I was carving a pumpkin with my daughter last night when I thought to check this site for a roasted pumpkin seed recipe. I had never roasted them before, nor had I ever had them before. So I followed your recipe and they were excellent! In fact I'm eating some right now. I decided to look up the nutritional values online because it has been my experience that anything that tastes good isn't good for you, but to my astonishment pumpkin seeds are VERY good for your health, and very low in saturated fats. I think I am going to tell everybody to save their seeds for me this year! Thanks for the recipe.

I'm all about extra saltiness, so I can't wait to see how the boiled versions turn out.

As far as pulp removal, I've found I have good luck if I soak the seeds for a few hours, then pour small batches into a mesh strainer and swirl them around - most of the stringy stuff clings to the mesh and I can pick out the rest. The seeds are pretty clean when I slide them out of the strainer.

Hi there,
I'm just about to put the seeds into the oven now and am looking forward to seeing how they turn out. I've never even tasted a pumpkin seed, so this is all new to me. One thing I did discover, when I was carving the first pumpkin, I found it difficult and time consuming to separate the seeds, On the second pumpkin I moved to the kitchen sink, as soon as I cut out the lid, I turned on the faucet and started to fill it up, as it was filling, I kind of swirled the water to free the seeds, and as the water level rose up in the pumpkin all the seeds floated to the top. Then I just scooped them out. It didn't take much more work to get them ready for boiling. Hope this helps out.

I always HATED anything with pumpkin until I tried making something with fresh pumpkin. It was great (but canned pumpkin still makes me gag just to smell it, ICK!)

I tried roasting the seeds after I baked the pumpkin, but they were blah because I salted the seeds after putting them on the oiled baking sheet. Now that I know how to make them with the 'boiling in salted water trick', I'll try it again when I make up some more pumpkin. Thanks!

Taryn...we do one pan at a time in the toaster oven...these are gone in no time at all...keep raw ones in refrigerator in water...until you're ready to use them

I made these last night for the second year in a row... they were great! However, I gave the tupperware to the neighbours and now (a few hours later) it is mysteriously empty...

I'm enjoying these pumpkin seeds right now! Thanks for the recipe!

Stella, they go right from the pumpkin to the sink to get rinsed, then into the salt water. As waterlogged as they get, they wind up deliciously dry and crunchy after baking.

A question for anyone--this seems silly, but how do you get them into one layer? I find that if any seeds overlap, it's a problem, but they're kind of sticky after boiling, and hard to get into one even layer. Any tips? I was using a wooden spoon and/or my hands.

Note from Elise: I just spread them out with my fingers. After they've been cooking in the oven for a few minutes, you might try using a metal spatula to move them around a bit.

Forgive me if I sound dense but why do we have to rinse the seeds before washing and/or roasting. I actually prefer the 'au naturale' seeds.
I've roasted seeds a few years before but am trying the 'boiling before baking' method as I write.

Note from Elise: Hi Lizzie, rinsing them while you separate the seeds from the pulp actually makes them easier to separate. I personally don't like the taste or texture of the stringy pulp, so don't want them on my seeds. But if you like it that way, then by all means go for it. There's no real need to rinse the seeds.

I just tried this recipe. It worked out great, though I will cut back on the salt next time. Every year I try to make roasted pumpkin seeds, but they are always kinda like trying to eat tree bark. I made these tonight and have to say that this is the first time they tasted great and I could chew them.

I am thinking the reason for the water is to make the seed actually cook inside the shell and since the salty water wont let the shell burn just brown

You don't have to boil the pumpkin seeds. The way my family has been doing it for generations is:
1)first you get all the pumpkin seeds out of the pumpkin.
2)then you put all the insides in a large bowl;
try to seperate the goopy stuff from the seeds best you can.
3)then slightly fill the bowl wiht COLD water
4)let sit for a day
5)the next day strain the seeds and water. you will see that the goopy stuff in on top of the seeds after you strain them (this is because it sinks to the bottom)
6)refil bowl and repeat steps four and five.
7)then when all the orange stuff is gone, refill the bowl and salt it generously. stir.
8)the nest day you will need to strain them again
9)after straining spread them evenly on a cookie sheet.
10)apply onion powder, garlic powder, salt, peper, and if you like it hot put hot red peper powder or yout favorite spicy seasoning (OPTIONAL)
11)then mix the seeds around the sheet
12)bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.
you will know when they are done: you will be able to smell them a mile away.

