Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Why waste pumpkin seeds when carving out your annual Halloween jack-o-lanterns? Grab those seeds and roast them up on a cookie sheet to bring out their natural flavors.

Roasted Pumpkin seeds are a delicious snack and deliver some substantial health benefits. The seeds are a good nutrition source for iron and zinc, in addition to unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, the most valuable of vegetable fats.

Harvesting the Seeds

For flavorful roasted seeds, hand-pick your pumpkin fresh from the pumpkin patch if at all possible. Don't waste the remainder of the pumpkin, have some fun and carve out a scary jack-o-lantern while extracting the seeds.

With that in mind, dig the seeds and pulp out of the pumpkin with a scoop or large spoon and place in a bowl. Dig out the individual seeds to prepare for roasting.

If you decide to wash them first, this will remove some of the natural flavor. It's just a preference. You can let the seeds dry before you roast them, or put them directly in the oven. Keep in mind that dry seeds require less baking time.

Roasting

Spray a cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray and spread them evenly across the sheet. Very lightly spray the seeds before roasting.

Put them in the oven and bake at 300° for about 35 minutes, until they're a toasted, golden brown. Salt the seeds to your preference and consider adding additional seasoning and spices such as garlic salt, Worcestershire, Cajun or accent seasoning.

Want to sweeten them up? Coat them with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon before roasting. By giving the seeds a familiar flavor, you'll also have kids munching on this seasonal treat.

Allow the roasted pumpkin seeds to cool before eating. Store the seeds in an air-tight container or bag for up to a week to retain flavor and freshness.

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