Homemade Pumpkin Seeds (6 Flavors)

Just finished carving your jack-o-lantern and now you're ready to roast some homemade pumpkin seeds? I've got the exact steps for perfect roasted pumpkin seeds plus 6 seasoning ideas that have rave reviews from readers just like you.

White bowls of seasoned homemade roasted pumpkin seeds sit on a white counter.

🔍 Recipe At-A-Glance: Homemade Pumpkin Seeds

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • 🕰️ Bake Time: 30-60 minutes
  • ⏲️ Total Time: 35-65 minutes
  • 🎃 Flavor Options: Ranch, Pizza, Dill Pickle, Salt and Pepper, Cinnamon Sugar, Sweet and Spicy
  • 🥘 Good For: Family funday projects, Halloween parties, healthy snacking
  • 🧡 Difficulty: Easy enough for school-aged kids to make!
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🎃 The Ingredients You Need

Ingredients for roasted pumpkin seeds in bowls on a white countertop: cleaned pumpkin seeds, oil, salt, and herbs and spices
  • Cleaned pumpkin seeds: No worries, I've got the exact method for how to easily get your pumpkin seeds spic-and-span down below.
  • Oil: I typically use avocado oil, but olive oil works great here, too.
  • Salt, herbs, and spices: I've got six different pumpkin seed seasoning blends for you to try, so pick the ones that sound the best and grab those ingredients (you probably already have them on hand). These seasonings are also so good on homemade movie theater popcorn!

Make sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, along with quantities and my expert tips and tricks.

🔁 Pumpkin Seed Seasoning Variations

Collage of six pumpkin seed flavors all in white bowls on a white countertop. Text overlay reads: Ranch, Pizza, Dill Pickle, Salt & Pepper, Cinnamon Sugar, and Sweet & Spicy

You can just roast your pumpkin seeds with oil and salt for a simple and delicious treat, but why not grab a few spices from your spice rack and get creative? You'll find these six fan-favorite seasoning mixes in the recipe card below (dill pickle is my fave):

  • 🤠 Ranch: cool, herby seasoning with a tangy bite
  • 🍕 Pizza: savory Italian herb and cheesy Parmesan vibes
  • 🥒 Dill Pickle: bright dill and zesty vinegar tang (Pssst...if you're a fellow dill pickle fanatic, make sure to check out my dill pickle deviled eggs, dill pickle pasta salad recipe, and my tutorial for canning dill pickles.)
  • 🧂 Salt & Pepper: classic crunch with a sharp pepper kick, just like your favorite kettle chips
  • 🍨 Cinnamon Sugar: warm spice and sweet, toasty caramel notes
  • 🌶️ Sweet & Spicy: brown sugar sweetness balanced by a smoky chili heat

📷 How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds directly scooped out of pumpkin in a white bowl on a white countertop

Step 1: Scoop out the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin. Remove any large chunks of pumpkin flesh and discard.

Clean pumpkin seeds float in water inside a clear glass measuring cup on a white countertop

Step 2: Place seeds in a bowl of warm water and stir well to separate the pumpkin pieces from seeds. Let the bowl rest for 5-10 minutes. The seeds will float and the pumpkin parts will sink.

Clean pumpkin seeds get dried off inside a clean white dish towel

Step 3: Scoop out the seeds from the top of the bowl and dry well with a clean kitchen towel.

Pumpkin seeds mixed with herbs and oil in a white bowl on a white marble countertop

Step 4: Combine seeds in a bowl with the oil and seasoning of your choice, toss to combine.

Unroasted pumpkin seeds covered in seasoning spread in one even layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Step 5: Spread seeds in one layer onto a parchment covered baking sheet.

Wooden spoon stirs roasted pumpkin seeds on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 6: Roast in a 300°F, stirring every 10 minutes.

Homemade roasted pumpkin seeds with seasoning on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 7: Final roasting time will depend on a number of factors. Start checking the seeds for doneness at the 30 minute mark, but know it might take as much as 60+ minutes for the seeds to be golden brown and crisp.