Thanks!

Note from Elise: Hmm. I think I prefer my boiling method. It only takes a few minutes. No need to soak them for a day.

OMG, these were so good. I thought I would eat them all.

I always make 4 or 5 batches, each with different seasonings. There is the sweet batch with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg (pumpkin pie spice works great too), a batch that is just salt, one that is salt and pepper, one with cajun seasonings and garlic, one with "green" herbs from the cabinet (whatever smells good) and usually some garlic powder, and one super spicy batch with hot sauce, cayenne, ancho chili powder, salt, and black pepper. These things are addictive!

Thanks for the tip with the rinsing Elise. I love pumpkin seeds as snack but getting the pumpkin strings off the seeds has always been so bothersome. I wonder how long they can be stored once they are toasted.

Last year, I made 2 batches of seeds, one boiled before roasting, and one just roasted. There was absolutely no difference between the 2 batches.

I don't usually use any oil anymore to roast them. Just salt them while they're wet, and the salt sticks as they cook, just like a pretzel. There's enough oil already present in the seeds to brown them.

I, too, like a little of the pulp left on the seeds for more flavor. When they roast, any pulp gets nicely browned and full of flavor. And it saves me from obsessively cleaning the seeds when I could be eating them instead.

I used this recipe, but then added some Braggs with the oil. They smell great cooking! I snuck a seed from the oven to taste and they're great already. Can't wait for them to cool/dry out and get extra crispy. Thanks for the recipe!- I only wish I had carved more than one pumkin!

This was great and fast...We loved the texture but the recipe was a bit too salty for our tastes...next time I'll cut back on the salt. Otherwise, the texture was great.

Just took them outta the oven, delicious. Growing up as a kid, every year my parents attemped to make them, all they did was rinse them and put them in the oven , once they even left them out to dry in the sun, but it just never came out good. This year I will let them try my pumpkin seeds, thank you for the recipe.

Thank you so much for this recipe! I am only 24 but have problems with my memory. When I remembered once of my mum making pumpkin seeds when I was age 8 I HAD to make some to remember the taste and time! Thank you again and I will be sending many mates here for the same recipe!

Watermelon seeds? I've never heard of toasting them. Can you provide instructions?

A different variation. Mixed rinsed seeds in a little sea salt and let rest a bit. Put 2 to 3 Tablespoons of Olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat and add seeds. Heat and turn often until starting to brown and puff. If they start popping before they are browned and puffed reduce heat.
Add amendments to oil in Pan, Pepper, Soy, cayenne, etc.

I tried this recipe over the weekend with what I believe were butternut squash seeds (I'm in Russia, and not really sure if their squashes are the same as the American ones I'm familiar with, but it looked like a butternut squash...).

I found them a bit too salty, but I don't know if that was because of personal taste or because the seeds are smaller than pumpkin seeds.

I also found that they cooked faster than pumpkin seeds (lesson learned: don't assemble furniture while toasting seeds) and they got a little too brown in 20 minutes. It might just be because of my weird Russian oven, but if anyone else tries it with squash seeds, keep an eye on them! They were tasty all the same, so I recommend using them!

Thank you for posting this info. Our family had fun carving our pumpkin and toasting the seeds. It is a good memory we will charish.

Used this last night with my kids. These are awesome. They were great right out of the oven - hot! Brings back the memories. Thanks a bunch.

Does anyone know how long after picking a pumpkin it is safe to still roast and eat the seeds? I live near Buffalo, NY so we already have snow. I have a few uncarved pumpkins still sitting on my front step and now that Thanksgiving has passed, I am ready to get rid of them. Should the seeds still be ok to eat? I guess I could just try and find out. Either way, it will be me or the deer who gets to eat them.

Note from Elise: Pumpkins last for months, especially if kept cool. As long as the pumpkin itself is still hard, the seeds should be fine.

