Recipe for Easy, Yummy, Worth it Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

So when you carve a pumpkin, you want a simple way to get those pumpkin seeds roasted with no hassle, right? For years I tried lots of different techniques and always got a “meh” result that ended with the seeds going right into the trash after a few enthusiastic well-intentioned taste tests from me and my friends.

Sound familiar? I’ll keep it simple and just ask you to trust me on this one. I figured it out. You need clean dry seeds, a single layer of them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment, a drizzle of oil and sprinkle of salt, and a toss with some fragrant ground spices. Really, it takes all of 40 minutes plus a little good technique and spices. Here we go:

1. Separate seeds from the “gunk” attached. You’ll want to throw them into a colander and get them ready to rinse.
2. While you carve your pumpkin, get the seeds rinsed and then spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Set the oven to low and get the seeds dry.
3. After about 10 minutes or longer, depending on your carving schedule, pull the seeds out of the oven. Set the oven to three hundred degrees.
4. Drizzle olive or avocado oil lightly over the seeds, and sprinkle with salt.
5. Place the seeds back into the oven and set timer for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, stir/toss to coat them and return them to the oven for an additional 15 minutes.
7. In a separate bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon each smoked paprika and ground cumin.
8. Once seeds are removed from oven, add them to the bowl and give them a good thorough shake.
9. Allow seeds to cool through, and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

If your family doesn’t love them, try different combos of flavors. Add a pinch of brown sugar, a little garlic powder, or maybe try curry powder in place of cumin and paprika. Experiment with small batches, and make notes about what you like! This is such a fun and easy thing to try out during the fun of Halloween celebrations.

Happy Halloween!