Do You Need to Shell Pumpkin Seeds Before Roasting?

Unlike sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds do not need to be shelled before roasting. Enjoy the entire seed, crispy-chewy hulls, and all! You can expect pumpkin seeds to have their own texture--a combination of both crispy and chewy. They don’t get as crispy as other nuts or pepitas do when roasted.

Kitchen Tested

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Name: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 cup pumpkin seeds from fresh pumpkin; 2 teaspoons melted butter; Salt and pepper to taste

Prep time:15 min
Total time:35 min
Ingredients:3
Servings:8
Calories per serving:100

By Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 10/24/2024

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Prep time:15 min
Total time:35 min
Ingredients:3
Servings:8
Calories per serving:100

Native Americans ate pumpkin as a main part of their diet. They roasted, boiled, baked, or dried the pumpkin flesh and ate the dry or roasted pumpkins seeds as a snack, or part of the meal. The seeds would typically be seasoned with a chili powder or mixed with nuts and dried fruit.

The practice of carving pumpkins into Jack O’ Lanterns was brought to America by Irish immigrants. In Ireland, they hollowed out potatoes or turnips and placed a candle inside, but in America, they found pumpkins to be much easier to carve.

Roasting pumpkin seeds is done primarily in the fall, with the pumpkin harvest and the annual pumpkin-carving for Halloween. Roasted pumpkin seeds make a great snack on their own or they can be mixed with other ingredients to munch on after work, school, or while watching a movie or the game. Or use them as a topping by sprinkling them over soups, potato dishes, or salads for a little extra crunch.

Cleaning and Preparing Pumpkin Seeds

Let’s be honest, cleaning out a pumpkin takes a bit of work and is a little messy. But rather than throwing your seeds away, make this roasted pumpkin seed recipe! It just might become a cherished tradition. Spread a large vinyl tablecloth or plenty of newspaper out underneath the pumpkin, with room around it to catch the mess for easy cleanup. Now that’s you’re ready, we’ll show you just how to make roasted pumpkin seeds that everyone will love:

Scrape out the “Brains”

They are really called fibrous strands and seeds but are commonly known as “pumpkin brains” or “pumpkin guts.” Use a large spoon or a pumpkin scraping tool (available at discount, home improvement stores, or online) to get out all the fibrous strands and seeds, scoop them into a large bowl.

Pick Out the Seeds

Pick through the fibrous strands and seeds to locate and separate the seeds for roasting. Dispose of the fibrous strands. It’s ok if there are small bits of strands still with the seeds, they’ll come off with the next few steps.

Dunk Them in Water

Fill a large bowl with water and swish around the seeds, then let them sit for a few minutes. The seeds should rise to the top, leaving most of the fibrous strands below. Scoop the seeds out using a large, slotted spoon onto a clean kitchen towel.

Rub and Dry

Here’s what separates great pumpkin seeds from the ho-hum variety. This step is crucial for knowing how to cook pumpkin seeds with the best texture for enjoying. Use paper towels to rub the pumpkin seeds and dry them well. Change the paper towels as necessary to get the seeds good and dry and to remove any lingering fibrous strands. This is important for the roasting process and getting your seeds to crisp in the oven.

How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Making these easy roasted pumpkin seeds isn’t difficult at all. Just like doing a home project, the secret to success is in the prep. Enlist help and this snack will be roasted and enjoyed before the first trick or treater dings your doorbell. Be sure to follow the recipe below—the hardest part will be deciding which seasoning to use on your seeds!

Rinse and Dry the Seeds

Use the tips above in the cleaning and preparing pumpkin seeds section, and your seeds will be oven ready! Toss them with the melted butter and your choice of seasonings. Go for the original seasonings in the recipe or try one of the many variations from the pumpkin seed seasonings and variations section below.

Bake Until Crispy

The key here is to be sure to use a large enough pan that will allow you to spread out the seeds in a single layer with plenty of room around them. Cooking them this way allows for the maximum amount of moisture to be baked out of the seeds. If they are crowded in the pan, it’s practically impossible to get enough of the moisture out, making them less crispy.

Cool in the Pan

Allow the seeds to cool in the pan (still spread out) to give them a second chance to let additional moisture evaporate from them as they cool.

Enjoy Warm or Cool

You can enjoy them when they are warm after allowing them to cool 10 minutes. Or allow them to cool completely, for the ultimate amount of crisping to take place.