I'm trying this recipe right now...this is strange for me, because here in New Zealand, pumpkin is basically a staple vegetable. We get 3 or 4 kinds in the stores year round, quite cheaply. We roast them, boil them, mash them, anything savoury you can think of - but desserts made from pumpkins are not common (it's a vegetable!!!) and the pumpkin seeds are purchased, shelled, and sprinkled onto things more often than they're eaten as a snack. Only the truly dedicated bother to use the seeds from the pumpkins they eat. I guess this is because most of us don't realise you can eat the shell. because even bought shelled pumpkin seeds are a newish addition to our food repertoire, so we don't have those childhood memories. anyways...i'll let you know how it turns out.

After the pumpkin has been carved and set outside for a week or so.....can it still be cooked and prepared for pumpkin pie?

Personally, I wouldn't do that. ~Elise

Elise, you never cease to amaze me! Every time my boyfriend and I want to try something new, we always say "let's ask Elise" and you always have something for us. All your recipes are truly of the highest quality! I do have a question about this recipe, however: you mention that it's better to use the seeds from the smaller pumpkins. What if I want to kill 2 birds with one stone and roast the seeds from my large pumpkin while I carve it? Are the seeds from the large pumpkins not good to eat (esp. if I prefer shells on)?

Thanks Shelly! I think you'll find that the larger seeds are difficult to eat with the shells on. But that doesn't mean you can't cook them too. I would just crack open the shell and only eat the inside when eating the big ones. ~Elise

My family has enjoyed roasted pumpkin seeds for years and we also like the taste of the pumpkin goop on the seeds. I usually roast the salted pumpkin seeds in the oven at a low temperature for an hour, then throw them in a heated frying pad for a few minutes for added crispness. I think I'll try your method this year to compare. I'll let you know...

Hi elise I made this yesterday they were great. My whole family enjoyed this. Thanks for the recipe.

Washing or boiling the seeds is good for adding salt, but takes away the wonderful pumpkin taste that only improves after roasting. For the best seeds simply scoop from the pumpkin and place directly in a pan. Sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt and bake until golden brown.

When Fall arrives, I am surrounded my so many pumpkin seeds that I'm surprised they're not growing out of my ears!
I usually don't wash or boil my seeds, but I will certainly try this method next week. I enjoy trying all different methods. Thank You.
My favorite flavor for my seeds are soy & cumin, mmm....

Always a seasonal favorite of mine. I like to make several batches with different seasonings. Sometimes I like them a bit more spicy than others.

I roasted pumpkin seeds for my first time this weekend. I wish I had checked your blog before trying it! I just put them in the oven with olive oil and salt...I bet they would have been better if I had boiled them first!

My "cheat" is that I bring the water to a boil, and then toss the seeds (with some water) in to the baking pan ... by the time the water has evaporated, leaving all the salt behind, they are perfect!

I like mine rather salty ...

I'll have to try soy sauce next time. Worchestershire sauce comes to mind, too!! :)

Thanks for the boiling tip!! My kids LOVE the seeds. We add a few chunks of butter with the salt when we oven roast them. You can eat them whole that way!!

These seeds are awesome! I love the idea of boiling in the salt flavor before baking. This makes them much less messy to eat afterwards. Genuis! :)

This makes me think of when I was little and we would carve pumpkins and then roast the seeds... the good old days! Thanks for the reminder!

YUM! Pumpkin seeds are a great sign of fall! Thanks for the great ideas with the pumpkin seeds--another great idea to do with pumpkin seeds, top breakfast muffins with them.

I always do pumpkin seeds after carving a pumpkin. I've never tried the boiling in water (which I will try tomorrow!) The method I use is to put them on an oiled cookie sheet (olive, obviously), swirl them around a bit so both sides are coated. Then I either use a mixture of salt, garlic powder (I'm a fan of fresh garlic almost all the time except for pumpkin seeds - it sticks better this way for me) black pepper, sea salt and cayenne pepper, or I use tony cachere's (excuse me if I misspell that name - I always mispronounce it....) and it's just as good. They get a good spice and are always really crunchy. I'm pretty much addicted to them, and so is the fiancé. Yum. :)

I'm not sure anyone will read down this far, but the easiest way I've found to separate the seeds is to first, obviously clean out the pumpkin. While doing so, place the "guts" in a large bowl. Have a cookie sheet at the ready. Any stray seeds that you're lucky enough to pull out without a bunch of pulp place on the tray. Everything else place in the bowl. Now for the complex step: fill the bowl with water. All the seeds float to the top away from the pulp :)

Just finished making these and they were delicious! Two pumpkins worth of seeds, roasted and then finished off in under an hour!