Seasoned roasted pumpkin seeds in a white bowl on a white marble countertop

Step 8: Seeds will continue to crisp up as the cool. Allow to cool completely before enjoying.

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🙋🏻‍♀️ Homemade Pumpkin Seeds FAQs

Do you have to dry pumpkin seeds before baking?

Definitely. Not only does it help the pumpkin seeds roast faster, but it also helps the oil and seasoning stick to the seeds better. Just pat them dry quickly with a clean kitchen towel-no need to wait until they air dry (who has time for that?).

How long should you roast pumpkin seeds?

Start checking your pumpkin seeds at the 30 minute mark, but it could take as much as 60 minutes if there was a lot of moisture on your seeds before they went in the oven.

Roasted pumpkin seeds with seasoning on a parchment lined baking sheet

👻More Fun Halloween Recipes

If you tried these Homemade Pumpkin Seeds or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments!

📖 Recipe

A pile of homemade roasted pumpkin seeds on a piece of parchment paper

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a crunchy and healthy snack you have to make! We have both sweet and savory pumpkin seed recipes to satisfy your tastebuds.
4.50 from 268 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snacks
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 82kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds clean and towel-dried
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil

For the Ranch Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon dill
  • teaspoon dry mustard
  • teaspoon celery seed
  • teaspoon paprika
  • teaspoon black pepper

For the Pizza Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon basil
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • teaspoon garlic powder

For the Dill Pickle Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dill
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • teaspoon black pepper

For the Salt and Pepper Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ⅛-½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

For the Sweet and Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
  • Clean the pumpkin seeds by removing them from the pumpkin, and then picking any large chunks out.
  • Fill a medium-size mixing bowl with warm water. Add in the pumpkin seeds, and then swirl around with your hand or a spoon to dislodge any of the pumpkin "gunk." Let rest for five minutes. The pumpkin seeds will float to the top, and the pumpkin guts will sink to the bottom.
  • Use a slotted spoon to remove the clean pumpkin seeds to a kitchen towel and pat dry.
  • In a small bowl, mix together your seasoning mixture of choice, if using.
  • Toss the clean and towel-dried pumpkin seeds with the olive oil. Then, add in the seasoning mixture, if using, or just salt to taste, tossing to make sure each pumpkin seed is well-coated.
  • Spread pumpkin seeds onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are in one even layer. If you need to move to a second baking sheet, do so.
  • Roast in preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until the pumpkin seeds are golden brown. Your final roasting time will depend on a number of factors (amount of seeds, size of seeds, humidity, dampness of seeds). Start checking the seeds for doneness at the 30 minute mark, but know it might take as much as 60+ minutes for the seeds to be golden brown and crisp.
  • Remove from heat and let cool completely (pumpkin seeds will crisp up more as they cool).

Video

Notes

  • Make sure to use parchment paper here instead of a silicone baking mat. The parchment helps pull moisture away from the seeds making them crisp up faster and more evenly. 
  • Don't skip the drying step! Patting your seeds dry with a clean kitchen towel decreases roasting time and makes sure the oil and seasonings stick. 
  • Store cooled roasted pumpkin seeds in an airtight container in the pantry for up to three months. No need to refrigerate roasted pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 1311mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

4.50 from 268 votes (268 ratings without comment)

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54 Comments

  1. Great seasoning ideas. I skip the oil and just allow the water from the rinse to help keep the seasoning on the seeds. They still turn out crispy. Other recipe options that my family loves are Curry and Chile flavor. I'm a season by feel kind of cook. For the curry I use salt, pepper, curry powder (or the red paste), garlic (minced or powder) and cumin. For Chili flavor I use chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt pepper and sometimes some tabasco. Oh, one other....Everything bagel seasoning. No need to add extra stuff because it has everything already!

