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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas)

By DK on Oct 09, 2009

Remember my promise for showing an use for all those Pumpkin seeds which I got from carving these pumpkins? Here it is - Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. One of the healthy and guilt free snack foods to have around in your pantry. Next time the craving hits you at wrong times, pop these into your mouth - it will cure you not only the craving but also add nutrition along with that satisfying crunch. There are so many ways of making this delicious and see my notes below for some seasoning ideas. The recipe is very simple and does not require much step wise pictures. But here it is anyways. I used Indian curry seasoning for my seeds

Basic Information

Prep Time: 1 to 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 min to 1 hour

Yield: Make 3 cups

Ingredients

3 cups of Pumpkin seeds ( at least that's the qty I got from my pumpkin)
approx 1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp butter/vegetable oil ( I used 2 tsp of vegetable oil - it still came out pretty good!)
salt to taste ( some recipes use 1 tbsp for 2 cups of seeds - use your discretion)
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. Garam Masala
1/4 tsp. red chilli powder

Tips

See other possible seasoning:

Garlic salt and vegetable oil
Garlic Powder - use it if you want salt free seeds. You can add this right when comes out of oven and warm.
Vegetarian Parmesan
Curry Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper
Any seasoning salt
Cajun spice mix
Lime
Italian dried herb mix
for a sweet spiced pumpkin seeds - roast them with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, a bit of chili and a bit of salt. (Thanks Laurie)

Method

Firstly clean the seeds in a colander using cold water. The cold water helps in getting rid of the strings/fibers of the pumpkin from the seeds. Remove as much as possible - since while roasting sometimes it gets burned spoiling the taste of the seeds. But a little pumpkin membrane here and there should not be a problem

There are two ways of doing this roasting process.

Method 1

Bring about 5 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt and then the seeds and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain and dry in paper towels. Or if you have the time, you can air dry which takes at least 1-2 hours (depending on the weather and number of seeds). Follow the Method 2 from here on.

Method 2

Instead of boiling, simply dry the seeds with paper towels. ( or as mentioned previous air dry for 1-2 hours )

Take them in a bowl and toss the seeds with the seasoning of your choice until well coated. I used the Indian seasoning as given in the ingredients above.

You can use other seasoning as given below or as per your requirements - time to get creative.:) Cover a baking sheet with foil and grease the foil. Or you can simply place the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet directly.

Bake in a preheated 250F oven for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown color. Don't forget to stir them once in a while in the middle of roasting in the oven.

Storing Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin seeds will keep well in an air tight container ( to retain the crunch) for 2-3 days max. If you want to extend its shelf life then pack it in a zip lock bag (use double bags - works better sometimes) and refrigerate. This lasts for a week and for anything longer than that, freezing is the best option.

Then there is also another option if you don't have an Oven Method 3 - Stove Top Method Having no oven is not an excuse for foregoing this crunchy snack. In a saute pan, add oil/butter until melted in low heat. Add the seasoning of your choice and then the seeds. Stir to mix and keep stirring until it turns color and crackles. You can remove the hulls from the seeds after roasting. But I find it too cumbersome a process and enjoy it just as it is with the hulls!!!! If you are not impatient like me then do it once it has come out of the oven. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

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15 Responses to “Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (pepitas)”

Deepa

March 30th, 2013 on 1:23 am
Hello, I came across a website where it is mentioned that it is not advisable to roast pumpkin seeds for more than 20 minutes. I am not sure of the authenticity of this information. Please check this link: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=82
centos vps

December 11th, 2011 on 1:04 am
Appreciating the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you present. It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same out of date rehashed information. Wonderful read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
Relene

October 30th, 2011 on 12:53 pm
I used a package of ranch dip mix and garlic powder:) Yum!
Kimber

October 30th, 2009 on 7:55 am
I have six cups (Did I mention I have four sons? Yesterday was the carving jamboree.) of pumpkin seeds in the oven right now. I’m trying the spicy-sweet flavor combo. I found some ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon & brown sugar. We’ll see how they turn out! Smells yummy…
Laurie

October 16th, 2009 on 5:12 pm
What about some sweet spiced pumpkin seeds? I love doing them with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, a bit of chili and a bit of salt. They taste a bit like popcorn in the end. Yum.

Sounds delicious – will add them to the post with your name by the side – so that those with sweet tooth also benefit from it Thanks Laurie — DK
Jim

October 11th, 2009 on 5:15 pm
wow sounds really good. My mother used to just roast them and salt them, but why not kick it up and add some spices garlic butter or even cinnamon.
Siri

October 10th, 2009 on 2:40 pm
..also I added your ‘Show me your pumpgrin’ event to the events list.. I will check back to see what were the entries.. it should be very interesting..

Loads of Hugs,
Siri
Siri

October 10th, 2009 on 2:39 pm
Whoa! I am in love with the bowl and the first pic!!!!. where did u get it? It has been a looong time that I tried roasted pumpkin seeds..:).

..also I added your ‘Show me your pumpgrin’ event to the events list.. I will check back to see what were the entries.. it should be very interesting..

Loads of Hugs,
Siri
heidileon

October 10th, 2009 on 5:11 am
oh, roasted pumpkin seeds are a classic street snack food that you find in every corner in my country (Mexico). I just love them in everything and with everything, specially with lime juice salt and some chili powder…yummie!

I love your suggestion, I will try some of them to increase my repertoire.
zoom yummy

October 9th, 2009 on 2:55 pm
Oh, I love these so much, it’s the taste that brings back the sweet memories of childhood!
We used to prepare them every fall. Great!
peanutts

October 9th, 2009 on 6:39 am
yummm, I love roasted pumpkin seeds, we used to do them over the stove top and eat them just afterwards