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This sweet and salty pumpkin seeds recipe is the BEST way to roast pumpkin seeds in the oven. Flavored with real maple syrup, these pumpkin seeds are made without boiling and an irresistible snack for the fall season.
This post was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated for content.
One of our favorite Fall activities during pumpkin season, is to pick out pumpkins at our local pumpkin patch. After picking out the perfect pumpkins, we carve them and save the seeds for roasting for a delicious snack later.
These maple roasted pumpkin seeds are our favorite way to roast them in the oven and have the perfect balance of both sweet and salty. This easy recipe only takes 4 ingredients and almost no time to prep. Plus, it's a fun activity to do with the family.
This sweet and salty roasted pumpkin seeds recipe is the perfect snack with a big bowl of three bean chili, a pizza grilled cheese or pumpkin hummus!
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🎃 Ingredient notes
- Pumpkin Seeds - Pumpkin seeds are the edible seeds located inside of a pumpkin. Fresh pumpkin seeds are typically flat and green and have a white outer husk. The tough outer shells are completely edible and don't need to be removed before roasting. A smaller sized sugar or a pie pumpkin will yield approximately ½ - ¾ cup of seeds. Larger pumpkins can yield 1-2 cups of seeds or more.
- Oil - A fairly neutral flavored oil is best for this sweet and salty pumpkin seeds recipe. I like coconut oil, but you can also used avocado, vegetable or canola oil.
- Syrup - I recommend using a pure maple syrup for this sweet and salty pumpkin seeds recipe. Either light or dark maple syrup can be used. Other pancake syrups will contain too much sugar and will cause the mixture to be too thick and sugary and possibly burn.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Spicy - Zest these sweet and salty pumpkin seeds up a bit by adding a ¼ teaspoon of cayenne powder to the mix with the oil, maple syrup and salt.
🥣 Step by step instructions
First, discard pulp from the seeds and then wash them in hot water to remove any remaining pulp. Spread them out onto a clean kitchen towel and pat them dry.
Stir seeds together in a medium bowl with the oil, maple syrup and salt. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and spread seeds into a single layer.
Roast the pumpkin seeds in the oven on the top rack at 400˚ for about 5-10 minutes. Give them a good stir and then let them cook for another 5 minutes. Allow the seeds to cool completely before serving.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- The pumpkin seeds do not need to be boiled, but should be rinsed off. Place them in a colander and rinse them off under hot water in the sink. Use fingers to rub the pumpkins seeds to help get off the extra stuck on pieces of pumpkin.
- It's a great idea to dry the pumpkin seeds as much as possible after washing them. This will help to make sure the seasonings evenly coat the seeds.
- Try to place the pumpkin seeds in an even layer on the sheet pan so they roast evenly.
- Cool seeds for at least 5 minutes after roasting to give the syrup a chance to set up. This will make sure the seeds are nice and crispy for the best sweet and salty fall snack.
🥡 Storage suggestions
These sweet and salty pumpkin seeds will keep in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks at room temperature.
Seeds can also be frozen for up to two months in an airtight container. They will not be as crispy so you can put them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp them up again.
🎃 More pumpkin recipes
If you loved this sweet and salty pumpkin seeds recipe, check out these other pumpkin recipes that I know you will love too!
- Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Pumpkin Roll Cake with Mascarpone
- Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie
Recipe
Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh pumpkin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Rinse the pumpkin seeds off in hot water to remove any leftover pumpkin.
- Place the seeds in an even layer on a towel and pat completely dry.
- In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, maple syrup and kosher salt and stir to combine and evenly coat the seeds in the seasonings.
- Spread the seasoned pumpkin seeds out onto the prepared sheet pan in an even layer.
- Roast the pumpkin seeds in oven on the top rack for 10-15 minutes, stirring half way through, until golden brown.
- Remove the seeds from the oven and allow them cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Smaller sized sugar or pie pumpkins will yield approximately ½ - ¾ cup of seeds. Larger pumpkins can yield 1-2 cups or more.
- The pumpkin seeds do not need to be boiled, but they should be washed after removing them from the pumpkin to remove any excess pulp.
- Dry the pumpkin seeds after washing them to make sure the seasonings evenly coat the seeds.
- Use either light or dark pure maple syrup for this recipe. Other pancake syrups will contain too much sugar and will cause the mixture to be too thick and sugary and possibly burn.
- Try to place the pumpkin seeds in an even layer on the sheet pan so they roast evenly.
- Let the seeds cool for at least 5 minutes after roasting to give the syrup a chance to set up and be nice and crispy.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil - A fairly neutral flavored oil is best for these roasted pumpkin seeds. Instead of coconut oil, avocado, vegetable, or canola oil will also work.
- Spicy - Mix in ¼ teaspoon of cayenne powder to the seasonings before roasting.
Pat Godwin
Can I use dried pumpkin seeds to roast?
Amanda Scarlati
I haven't tried it with dried pumpkin seeds. They have less moisture content than fresh, so they will cook faster, so keep an eye on them if you decide to try it.
Mary P.
OMG! These are the best pumpkin seeds! I could not stop eating them. The combination of the sweet and salty is amazing! I made them in the air fryer 10 minutes at 350 but if you do it this way, you need to watch them and adjust the time. I will be making my seeds like this from now on. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Amanda
Hi Mary! I'm so happy to hear this, thank you for trying the recipe.