    1. Hi Kim! You can also use this recipe for your butternut squash seeds! I have those way more often than pumpkins, and the roasted seeds are always a hit. If you give butternut squash seeds a go, you can follow the recipe as written, still stirring every 10 minutes and pulling them when they're golden brown. They take about the same amount of time, but depending on your oven they could take less. Also, whether you're making pumpkin seeds or butternut squash seeds, I highly recommend the soak or boil if you have time. It not only makes the finished seeds easier to digest, but it makes them extra crunchy, too! Let us know how they turn out for you and what your hubby thinks!

  2. Great flavour but massively too salty. If you’re making this, dial the salt back at least 50%. Going to have to find more seeds to dilute the batches.

  3. Can you substitute vegetable oil for the olive oil? That's all I have right now and want to make these today as it is our family pumpkin carving get together.

    1. Hi Nikki! You can definitely swap the oils. The things you want to watch out for are the flavor and the smoke point of the oil. Vegetable oil is neutral and does well at this temp, so it should be fine!

  4. We made the ranch and while the seasoning flavor was excellent, the salt was WAY excessive and ruined an entire cup of organic pumpkin seeds that I carefully prepared with my little girls, as a side to a pumpkin pie we're making. Nobody in our family could eat them, and we SO wanted to. I rinsed off the salt and will grind them up to feed them to my ducks.
    For the record, we're NOT a family who believes salt is bad. I believe salt is good, and use it liberally in my cooking, so it's not that we don't like salt. Yes, I used sea salt. Oh my god, but the amount of salt in the recipe was excessive and we're VERY DISAPPOINTED. You could halve it or, at most, use 3/4 the amount recommended. I used measuring spoons and was precise. The rest of the seasonings were perfect, but it was just WAY TOO SALTY. Gross. Ruined my pumpkin seeds, lets hope the ducks will eat them so it's not a total loss.

    1. Sorry this didn't turn out for you, Eve! The recipe has been tested lots (we make these every year!), but we've never had that issue. We'll double-check the recipe amounts to see if any adjustments are needed. Thanks for taking the time to tell us about it so we can keep improving!

  5. Love these How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds , unique one . Never tried this one before . Thanks fro sharing this stuff with us .

  6. i am going to try Ranch Roasted Pumpkin Seeds its look so good.thanks to your hard work to create this blog,i love it.

  7. I made the salt and pepper and the brown sugar and cinnamon. They came out really well but my brown sugar and cinnamon did not have that nice glaze that you have in your picture. They did take longer to bake. Super yummy 🧡🎃

  8. Thanks for the great recipes, I’ve done 4 flavors so far and my family has enjoyed them all.

  9. Thank you for sharing this recipe and all the helpful tips! I’ve always been disappointed in my pumpkin seeds but used your advice and they came out great this year! We made the ranch and sweet and spicy and couldn’t decide which we liked better!

  10. I used the sweet and spicy recipe and this was my first time roasting pumpkin seeds or even eating them ever so I was putting all my eggs in one basket! Once I got them all made and roasted I shared with my parents and they loved them!! they’re great! The slight spice hits you after the sweet and makes for a great snack!!

  11. I love these recipes: I am remaking some from last year and making others I did not yet try now with this year's halloween pumpkins. But, FYI, I am having significant difficulties with the website on my phone to the point that it is almost unusable since the website was most recently update, which is unfortunate since I typically only use my phone for your site. The biggest issue is that the page frequently reloads and pulls me back up to the top of the page - sometimes it seems to be when ads load and other times it just happens almost anytime I try to scroll down. More minor concerns include the hamburger menu and "Join the Conversation" buttons no longer work on the phone (I got on my computer to post this).

    1. Thank you for giving us your feedback! You are the second person to come to us with this issue, and we're, honestly, having a hard time replicating it, but it's definitely there, and we'll keep working on it!

  12. Made the dill flavored seeds yesterday. Making another batch today.
    Absolutely yummy! Even my daughter who doesn't like dill flavored food (other than pickles) loved them & wanted some to take to work this morning. ?
    My kids can't wait for me to make the other flavors. 5☄