tis the season for pumpkin carving… and with pumpkin carving, comes pumpkin seeds! For most of my life, I just threw away the seeds whenever I carved pumpkins. I guess I just figured it wasn’t worth the trouble of roasting them, or something—whatever the case, I’ve since learned the error of my ways! This year, when I cooked pumpkins for homemade puree, I finally decided to roast the seeds as well. Best decision ever! Roasted pumpkin seeds make a great snack, both simple and healthy.
The only challenge of roasted pumpkin seeds comes from the pumpkin pulp. It’s a bit tough to get the seeds to separate from the pumpkin flesh! However, I’m pretty sure this largely comes from the fact that I tend towards slightly obsessive perfectionism, and I really wanted to get EVERY SPECK of pumpkin off of those seeds. (Where my fellow perfectionists at?! You feel me?) Needless to say, your pumpkin seeds will be just fine if some of the pulp stays on.
The world won’t end.
It will be okay.
That being said, the seeds need a good bath after you pick off the big pieces of pumpkin. I let them soak in a bowl of water for a few minutes, then ran my fingers through them to loosen the pieces of pumpkin flesh that seemed especially clingy. After this, they need a thorough drying (otherwise you run the risk of steaming them in the oven, preventing nice and crispy seeds), and this helps remove any last bits of pumpkin.
After a douse of oil and sprinkle of seasoning, the seeds head to the oven for a nice, slow roast. This gives them time to get all crisp without overcooking. The end result is an irresistibly crispy, perfectly seasoned snack! Good luck resisting the urge to eat them all straight off the pan. 😉
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Remove the large pieces of pumpkin pulp from the seeds with your hands. Once most of the flesh has been removed, put the pumpkin seeds in a bowl of water and let them soak for a few minutes, allowing the tougher pieces of pumpkin to loosen. Run your hands over the seeds to get the remaining pulp off. If the seeds still don't seem clean enough, get a fresh bowl of water and repeat this process once more.
- Drain the seeds and turn them out onto a clean towel, rubbing them dry. This prevents them from steaming in the oven and also removes any last remnants of pumpkin flesh.
- Drizzle the seeds with the olive oil, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Place on a sheet pan covered in tin foil, then roast in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes to ensure even roasting.
- Enjoy!
Delicious!!
I’m so glad you like them!