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How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds (Plus 6 Seasoning Ideas)

By: Cassie Johnston / Updated: April 29, 2025 / Posted: October 10, 2024

Six small white bowls form a circle on a white marble countertop. The bowls are filled with six different flavors of roasted pumpkin seeds.

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featured review

Five yellow stars in a row

 I made the pizza, sweet and spicy, and the cinnamon brown sugar flavors, and man did these pumpkin seeds turn out good! I couldn’t get enough! Will definitely make these again!

– MELISSA –

Roasted pumpkin seeds are tasty, healthy, crunchy, salty, and really easy to make! In my family, we find that freshly-roasted pumpkin seeds are the perfect snack for the whole family to enjoy while curled up watching a spooky movie post-pumpkin carving. It is one of our favorite Halloween traditions!

In this post:

Close up view of roasted pumpkin seeds with seasoning on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Cassie Johnston (a light skinned brunette woman with glasses and a red streak in her hair) smiles toward the camera with a wall of photo frames behind her

Roasting pumpkin seeds is one of my favorite Halloween traditions!

Making a fun, healthy, special family snack of roasted pumpkin seeds after carving jack-o’-lanterns is one of my favorite annual traditions in our house.

We love this recipe and use it every October! Here’s why you’ll love this recipe, too:

  • It’s easy and fun. Roasting pumpkin seeds is so easy that your kids can do it (with a little grown-up help). It’s a fun Halloween tradition for any family!
  • Flavor for dayyyysss. I’ve got six different seasoning options for you to try, so you’ll have a flavor profile that satisfies each of the little monsters in your home.
  • It’s kitchen-tested and family-approved. I’ve personally made this exact roasted pumpkin seed recipe for years. They turn out addictively crunchy and delicious every time!

Step-by-Step how to roast pumpkin seeds

1

Collect the pumpkin seeds

Scoop all your pumpkin seeds out from the pumpkin. I like to lay them out on a clean kitchen towel or newspaper. Pick any large chunks of pumpkin “guts” out and compost (or do like we do, and feed it to your chickens). 

2

Clean the pumpkin seeds

Fill up a big bowl with warm water and dunk in the seeds. Use your hand to swirl them around a bit to loosen any pumpkin guts remaining. Then, let the seeds rest for about five minutes or so. In those five minutes, magic happens! The seeds all float, and the remaining pumpkin guts sink.

3

Dry the pumpkin seeds

Fish out the seeds using your hands, a slotted spoon, or a sieve, and then put them onto a dish towel and pat dry.

Protip: Do not skip drying your seeds!

Drying off the excess moisture from the clean seeds is key to making sure you have crispy roasted pumpkin seeds.

4

Toss the seeds with oil and seasonings

Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet or two (depending on how many seeds you have) with parchment paper.

Toss the towel-dried pumpkin seeds with olive oil or avocado oil—you’ll need about one teaspoon of oil for every 1/2 cup of seeds. Toss with your seasoning of choice.

5

Spread on the prepared baking sheet(s)

Spread the seeds into a single, even layer on the prepared baking sheet. You want a little space between and around the seeds so that they come out crispy instead of chewy. If they don’t all fit, line another baking sheet with parchment paper and use that one too!

6

Roast your pumpkin seeds

Roast the preheated oven, stirring the seeds every 10 minutes or so. Your final roasting time will depend heavily on a number of factors, so we recommend to start checking at the 30 minute mark for doneness. Your seeds could take as much as 60+ minutes to finish.

Protip: Keep stirring!

Make sure you stir your pumpkin seeds regularly so that they don’t burn!

7

Allow to cool and enjoy

Pumpkin seeds are ready when they are golden brown and mostly to entirely crispy. The seeds might be chewy right when they come out of the oven, but will crisp up nicely after cooling.

Roasted Pumpkin Seed Seasoning Ideas

Ranch Pumpkin Seeds

It takes a little bit of a lot of different spices to get the classic ranch flavor! For each 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds, you’ll need:

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dill
  • 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/8 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Pizza Pumpkin Seeds

The Parmesan cheese in these gets such an awesome, nutty flavor during roasting. For each 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds, you’ll need:

  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Dill Pickle Pumpkin Seeds

These dill pickle pumpkin seeds are like a crispy version of your favorite pickle. For each 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds, you’ll need:

  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Salt and Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

These pumpkin seeds prove how spicy black pepper can be! For a nose-tickling kick, add the full amount; for just a little bit of black pepper flavor, add less. For each 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds, you’ll need:

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8–1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Crunchy and sweet, these are my favorite pumpkin seeds of the lot! The brown sugar in these has a tendency to burn in the oven, so keep a close eye on them. For each 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds, you’ll need:

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

You can’t beat the interesting combo of sweetness with just a touch of kick! These aren’t super spicy, but the heat does build after a handful (or two). For each 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds, you’ll need:

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon black peppe

Protip: Not just for pumpkin seeds!

Not only are these seasoning mixes great on pumpkin seeds, but they’re also delicious sprinkled on popcorn! Each spice mix makes enough to season a half cup of pumpkin seeds, so depending on the size of your pumpkin (and any other uses you might want for the seasoning mix), you might want to scale up any mix you make.

