Carving a pumpkin this weekend? Maple-Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a fun and tasty snack the whole family will love- and they are much easier than you think! Video.
My husband Brian loves carving pumpkins. I can take it or leave it, but I do enjoy roasting the pumpkin seeds. You can get so creative with them!
My favorite way is to coat them with maple syrup , savory spices and a whisper of heat- sweet, savory and just a little bit spicy.
The fun thing is, you can make different variations, all at the same time. Have a Roasted Pumpkin Seed cook-off!
For more festive pumpkin recipes try Double Spiced Pumpkin Bread or Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hazelnuts.
Why Maple Roasted?
Maple syrup helps the spices and seasonings adhere to the seeds! Oil just doesn’t compare. Ok and I admit, I love the hint of sweetness too, plus maple works with so many flavors.
Here’s a basic “how-to” with some variations at the bottom of the post. I know you’ll come up with your own too. 😉
Maple Roasted Pumpkin Seeds | 30-sec video
How To Make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Step 1: Scoop out the seeds using a metal spoon. One 10-inch wide pumpkin generally yields roughly one cup of pumpkin seeds, once all is said and done.
Step 2: Place seeds in a bowl of water and massage them, to help remove pulp. The seeds will float to the top and the pulp will sink down.
Step 3: Scoop them out, and strain.
TIP: At this point, you can boil them in salted boiling water for 10 minutes or skip this step. See recipe notes.
Step 4: Pat them dry- or dry them on a sheet pan in the preheating oven, stirring every so often. You can also leave them overnight on the counter on a paper towel-lined sheet pan.
TIP: The drier you can get them, the crispier they will be.
Once dry, Spread them out on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Step 5: Season! Time to have fun! Pick one of the variations or just start creating. Toss with maple syrup, a little oil and spices.
Other seeds are a nice touch here too!
Step 6: Spread them out again, and bake, on the middle rack in a 375F oven, stirring every 5 minutes.
Keep in mind, you can make different flavors, all in one go.
Step 7: Watch them carefully while baking, especially after the minute 10 mark- you want them to get golden but not burn!
Pull them out, stir or “fluff” them a bit and let them cool down completely for about 20-30 minutes.
They will crisp up as they cool.
Variations (based on 1 cup of Pumpkin Seeds)
- 3 tablespoons maple + 1 teaspoon olive oil + 2 teaspoons Garam Masala, optional fennel seeds or black mustard seeds, and salt to taste.
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon olive oil + 2 teaspoons Everything Bagel Spice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon olive oil + 1 -2 teaspoons cajun seasoning, ( or taco seasoning, or Tajin, salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup + 1 teaspoon olive oil + 2-3 teaspoons Za’atar, salt to taste.
- You get the idea. 🙂
Recipe FAQ’S
Soak pumpkin seeds in a bowl of water, and lightly massage them with your fingers. Pulp will fall to the bottom of the bowl and the seeds will float. Scoop out with a slotted spoon or small strainer.
Pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium, zinc, copper, Vitamin K, selenium and phosphorous. With the shell on, they contain a good amount of fiber.
Pumpkin seeds can be patted dry with paper or cloth towels, dried in a warm oven, or air-dried on the counter overnight.
You don’t have to boil them, but boiling in salt water for 10 minutes helps the salt permeate the shell and yields a crispier outcome.
One 10-inch wide pumpkin generally yields roughly one cup of pumpkin seeds, once all is said and done. The larger the pumpkin in size (not weight) the more seeds.
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Sweet and savory, Maple Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon. A tasty vegan snack, perfect for fall.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds (raw with shell on)
- salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2–3 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1/2–1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1–2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- a pinch Aleppo chili flakes or cayenne pepper
See post body for other variations.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F
Soak pumpkin seeds in a bowl of water and massage them a bit to help remove the pulp. The strings and pulp will sink to the bottom. Scoop out the seeds, discard the pulp (or compost) and pat dry (or place on a sheet pan and dry in the preheating oven.)
Once dry, place on a parchment-lined sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, spices and sesame seeds. Stir well.
Place on the middle rack in the oven, and stir every 5 minutes. Watch like a hawk between minutes 10-15. You want them to toast, but not burn. Maple syrup needs to roast 12-14 minutes, in order to harden and get crackly when cooled. So aim for that. 🙂
Remove from oven, fluff them a bit with the spatula, then let them cool completely, about 20 minutes. They should be beautifully golden and crispy.
Notes
Optional: Before roasting, boil the seeds for 10 minutes in salted water. This will help the salt permeate the shell and actually make them crispier in the end. Place 1 cup of pumpkin seeds in a small pot, with 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain, do not rinse, and pat dry.
TIP: For plain roasted Pumpkin Seeds these can also be baked “dry” (after boiling with the salt) – they will get crisp with no oil.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 116
- Sugar: 3.3 g
- Sodium: 147.5 mg
- Fat: 9.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.5 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 5.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
So delicious! I used everything bagel spice on half the seeds and Tajin classic seasoning on the other half. Definitely saving this recipe!
Yummy! Glad you enjoyed!
These are delicious. I will definitely make them again.
Great to hear Jane!
A huge hit. Used two different spices I got from Bowl & Pitcher. Definitely will make again and try new spice combinations. But the maple syrup kicked it up. 😊
Oh cool Tracey! Good to see you last weekend but wish we had gotten more time to talk. It was a whirlwind!