When you’re carving your pumpkins this year, save the seeds for a nutritional powerhouse. In this post I’ll go over exactly how to roast pumpkin seeds for a beautifully tasty snack!

Every year we carve pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns and a few more to roast for pies and pumpkin puree. When we do, I make sure to save the seeds because, roasted, they are a delicious and super healthy snack!

And roasting them couldn’t be simpler. It takes only 20 minutes, and a minimum of effort to make a huge batch! Healthy, easy, quick…win, win, win!

Nutritional Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

First let’s start out with why you would want to roast pumpkin seeds anyway.

To begin, one cup of roasted pumpkin seeds contains 747 calories – mostly from fat and protein, so eat them judiciously.

In fact, one cup of pumpkin seeds has 33.9g (or 68% of our recommended daily value of protein!)

They also contain 89% of our daily recommended Vitamin K, 26% of our riboflavin, 115% of our iron, 185% of our magnesium, 162% of our phosphorus, 96% of our copper and 208% of our manganese!!

To say they’re a nutritional powerhouse, may just be an understatement.

Even better, grow your own pumpkins!

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Remove the Seeds

Whether you’re carving a pumpkin for a jack-o-lantern or to cook, scoop the seeds from the pumpkin into a separate bowl with a large spoon.

Save yourself a dirty dish by scooping them directly into a colander.

Wash and Dry the Seeds

Once you’ve scooped the seeds, place them in a colander and run warm water over them while you remove the pulpy flesh from the seeds.

Once you’ve removed as much as the pumpkin flesh from the seeds, dry them thoroughly with a paper towel or cloth. I’ll leave them in the colander in the sink for a few hours with a dry cloth on top to soak up as much as the liquid as possible.

If they are too wet when they go in the oven they’ll steam instead of roast, and they’ll be chewier than I like. Plus the oil and seasonings won’t stick to them as well.

If you have the time, dry them on a cookie sheet in a warm area overnight.

Season the Seeds

Once your seeds are dry, spread them out on a cookie sheet and cover with olive oil.

This is the basic set up for all roasted pumpkin seeds. The flavorings you choose can be as varied as you like.

For us, simplicity is King. We’ll mix them with just garlic powder and sea salt. You can add Italian seasonings if you like, cinnamon and brown sugar for a sweet variety, or keep it simple and just use salt.

Roast the Seeds

To roast your seeds, all you have to do is bake them at 350°F (177ºC) for about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they cook evenly on all sides.

That’s it! Serve it by themselves for a filling snack, over a salad with pickled beets and feta, or on top of granola.