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Six small white bowls filled with different flavors of roasted pumpkin seeds. Bowls are placed on a white marble countertop.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds protips

  • Roast at a low temperature:  You’re looking to dry out your pumpkin seeds, not burn them. A low temperature of 300°F is the way to go when baking pumpkin seeds.
  • Cook time may vary: The amount of time it’ll take to roast your seeds will depend on the size of seeds, amount in the oven, humidity, and how damp the seeds were to begin with. We recommend starting to check your seeds at the 30 minute mark, but know they could take as much as 60 minutes to finish.
  • Remove the pumpkin guts: You might be tempted to try roasting pumpkin seeds without cleaning them, but that’ll give you chewy pumpkin seeds. Remove as much of the pumpkin strings and flesh as possible before roasting.
  • Parchment paper is going to give you the best roast: I love using reusable kitchen items wherever possible, but this is a job for parchment paper instead of your silicone baking mat. I’ve tested it both ways, and the parchment seems to wick away moisture from the pumpkin seeds better than the silicone.
  • Roasted pumpkin seeds crisp up as they cool: Don’t freak if your pumpkin seeds are chewy out of the oven! They’ll crisp up as they cool.
  • Keep a close eye on your oven: If your oven has hot spots or if you’ve never roasted pumpkin seeds before, make sure to keep a close eye as they roast to prevent burning. Rotate the pan if you see some seeds getting darker, and make sure to stir 2-3 times during the baking time.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Flavored Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes

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
Author: Cassie Johnston

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
  • ⅛ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon celery seed
  • ⅛ teaspoon paprika
  • ⅛ 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
  • ⅛ 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
  • ⅛ 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
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ⅛ 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

To make pumpkin seeds easier to digest:
  • Soak pumpkin seeds: Soak the clean pumpkin seeds in a quart of filtered water mixed with 1 tablespoon of salt at room temperature for at least eight hours or overnight. Remove from the water, towel dry, and then roast as directed—you may need to add 5-10 minutes worth of cooking time to get properly crunchy pumpkin seeds.
  • Boil pumpkin seeds: Speed up the process by instead boiling pumpkin seeds in salted filtered water. Bring a saucepan of filtered water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water) to a rolling boil, then add the cleaned pumpkin seeds and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the water, towel dry, and then roast as directed—you may need to add 5-10 minutes worth of cooking time to get properly crunchy pumpkin seeds.
Store cooled roasted pumpkin seeds in an airtight container (I use Stasher bags or canning jars) 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
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Frequently Asked Questions about Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds are usually still pretty chewy when they are hot out of the oven. Let them cool completely and then try again. If they are still chewy, pop them back in the 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes to finish crisping them up.

I like to store cooled roasted pumpkin seeds in an airtight container (I use Stasher bags or canning jars) in the pantry for up to three months. No need to refrigerate roasted pumpkin seeds. 

Pumpkin seeds can be tricky for some folks to digest. If you find that pumpkin seeds give you tummy trouble, you can alleviate this problem by either soaking or boiling your pumpkin seeds before roasting:

  • Soak pumpkin seeds: Soak the clean pumpkin seeds in a quart of filtered water mixed with 1 tablespoon of salt for at least eight hours or overnight at room temperature. Remove from the water, towel dry, and then roast as directed—you may need to add 5-10 minutes worth of cooking time to get properly crunchy pumpkin seeds.
  • Boil pumpkin seeds: Speed up the process by instead boiling pumpkin seeds in salted filtered water. Bring a saucepan of filtered water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water) to a rolling boil, and then add the cleaned pumpkin seeds and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the water, towel dry, and then roast as directed—you may need to add 5-10 minutes worth of cooking time to get properly crunchy pumpkin seeds.Dried or fresh minced herbs—Sage, rosemary, parsley, or thyme all work well here. You’ll want 2 teaspoons of dried herbs total, or 2 tablespoons of fresh minced herbs.

Nope! You can use any kind of pumpkin—the best pumpkin for pumpkin seeds is the pumpkin you have on hand! Unlike when we made our own pumpkin puree, you are free to use seeds from a giant pumpkin you used to carve a jack o’ lantern. You can also use seeds from a pie pumpkin. The only thing to keep in mind: typically, the bigger and heavier the pumpkin, the more seeds it has. And since roasted pumpkin seeds are SUPER delicious, I always recommend roasting more rather than less. 

Some folks out there claim that you need to dry pumpkin seeds overnight before roasting. I’ve tried it both ways—dried overnight and just towel drying—and the difference in baking time was only a handful of minutes. Definitely not worth the overnight wait in my mind! Ever since, I’ve been fine with baking pumpkin seeds right after towel drying.

This is a question I had before the first time I ate a roasted pumpkin seed! Is it like a sunflower seed and you’re supposed to peel it and eat the inside? Or do you eat the whole seed at once? The answer is: both or either! Many people eat the whole pumpkin seed—shell and all—especially when it’s roasted with flavoring like we do down below. You can also crack the shell and just eat the pepita—the green inner pumpkin seed without the shell. 

Looking for some more fun halloween recipes?

Cassie Johnston

Cassie is a holistic nutritionist, cookbook author, and all-around food lover. She grew up cooking dinner with her parents every evening, and her passion for home cooking has been strong ever since. Cassie is the author of two published cookbooks (Cooking with Greek Yogurt and Chia, Quinoa, Kale, Oh My!) and dozens of recipes published in major magazines and newspapers. Cassie has been sharing her award-winning recipes on Wholefully since 2010. She loves dark chocolate, homegrown tomatoes, motorsports, and anything that sparkles. She lives in Indiana with her family on a small homestead.

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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!

    Reply

    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!

      Reply

  3. 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.

    Reply

  4. 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.

    Reply

    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!

      Reply

  5. 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.

    Reply

    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!

      Reply

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

    Reply

  9. 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.

    Reply

  10. 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 🧡🎃

    Reply

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

    Reply

  12. 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!

    Reply

  13. 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!!

    Reply

  14. 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).

    Reply

    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!

      Reply

  15. 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☄

    Reply