Roasted pumpkin seeds are a Fall NECESSITY if you ask me! So before you throw out all those pumpkin seeds after carving your pumpkins, read this post!

Trust me… you’ll be glad you did.

The first thing you’ll want to do is separate all those seeds and get rid of the pumpkin. Wash them thoroughly, as many times as you need to in order to completely get rid of the pumpkin remnants. Then you’re going to want to strain them a few times to make sure they’re completely cleaned off and put them in a bowl full of water to soak for about 30 minutes.

Next you’re going to strain all that water out, clean your bowl for use later, and put a pot of boiling salt water on the stove. This is a VERY important step, so don’t skip it! Boil your pumpkin seeds in the salt water for roughly 10 minutes. Then strain your pumpkin seeds and put them back into the clean bowl and add a tbsp of oil (I used olive oil) and stir well.

Next get a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Spread those beautiful pumpkin seeds out in a thin layer on the parchment paper. If you have a lot of seeds (like I did) you’ll want to stir the seeds around in the oven every 20 minutes during cooking to ensure they are roasted evenly.

Set them in the oven and roast away! Start off with about 40 minutes cooking time and then add 10 minutes, as needed. They’ll be done when they’re golden brown in color. (Mine took about 1 hour total roasting time but I have an old electric oven and I had a lot of pumpkin seeds from 3 very large pumpkins!)

Yes sure to keep your eye on them. If you have a lot of seeds, toss them around with a spatula every 20 minutes to keep the color nice and even. Then, when they’re all done put them in a bowl and add your seasoning! (I made my own seasoning salt for this, but you can also use a store bought seasoning salt, regular sea salt or any other preferred seasonings)

And that’s it! You can serve them immediately after cooling or store them in an airtight container (like a mason jar) for 2-3 months at room temp or even up to 1 year in the fridge!

Nutrition Fact: Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, magnesium, manganese and vitamin K!

The BEST Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• Fresh Pumpkin Seeds, thoroughly washed and all pumpkin removed (I had 3 pumpkins! But this recipe would work for 1 or 2 pumpkins) If you have more then just add a little more oil and adjust seasonings and cooking time, as needed.

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

• Dash of Salt (for boiling)

• Seasoning Salt (or other preferred seasoning)

Directions

1. Thoroughly clean pumpkin seeds and remove ALL pumpkin remnants. Strain with water to clean completely.

2. Set pumpkin seeds in water for 30 minutes to soak. Preheat oven to 350.

3. Set a large pot of salted water on stove to boil. Once boiling, add seeds and boil for 10 minutes.

4. Strain seeds and return to a clean bowl.

5. Add olive oil and mix thoroughly.

6. Place seeds in a thin layer on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes. *check on your seeds every 10-20 minutes and toss seeds around with spatula to ensure even roasting. Some ovens may take longer to roast, some may take less. They’ll be done when the seeds are golden brown.

7. Season, cool and ENJOY! You can serve immediately once cooled or put in an airtight container at room temp for 2-3 months or refrigerate for up to one year! (But ours last maybe one day before they’re all eaten, so chances are yours will be, too!)

If you made this recipe, I would love to see it! Post your pictures on Instagram and tag @jessicadiannexoxo with the hashtag #roastedpumpkinseeds.