The 3 Best Pumpkin Seed Recipes

For a good, crunchy snack, save the seeds from your pumpkins this year and make roasted pumpkin seeds. Don’t forget to keep those edible seeds aside, whether you’re carving a spooky Halloween pumpkin or making pie.

It’s easy to make this healthy snack recipe at home and a fun activity to get the kiddos involved. You should also know that pumpkin seeds are healthier than sunflower seeds to snack on.

Pumpkin seeds contain protein as well as fats that are good for you like your omega fats. Up next we’re going to give you step-by-step instructions, for three of the best pumpkin seed recipes around.

Preparing the Seeds

A carving pumpkin or a pie pumpkin are a good source for seeds, but avoid seeds from decorative white pumpkins. Purchase a 10 to 14-pound pumpkin for 1 cup of seeds.

Smaller seeds function best; larger seeds tend to pop and get tough in the oven. After you have chosen the pumpkin, lay down the news for a job place.

Cut a hole in the pumpkin’s top, then. The pumpkin can be cut in half for tinier pumpkins. To finish removing the end, use the pumpkin stem as the handle. Next, use a long handle spoon or your hands to scoop out the gut and seeds.

Until all the guts and strings are rinsed off, raise the seeds under running water. Drain and pat until dry with a paper towel.

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

A healthy way to cinnamon sugar dessert flavor without all of the calories is through a batch of cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. sugar

Directions

1. Heat butter in the microwave at 20-second intervals while the oven heats until it is completely melted. To coat them, toss the pumpkin seeds in melted butter, then toss them with cinnamon and sugar.
2. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread the seeds out and roast for 25 to 27 minutes or until softly golden.

Ranch Pumpkin Seeds

In the best possible way, these seeds taste like sour cream & onion corn nuts.

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized pumpkin (5 lb. or larger)
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tbsp. ranch seasoning mix

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Carve the top of the pumpkin off and scoop the guts and seeds out.
2. To clean the guts, dip the seeds in a bowl of water, dry them, and put them on a well-greased baking sheet. To dry them out, bake for 30 minutes.
3. Toss the melted butter seeds with the ranch seasoning blend. Bake for an extra 10 to 12 minutes, let cool for a minimum of 5 minutes, then serve.

Parmesan-Rosemary Pumpkin Seeds

A splash of red pepper adds a little spice to this snack. Omit it or use black pepper instead if you’re not crazy about the sun.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 cups pumpkin seeds
• 1 cups freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the furnace to 275°. As it heats until completely melted, microwave butter at 20-second intervals.
2. Toss the Parmesan, rosemary, and red pepper seeds, then put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and cook for 25 minutes or until lightly golden. With a light sprinkling of fresh Parmesan on top, serve soft.

More Fun Facts

A good, crunchy snack that is gluten-free, paleo, vegan, and absolutely delicious is pumpkin seeds! Here’s one caveat: some people fail to stomach unsoaked nuts and seeds.

If that’s you, and you find that digestive problems are caused by pumpkin seeds, make sure you soak or boil your pumpkin seeds before cooking.

You are free to use seeds from a giant pumpkin you used for carving a jack o ‘lantern. Seeds from a pie pumpkin can be used, too.

The only thing to bear in mind is that the lighter and smaller your pumpkin, the fewer seeds you’re going to have. So instead of running out of seeds, you might try to look for a large and heavy pumpkin to get a ban for your buck.

Conclusion

Pumpkin seeds consist of two parts: a cream-colored shell and an olive-green kernel or pepita. Both parts are edible so all you have to do is roast them, let them cool and store them in an airtight container for easy snacking later.