How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Every fall, we love to go to the pumpkin patch to pick out some great pumpkins for carving. We each pick our own and then carve them into different designs for Jack o Lanterns. It is a great family tradition, that we often do the weekend before Halloween. Then, we put them outside, so the carvings can be on the front porch when kids go trick or treating.
Part of our tradition is roasting the pumpkin seeds that we scooped out of the insides of the pumpkins. Toasted pumpkin seeds are a delicious salty snack that just screams autumn.
If you ever wondered how to make toasted pumpkin seeds in the oven, then you have come to the right place. Roasted pumpkin seeds is simple and a great way to use the seeds after you scoop them out of the inside of the pumpkin.
Making a Jack o Lantern first requires cutting the top of the pumpkin so that it can be cleaned of all the seeds and slimy insides. While it is not difficult, it is gooey, slimy and actually a lot of fun for the kids. They always laugh as they grab a handful of pumpkin ‘guts’ and seeds.
Scooping the guts out of the pumpkin is slimy and all part of the fun! The seeds are mixed in with stringy slimy pumpkin insides.
Once the pumpkin has been hollowed and cleaned out of all the seeds and slime, pick out the seeds and place them in a colander.
After all the seeds have been separated from all the stingy insides, thoroughly rinse them under running cold water. You want to clean them as much as possible before they go in the oven for roasting. Once cleaned, shake off any excess water.
Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt. Use a spoon to stir the seeds so they are evenly coated in the oil and salt, then spread the seeds to evenly distribute them across the baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet in a 400F oven and toast for 30 minutes, or until the seeds are toasted and lightly browned. Stir them a couple of times during the baking process.
The aroma coming from the oven as the pumpkin seeds toast is amazing. It almost reminds me of the smell of fresh popcorn.
Roasted pumpkin seeds are best served warm. They will be quite hot right when they come out of the oven, so let them cool a little bit.
Part of our family tradition is watching the Halloween TV special It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. It is so much fun watching this classic television special while eating some delicious roasted pumpkin seeds.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin seeds
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Spread pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and salt. Use a spoon to toss the seeds in the oil and then spread out evenly on the baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until toasted and browned. Stir them a couple of times during the baking process.
- Serve warm.
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