How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Imagine this: you're cuddled up on the couch, the aroma of a fall-scented candle fills the air and you're about to watch your favorite Halloween movie. What's missing from this picture? Roasted pumpkin seeds! This timeless snack is an autumn right of passage, but with so many cooking methods to choose from, it's hard to cut through the noise and find the best one.

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Should you boil them? What spices should you use? How long do you bake them? There are a lot of things that go into roasting the perfect pumpkin seeds and we're going to show you the ropes. Read on, ghouls, goblins and mortals alike.

How to clean pumpkin seeds

To clean the pumpkin seeds, start by cutting off the top of the gourd. Use your hands or a large spoon to scoop out the innards. Separate the pumpkin seeds from the pulp as best you can, add the seeds to a colander and rinse off any leftover bits of pulp. And don't worry about picking off every bit of string you see, a little pulp won't affect the quality of the seeds.

Boil the seeds

The age-old question, should you boil your pumpkin seeds? While it's not absolutely necessary, boiling helps give the pumpkin seeds that desired crunch. The boiling process helps cook the insides of the pumpkin seeds so that when they're roasted, they have a crisp inside and out. To do so, add the seeds to a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain them and put them on a paper towel to thoroughly dry. If you have time, let them sit for a while in a single layer until they're bone dry.

How to season

Season your pumpkin seeds whichever way you prefer. Make them savory by tossing them in salt, garlic powder and paprika. Or try a sweet version of the snack by using common pantry staples like ginger powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and clove powder. Once the seeds are seasoned, toss the mixture in your preferred type of lightly flavored oil so that the spices stick.

How to roast

To roast the seeds, start by preheating your oven to 280F. Spread out the seasoned seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the seeds in the oven and let them roast for one hour, flipping about every 10 minutes. When they've reached a nice golden brown color, remove the seeds from the oven and let them cool. Take your seasonal movie night one step further by serving the snack with one of our delicious pumpkin cocktails.

Roasted Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seeds recipe

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon clove powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or any light-flavored oil)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 280F.

Step 2: Bring a small pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

Step 3: Scoop the seeds out of your pumpkin and remove as much stringy pumpkin insides as possible.

Step 4: Add seeds to the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Drain seeds and let them dry.

Step 6: Toss seeds in the spices, sugar and oil.

Step 7: Spread evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Step 8: Bake for one hour, flipping the seeds every 10-15 minutes.

Step 9: Remove seeds from the oven and let cool.

Step 10: Toss with salt if desired.

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