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Trio of Flavorful Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns always brings back memories of my dad’s house and the crunchy roasted pumpkin seeds he would make. We didn’t use patterns, and we didn’t carve fancy designs into our pumpkins. It was all silly faces and gloppy pumpkin guts. Dad would supervise, clean the seeds, and a while later we would have freshly roasted pumpkin seeds. I’m pretty sure they had just oil and salt on them. I don’t know why this tradition ended, but I don’t have any pumpkin-carving memories to span the last 15 years. I probably became too cool to engage in such juvenile activities. Along with the missing jack-o-laterns from my memory are the missing roasted pumpkin seeds.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

In my current zeal for pumpkins and the flavors they yield I thought I’d add more of this seasonal gourd to my adult memory bank. So I tricked my boyfriend into carrying a few heavy pumpkins from my underground parking spot up to my second floor apartment, and then I carved the pumpkins myself. I guess he doesn’t need any new pumpkin memories. Using my large slicing knife, I sliced through the top of pumpkin number one. It took me longer than it should have, and didn’t seem like the safest activity. Thankfully, I remembered that I bought a carving kit last year after Halloween (I’m a big after-holiday discount shopper). You know what, those teeny tiny plastic-handled saws work great! Cutting off the top of pumpkin number two was much easier, quicker, and safer. I scooped out the slimy guts, cleaned off the seeds, and set them out to dry. While they were drying I got to work on my fabulous pumpkin faces. C’mon, just look at that work of art! I will totally give you some carving lessons if you want!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

I made some roasted pumpkin seeds with just salt and enjoyed the toasty goodness. However, I’m a chef, and I couldn’t let all my classic training go to waste for the sake of preserving childhood memories. Naturally, I made a big mess in my kitchen and came up with three spice combinations for more flavorful roast pumpkin seeds. Okay, so I’m not the first person to combine cinnamon and sugar, but after my first two spice concoctions, I just couldn’t resist. Cinnamon and sugar make my taste buds happy, and happy taste buds make a happy Daisy.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

So carve some pumpkins and roast some seeds this weekend! Then go buy some discount pumpkins after Halloween and do it all again so you’ll have toasty deliciousness in your kitchen at least through Thanksgiving! Maybe I’ll even share some more ideas of how to use those toasted pumpkin seeds.

After you’ve scooped the guts out of your pumpkins, pick out the seeds and place them in a colander. Rinse them under water, making sure to remove all traces of pumpkin guts. Dry the seeds well with a towel, or lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet and allow to air dry. My carving pumpkins contained about 2 cups of seeds each. I haven’t tested it, yet, but I have heard that pie or sugar pumpkin seeds roast quicker and are more crunchy.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe from ChefSarahElizabeth.com

Trio of Flavorful Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried pumpkin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons oil (I like to use a neutral oil like safflower)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more or less depending on your tastes. I like mine on the salty side.

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
  2. 2. Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and salt and toss to coat well.
  3. 3. Spread out the seeds in a single layer and roast until they are just beginning to turn golden brown, about 15-25 minutes (depending on the size), stirring once.
  4. Follow the above directions for any spice combination.
  5. Spicy Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
  6. 1 cup dried pumpkin seeds
  7. 2 teaspoons oil
  8. 1 tablespoon honey
  9. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  10. 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  11. 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  12. 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  13. 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
  14. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  15. 1/4 teaspoon salt
  16. Note: Combine the spice mixture in a small bowl, coat the seeds with the oil and honey, and then toss in the spice mixture to evenly coat. Allow the seeds to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before eating or packaging, as they are a bit sticky fresh from the oven.
  17. Smoky Crushed Red Pepper Pumpkin Seeds
  18. 1 cup dried pumpkin seeds
  19. 2 teaspoons oil
  20. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  21. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  22. 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  23. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  24. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  25. Happy Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
  26. 1 cup dried pumpkin seeds
  27. 2 teaspoon oil
  28. 2 tablespoons white sugar
  29. 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  30. Note: These cinnamon and sugar measurements are ridiculous because I have a major sweet and cinnamon tooth. You might want to cut them in half for more normal taste buds.

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