Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are the perfect autumn snack to add to the pumpkin carving fun! Roasted with cinnamon, brown sugar and a hint of salt, they are the perfect balance of salty and sweet! Happy Halloween!

The Perfect Halloween Tradition

Carving pumpkins every year with the kids is so much fun, but it’s so much more than just the carving! Sweet and Salty Roasted Pumpkin Seeds just add to the fun of the day! First, it’s the field trip, skip the grocery store parking lot and buy your pumpkins from someone, anyone, growing them locally. Why?

First, because it’s just a fun trip! We got ours from a road-side truck, on a beautiful autumn day on a lovely country drive! Second, because you can probably trust that they are at least semi-organic, and not sprayed with chemicals. With that in mind, let the kids carve away, but sort what’s in the “pumpkin guts bowl” before you toss it. Pull out the chunks they discard from the triangle eyes and toothy smile, cut away the rind and roast them with olive oil and salt at 375° until soft. Mash up this roasted pumpkin for Halloween Waffles or in any muffin or fall treat recipe!

Separate the seeds to roast for this delicious and semi-healthy October snack! If you bought your pumpkins at a local pumpkin patch or roadside garden or farm, you don’t need to worry whether they are considered pie pumpkins or edible pumpkins or jack-o-lantern pumpkins, the seeds are perfect for roasting and the cut outs are fine to eat.

Ingredients

• Pumpkin seeds
• Butter
• Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Salt

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 – Remove as much of the orange pulp from the seeds as you can. Rinse in a strainer under running water, don’t worry about removing all the pulp, it’s actually delicious when roasted. Let them drain in the strainer for an hour or so or overnight. Spread them out on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Step 2 – Preheat oven to 325° convection bake. In a bowl or glass measuring cup, melt butter in the microwave, then mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and coat seeds completely with mixture.

Step 3 – Spread seeds on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper (it’s okay if it’s a bit wet) and bake. Check and stir after 15 minutes, then 15 more minutes, and then every 5 minutes after that. They should take about 30 to 40 minutes total. Allow to cool and store in a jar or airtight container on the counter for 1 to 2 weeks.

**Note – the cooking time can vary depending on how wet the seeds are, and the seed’s size. Check often after 30 minutes, don’t burn!

More Favorite Recipes for Fall!

• Maple Butternut Fall Harvest Salad
• Roasted Veggie Flatbread Pizza
• Apple Pecan Granola
• Pasta Fagioli Soup
• One Pot Maple Pork Roast

Happy Halloween!

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