Fantastic recipe! I tried a different recipe last year and the seeds were not good at all. This one toasted them up beautifully and was a hit with the entire family. Thanks for a fantastic site that keeps me drooling!!!

Really too easy to be this good! I've tried other methods with poor results, these are fantastic.

YUM! This is my second year using your recipe and it's perfect as written. Thanks!

I boiled them and it does make them less chewy when you eat the whole thing.I put popcorn salt on them...yum,yum.

In addition to sea-salt, I added one tablespoon (per cup of seeds) of hickory liquid smoke to the boil. After boiling and straining, I put the seeds back in the pot along with the olive oil, one teaspoon of sea-salt, and one teaspoon of liquid smoke... sloshed it all around and restrained before baking to a golden brown. The seeds came out great!

Brilliant. I love the idea of adding liquid smoke to the boil, thanks! ~Elise

I wasn't able to read ALL the posts here, but lots of people seem to wonder about removing seeds from pulp. I had no problem at all removing the seeds before removing the pulp. I just ran my fingers through the strings. The strings are firmly attached to the inside of the pumpkin, and the seeds slid out into my hand. Hope that helps someone.

On my way to get my pumpkin now! (not looking forward to the long walk home)... A question about oil: Has anyone used any other kind of oil? Sesame, avacado, sunflower... Just wondering! Happy Halloween!

Hi, I followed the directions and put the seeds in an airsealed container overnight. This morning I opened the container and the are still very wet and oily. What should I do?

Leave them out, they need to dry. ~Elise

Last time I used fresh pumpkin, I was in such a rush, I threw the seeds away. I was so mad at myself. These are the best treat ever!

Good tip about the pre-boil! I made some pumpkin seeds last night with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on them--very tasty dessert!

I followed this recipe, then added sugar during the last 4-5 minutes of roasting, and the seeds tasted like kettle corn. Yum!

Thanks, I never tried boiling, saved sooo much time! I made a batch of regular salty ones and then my favorite old bay!

I want to say thank you for the post. :) My roommate, being a sheltered man, is 30'sumthin and has NEVER had pumpkin seeds!! So thanks to your help ;) I am able to include him on one of the best seasonal treats ever!

Hi Elise

Just wondering if this might work with the seeds from the Crown (or Grey) pumpkin which is by far the most common in New Zealand. I had a go at toasting them years ago because it seems a waste to throw out so many & buy bags of pre-shelled seeds for far too many dollars a kilo!

But the shells are really tough. Is the boiling process enough to sort that out?
Thanks heaps.

Hi Bronwyn, I haven't tried this with seeds from the Crown pumpkin, so don't know what to tell you. You might just try it and see how they turn out. ~Elise

First time cooking seeds on my own for my kids, they loved them! Thanks for the great recipe!

Awesome! I can't wait to try this method. Every time I try to roast pumpkin seeds, they smell good, they look good, but I don't like the hulls. They don't chew well. I have some squash and when I cook it, I am going to try the boiling method on the seeds!

These pumpkin seeds were the first ones I had made. They taste so good and were simple. I know there will not be any left tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe!!! Eating some now! janet

WOW! I remember as a kid my parents drying the pumpkin seeds for what seems like forever until they finally cooked them. They were so bland. This year is the first I've ever done it on my own with my boyfriend. We carved our pumpkin and then cooked the seeds. ours took about 25 min to get to the perfect crunchiness and we used sea salt instead of normal salt. They were soo good! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! They were the best fresh from the oven and we finished them off before the night was through! Now I'm trying to find more seeds to do more!

Hello! This is a great recipe and mine turned out just the way I like them. I did add some more salt at the end, but that was just a personal touch!

AWESOME!!! OK, I love roasted pumpkin seeds, but have never been able to get them quite right until this recipe. I have tried the low and slow and the soaking over night and the just oil them and pop them in. I have tried everything or so I thought and I never could get them quite right until now. Thanks for sharing!

Just a bit late this year but when is it ever too late for yummy pumpkin seeds?

A quick tip I have is to mix the olive oil & sea salt (or whatever seasonings you use) and the seeds in a bowl.. then spread on the cookie sheet! Makes them all evenly coated and cook up perfect!