Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pepitas or Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

One of the healthiest treats during the holidays are simple to make and come out your pumpkin or other winter squash when you are making pies, pumpkin salad, or of course carving a jack-o-lantern during Halloween. Fortunately, they are simple to make and can be flavored any way you may like.

Every time I roast pumpkin seeds it is rather thrown together and everything is quite un-exact, mainly because my pumpkins are all various sizes. Also, I constantly change my spice combination depending on my mood or the dish they will be served with.

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

1-3 cups of pumpkin seeds (flesh removed)

1-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (olive, coconut, or even melted butter)

1-3 tablespoons of your favorite spices

1-2 tsp salt

Making sure your pumpkin seeds are clean and dry is essential. Start by rinsing the seeds in a bowl of water and rub them between your hands to remove any threads of flesh that are still clinging on. Next, dump them in a colander and shake off the liquid. I usually let them drain for a few minutes. Then spread them out on a tray or plate to continue drying. Typically, I am carving a pumpkin or cooking something so I ignore the seeds for quite a while. When the seeds are relatively dry, they are ready to be cooked. You can also rub them between a kitchen towel to absorb off any excess moisture.

Preheat the oven to 325. Spread them on a baking sheet and toss them with the oil and spices. Bake for about 20 minutes, shaking the pan about every 5-10 minutes. Continue heating until the pumpkin seeds are to your preferred level of crunchiness. Remove the pan from the oven, if the seeds are perfect take them off of the pan quickly as they will continue to cook a bit more on the hot pan. If they need a bit more time allow them to cool on the pan.

Enjoy sprinkled on salads, in a beautiful package for a gift, or in trail mix!

Wikipedia has a few additional fun facts about Pepitas.