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Life Currents
Home » Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

November 9, 2020 by Debi 2 Comments

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Here’s my method for cleaning, prepping, and making Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. It requires only three ingredients (one being the seeds) and 15 minutes of prep time. And I have oven directions as well as air fryer instructions for making super crunchy roasted squash seeds. You’ll love this crunchy, salty, totally irresistible super-snack!

Did you know that you can roast any hard winter squash seeds, like acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, and make a yummy and healthy snack? It’s true! And, roasted squash seeds can be easily made in the oven or in the air fryer.

a white bowl filled with roasted pumpkin seeds, also works for squash seeds and title on image
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (method works for any hard winter squash)

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

white bowl with pumpkin or squash seeds square crop

How to use roasted seeds

I love roasted squash seeds! After carving those Halloween pumpkins as a kid, we always roasted the seeds with a little salt. I’d take them to school with me the next day in my lunch bag. What a yummy snack!

You can eat them hull and all just as a snack.

Or, toss them on a salad or over soup, like my delicious Butternut Squash Soup.

What kind of squash should I use?

Any hard-shelled winter squash (butternut, acorn, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, sugar pumpkin, any!) can be cleaned up and roasted into a fun and nostalgic snack!

Now, different squash will have different seeds. Even two of the same types of squash, like say, butternut squash, will have different sizes and amounts of seeds inside. Some will be crunchier and some will be meatier. Part of the fun of cutting open the pumpkin is seeing what’s inside.

The most common squash to use is the Halloween Jack-o-lantern, but all of the winter squash have great seeds for roasting. I’ve even come across some hull-less squash that are great for roasting!

Make sure to save the seeds as you carve your pumpkin or as you cut up that butternut squash for dinner! The stringy pulp and seeds just seem like they belong in the garbage can. But trust me, you’ll never toss out those seeds again once you roast them up into this tasty seasonal snack.

Squash seeds are a great source of potassium and high in protein, in addition to being super yummy.

Looking for more winter squash recipes?

I love those hard winter squash like butternut squash and acorn squash, and I have lots of recipes that use them. Try my Garlic Parmesan Shrimp over Roasted Squash, or my Pumpkin Lasagna with Roasted Butternut Squash for something new and different using those lovely winter squash.

Instructions for how to get into the squash

If you’re planning to roast or cook the squash, simply cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds and the stringy bits from the flesh with a sturdy spoon or ice cream scoop.

If you’re carving a pumpkin for Halloween, cut a hole about 5-inches in diameter in the top of the pumpkin. Use a spoon or your hands to scoop out the pumpkin guts.

These Peanut Butter Pumpkins are a fun project to make with the kids for Halloween too!

pumpkin guts with seeds
place the guts and the seeds in a bowl. Then, separate out the seeds from the squash stringy bits.

I like to place the guts and the seeds in a bowl so it’s all in one place. Then, separate out the seeds from the squash stringy bits, and place the seeds into a second bowl or directly into a colander.

roughly cleaned squash seeds
Once the seeds are fairly clean, and the large bits of squash are removed like this, start rinsing them under cold water

Once the seeds are fairly clean, and the large bits of squash are removed, place the seeds into a strainer or colander, and rinse them under cold running tap water, shaking them around, and mixing them up with your hands so you can remove any additional squash flesh as you rinse them.

Fully cleaned squash seeds
The seeds should look like this once they are all cleaned

I know some people like to have some little bits of squash flesh in there with the seeds, they say it tastes more like squash as they eat them, but I prefer to get the seeds pretty clean. Spread the cleaned seeds out on a rimmed baking sheet, and pat dry with paper towels.

The leftover squash guts can be discarded or composted. Check out my post What can I thrown in the compost? for more info.

Do I need to pre-boil the seeds?

I grew up simply roasting the seeds in the oven, so I don’t think you need to boil them. Besides, it saves so much time and effort if you don’t have to do the extra step of boiling in salt water.

Can I make the seeds in different flavors?

Yes! Want to jazz up the seeds a bit? Of course you can! I love them simply with salt, but if you want to try something new, go for one of these. Add the spice mixes to 1 cup of raw seeds, mix to coat, and pop them in the oven.

  • 2 tablespoons oil, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, and ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • For a sweet version, mix 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • My mom often used seasoned salt in place of the regular salt, which is another of my favorite ways to eat them

raw squash seeds in the basket of an air fryer
The air fryer makes the crispiest crunchiest pumpkin seeds ever!

Tools you may need

Note: these are amazon affiliate links

Sharp knife, pumpkin carving kit, or I also find that a large serrated knife works well for getting into a butternut squash
Ice cream scoop or large sturdy spoon
Colander or strainer
Paper towels
Air fryer dish
Parchment paper
Rimmed baking sheet
Wooden spoon
Cooling rack

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a dark bowl filled with roasted squash seeds and two small pumpkins in the background. Title on image
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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

white bowl with pumpkin or squash seeds square crop

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Debi
You’ll love this crunchy, salty, totally irresistible super-snack! Use the serving slider to easily adjust the amounts if your squash gives you more of less seeds.
4.95 from 20 votes
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Prevent your screen from going to sleep.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 98 kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup squash seeds
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Clean and prepare seeds, toss cleaned seeds with oil and salt.
  • Air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 350° F. Place seeds in a air fryer safe pan or on a piece of parchment paper, and air fry for about 10 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp, shaking once during cooking. Keep an eye on the seeds towards the end of cooking, as they can burn easily.
  • Oven: Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread seeds in an ungreased rimmed baking pan. Bake coated seeds 15 – 25 minutes (timing will depend on how many seeds you have on the tray), or until light golden brown and crisp, stirring once during baking.
  • Cool in baking pan 10 minutes or until completely cooled before serving. Taste for salt, adding more if desired.

Notes

For the serving size, I figured about 1/4 cup each

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 5gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 146mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword pumpkin, roasted, seeds
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!

roasted pumpkin seeds in a dark bowl.
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Filed Under: Air Fryer, Appetizers, Gluten-free, Halloween, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: acorn squash, appetizers, butternut squash, Cooking, Food, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, recipe, Snacks, appetizers, tailgating, squash, winter squash

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about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Adrienne Grace

    November 9, 2020 at 9:16 am

    5 stars
    What a blast from the past for me; I haven’t had roasted squash seeds since elementary school. I’ll definitely be saving seeds from the next butternut squash I get.

  2. Audrey

    October 3, 2022 at 7:39 pm

    5 stars
    I haven’t had squash or pumpkin seeds in such a long time—it brings back good childhood memories. Thank you for sharing your recipes. ❤️

4.95 from 20 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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