Storing Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds are at their crunchiest best if enjoyed the same day they are made. If stored, they continue to absorb moisture from the air which makes them less crunchy and more tough over time.

If you want to store them, place the completely cooled pumpkin seeds in an airtight resealable bag (pressing out all the air before sealing) or in an airtight covered food storage container. Store them in a cool place for up to a week.

Pumpkin Seed Customization

Customize these oven roasted pumpkin seeds with whatever flavors you crave. You can make them with a different seasoning blend each time you whip them up or land on a favorite. Either way, you can expect them to be devoured in a hurry. Substitute any of these combinations for the salt and pepper called for in the recipe, unless directed otherwise:

Savory Seasonings

Chili-Cumin: 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin.

Garlic: 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt.

Italian: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.

Peppery Steak: 1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning.

Ranch: 1/2 teaspoon dry Ranch seasoning from a packet of Ranch seasoning mix.

Salt and Vinegar: 1 teaspoon seasoned salt. After roasting, toss the hot pumpkin seeds with 1 teaspoon white vinegar.

Spicy Cajun: Substitute 2 teaspoons olive oil for the butter. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. After roasting, toss pumpkin seeds with 1/2 teaspoon lime zest.

Taco: 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning from a packet of taco seasoning mix.

Sweet Seasonings

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon: 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Pumpkin Pie: 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

Sweet & Spicy: Prepare the Brown-Sugar-Cinnamon roasted pumpkin seeds, adding 1/8- to 1/4-teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) with the cinnamon.

How To Use Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Stretch those coveted seeds by adding them to a mixture of other snacks to create a tasty pumpkin seed snack mix. Add them to any of these other snack combinations, mixing and matching them if you like. Or create your own your unique blends with easy to chew snacks or candies you enjoy:

Pumpkin Seed Snack Mixes

Popcorn: Salted, cheddar cheese, or caramel corn.

Savory: Mini pretzels, rye crackers, goldfish.

Sweet: Mini chocolate chip cookies, gummy candies, mini chocolate candies or fruit-flavored lentil-shaped candies.

Toppings

Use them as crunchy toppings for soups, potato dishes, or salads. They’ll add a welcomed crunch and a burst of savory flavor.

More Fall Recipes

When the air turns crisp, our thoughts turn to utilizing the best harvest flavors of the fall season in comforting foods to warm our bellies. Try any of these amazing main dishes or desserts next time you’re looking for something to make:

Chilly Night Dinners

One-Pot Lasagna Soup: It’s a bowlful of lasagna goodness in an easy one-pot weeknight soup. Spicy Italian sausage, onions, and canned tomatoes are simmered together. Broken uncooked lasagna noodles are added to soften in the savory soup. Serve with Parmesan and ricotta cheese. Who could turn down such deliciousness?

Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings: This simple, homey recipe made in your multicooker is perfect for chilly evenings. Chicken, carrots, and celery are all tucked into a creamy sauce and topped with billowy soft dumplings made with Grands!™ biscuits.

Cozy Desserts

Apple Crescent Dumplings: Fresh apple slices are wrapped inside flaky, tender, crescent rolls that are baked in a blanket of simple cinnamon caramel sauce.

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie Cups: These little cuties really layer on the flavor! Sweet cinnamon rolls are pressed into muffin cups and filled with a simple pumpkin pie filling. They’re topped with an oat-pecan streusel and baked before a drizzle of cinnamon roll glaze is added.

Frequently Asked Questions

This may sound confusing but stick with us. Pepitas are pumpkin seeds, however, they are different from regular pumpkin seeds. Pepitas are hull-less, coming from specific hull-less pumpkin varieties. They are green or white in color and have a crunchy texture. Pumpkin seeds have a thick hull and are chewier than pepitas. The entire seed, including the hull is eaten. Pumpkin seeds need to be roasted to enjoy their crispy and chewy texture where pepitas can be enjoyed raw or roasted.

We did not soak the pumpkin seeds when developing this recipe, but rather just rinsed and dried them as described above. We do not recommend soaking the seeds before roasting, as they can absorb additional water. For pumpkin seeds to be crispy, they need to bake off moisture, so soaking them can hamper that process.

The best roasted pumpkin seeds will have a good mix of crispy and chewy, due to the nature of their exterior hulls. See the introduction copy above the recipe for more information about pumpkin seeds.