Easy Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Sweet and spicy roasted pumpkin seeds are a yummy fall snack recipe on their own. These delicious roasted pumpkin seeds are a great way to jazz up an autumn salad or a cozy bowl of your favorite fall soup or even in an autumn trail mix or granola. No pumpkin? No problem. Make this recipe with any squash seed and you’ll still be enjoying a wonderful cool weather treat.

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Happy October!

It’s one of the best months of the year.

If September means it’s officially ok to have pumpkin everything, then October REQUIRES pumpkin everything. Because this is the month of pumpkin patches.

Every time we carve pumpkins, I save the seeds.

I love adding the roasted seeds to everything this time of year. They are awesome in snack mixes and taste fantastic in pumpkin granola.

They are also so, so good for a little crunch on top of this roasted butternut squash soup.

I have been loving that sweet spicy combo lately. Like these sweet and spicy roasted pumpkin seeds.

The best. Seriously, so good.

And embarrassingly easy.

The hardest part is cleaning out the pumpkins and let me just tell you, if you have a kid that likes messes this is exactly how you should put that to use.

My daughter had no problem digging the pumpkin insides out.

After that, you just combine a few spice, a little something sweet and some olive oil and toss the seeds together.

Then into the oven they go for a quick bake then enjoy them on their own or add them to all the fall food because you can and they are fabulous.

And if sweet and spicy isn’t your preferred flavor combination, try these Easy Sweet Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

If you have butternut squash on hand, you can try these savory roasted butternut squash seeds.

Ingredients and Kitchen Tools

For this recipe you’ll need:

• Pumpkin seeds– Don’t have a pumpkin to carve or feel like making pumpkin seeds outside of pumpkin season? Easy peasy. Substitute squash seeds. I use this exact same method all the time to roast butternut squash seeds and butternut is always available in the grocery store.
• Honey– Vegan? Substitute an equal amount of maple syrup.
• Spices– Use a combination of ground cinnamon, chili powder and a touch of salt and pepper. Want them to be a bit smokey? Use smoked chili powder or add smoked paprika.
• Olive oil

In terms of hardware, this recipe is a bit different because you are carving a pumpkin. You will need either a good knife and spoon to scoop out the pumpkin insides or a pumpkin carving kit.

You’ll also need:

• a baking sheet
• foil
• cooking spray

How to Make

This recipe is so easy to make! To do it:

1. Clean out your pumpkin.
   

    

This is probably the hardest part of the process and it’s not hard at all! To clean your pumpkin, cut a hole around the stem and then scoop out all the seeds and stringy flesh as if you were making a Jack O’Lantern.

2. Clean and season the seeds.

Once you’ve removed the seeds, pick off all the pumpkin flesh. I like to put the seeds in a colander and rinse them under water. Pat them dry and then add them to a bowl and toss with the olive oil, honey and spices.

3.Roast the pumpkin seeds.

After you’ve seasoned the seeds and tossed them well, pour the seeds onto a baking sheet, lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake them for 25-30 minutes, flipping them once halfway through. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Enjoy!

Storing

Let the pumpkin seeds cool completely.

Then store the roasted pumpkin seeds in an airtight container or jar on the counter for up to a month.

For longer storage, you can refrigerate the airtight container for up to 3 months or freeze a sealed freezer bag of roasted pumpkin seeds for up to 6 months.

Tips for Making the Best Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• Get the seeds as clean as possible. Yes this means cleaning all the pumpkin strings off. Then rinse and drain them using a colander.
• Make sure to pat the seeds thoroughly dry. I find leaving the seeds slightly damp results in less crunch for the finished product.
• You could definitely sub smoked paprika and then up the black pepper slightly for a smokey, spicy, sweet seed.
• Some people like to boil the seeds for a few minutes prior to roasting them. They say it makes the seeds crunchier. I personally have not found that and prefer to skip that step since it doesn’t give me a ton of results.
• Don’t have pumpkin seeds? Follow this Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Seeds (Savory Squash Seeds) recipe

Looking for recipes to serve these sweet and spicy roasted pumpkin seeds in? Try these:

• Pumpkin Granola
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Pumpkin Quinoa with Asparagus and Shrimp
• Chipotle Pumpkin Cheese Dip
• Apple and Pear Kale Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
• Pumpkin Risotto

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