How to Make The Best Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

The key to making the absolute best toasted pumpkin seeds? Boiling them before roasting! We make several batches of these every year and they are one of the kids’ favorite treats! I don’t have exact measurements since every pumpkin yields a different amount of seeds, but here is the gist for making perfect toasted pumpkin seeds every time.

October is my favorite month of the year. For one reason…pumpkins! I love pumpkins. This is the first year we didn’t have any growing in our yard for quite awhile. We had a few gourds, but I miss my pumpkins!

I love using them in our fall decor and roasting the seeds. After Halloween I stock up on pumpkins at Walmart when they get rid of them for free and make toasted pumpkin seeds. Making toasted pumpkin seeds was one of my favorite parts about carving pumpkins when I was a kid. My kids love making them as well and I love that they are a healthy treat.

Did you know that pumpkin seeds are a good source of antioxidants and fatty acids?

They are so yummy and the perfect sweet/salty mix. Chewy, half baked pumpkins seeds are just plain gross. The key is boiling them to partially cook them and then letting them air dry over night.

Unlike sunflower seeds, you do not need to crack open the shell of pumpkin seeds before eating them. You can buy pumpkin seeds already shelled and they are delicious, but feel free to eat the shell.

Step 1: Rinse seeds to remove any pumpkin residue.

You can do this by rinsing them in a colander and picking out any residue. I don’t mind a little pumpkin goo on them, but definitely remove any big pieces.

Step 2: Place seeds in a pot with salted water and allow to boil for about 12 minutes.

Yep, boil them! This helps cook the seeds so that they toast evenly instead of being chewy.

Step 3: Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Drain seeds and spread them onto the baking sheets in a single layer.

You may end up needing more than one baking sheet.

Step 4: Allow to dry over night.

Note: I put them in the cold oven to keep them away from fruit flies, etc.

You can cheat and cook them after only a few hours, but the longer they can dry the faster they will toast up and the crispier they will be. We always carve our pumpkins at night so it works out perfectly to boil the seeds after the kids go to bed and let them dry all night. When they come home from school the next day the seeds are done. As a side note, you can speed up drying time by putting the pumpkin seeds into a dehydrator.

Step 5: Remove paper towels and drizzle lightly with olive oil and sea salt.

Step 6: Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown.

Step 7: Sprinkle with sugar.

How to store toasted pumpkin seeds: store in an airtight container.

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If anyone has any other variations or spices they like to use, I’d love to hear about them!