Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Spicy pumpkin seeds top my list of satisfying fall snacks. Not only do they have amazing crunch and flavor, but they’re a healthier snack than a bag of chips, and I’m saving what would otherwise go straight into the compost.

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a wonderful road trip snack to nibble as the long, dull miles slip by. Plus, they’re a delicious garnish on top of fall salads, soups and pastas.

Ingredients for Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

• Pumpkin seeds: A 5-pound pumpkin will yield about 1 cup of seeds. Any tiny, translucent and flexible seeds will burn quickly in the oven, so compost these, along with any stringy pumpkin guts that you cleaned off the seeds.
• Oil: Canola oil’s neutral taste doesn’t compete with the mild flavor of pumpkin seeds. Other types of oil, like sunflower or olive oil, have more noticeable flavor but work equally well.
• Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire sauce teems with umami and has a big impact on mild pumpkin seeds. It’s made by fermenting anchovies or sardines and often includes malt vinegar, so grab a plant-based product or replace it with tamari to make this recipe both vegan and gluten-free.
• Hot pepper sauce: Hot pepper sauce comes in such a range of flavors and heat levels that you can make these seeds taste different every time, just by grabbing a different bottle. Try one of our Test Kitchen’s best hot sauce brands, or experiment with one of these chili pepper sauce recipes.
• Spices: For this spicy pumpkin seed recipe, we season the seeds with salt, paprika, ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Use smoked paprika and roasted ground cumin for a smokier flavor, and adjust the cayenne pepper (and hot sauce) to your desired heat level.

Directions

Step 1: Coat the pumpkin seeds

In a small bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with the oil, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Combine the salt, paprika, cumin and cayenne. Sprinkle the spices over the seeds and toss to coat them.

Editor’s Tip: Drier pumpkin seeds become coated with oil and toast more evenly than damp ones. If you didn’t dry the seeds and they seem too oily, toss them in a colander and let the excess oil drain away before you add the spices.

Step 2: Prepare the pan

Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, and then grease the foil. Spread the pumpkin seeds in the pan.

Editor’s Tip: Brush or spray the foil with the same type of oil you used on the seeds, or rub it with softened butter for extra-rich flavor.

Step 3: Roast the seeds

Bake the seeds, uncovered, at 250°F until they’re lightly browned and dry, 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool the roasted seeds completely. Store them in an airtight container.

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds Variations

• Use other squash seeds: Any winter squash you cut into, from striped delicata to bell-shaped butternut, has seeds that can be roasted. Most varieties have smaller, thicker seeds than pumpkins, so you might need to adjust the roasting time.
• Change the seasonings: Pumpkin seeds adapt well to many flavorings, from the warm spices of garam masala to an herbal salt substitute. Pile on the garlic by making this garlic pumpkin seeds recipe, or roast them in melted butter with this recipe for kids’ favorite pumpkin seeds.
• Make them sweet: For a sugary treat, mix the seeds with brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and then bake them into candied pumpkin seeds. Give them a chocolate coating by using fresh pumpkin seeds instead of pepitas in this mocha pumpkin seeds recipe.
• Add citrus: If you stick with the spicy version given here, squeeze a little lime juice over the seeds or toss them with lime zest as soon as they come out of the oven for a fresh citrus burst.

How to Store Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Store your spicy pumpkin seeds in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place. Be sure to let the seeds cool completely before you store them. If still warm, they’ll release moisture and become soft and chewy as they sit.

How long do spicy pumpkin seeds last?

Spicy pumpkin seeds last for up to two weeks in an airtight container in your pantry. You can store them in the freezer instead for up to three months, but they won’t be as crunchy when thawed.

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds Tips

What’s the best way to remove seeds from a pumpkin?

To remove seeds when carving a pumpkin, slice through the skin just enough to split the flesh and separate the squash halves to prevent damaging any seeds.

When you pluck handfuls of fresh seeds from a pumpkin, they’ll be coated in stringy, sticky flesh. Use your fingertips to pull the seeds free, set them in a colander and rinse them under running water while you work to remove most of the pulp and stickiness.

It’s okay if a few fine strings still cling to the seeds; they’ll roast to crispness in the oven and either fall off or become unnoticeable among the other seasonings.

Why are my spicy pumpkin seeds chewy?

Your spicy pumpkin seeds will be chewy if they haven’t been dried thoroughly enough. After you’ve cleaned your pumpkin seeds, use a kitchen towel to fully dry them before tossing them in oil and seasonings. For crisper seeds, go a step further by drying the pumpkin seeds in a low-temperature oven or in a food dehydrator.

Once roasted, hot-from-the-oven seeds will be chewier than cooled ones. Roasted pumpkin seeds soak up ambient humidity and become chewy again while you store them, so keep your container of fully cooled seeds sealed airtight. Crisp them back up as needed in a 350° oven for three or four minutes, watching closely so that they don’t burn.

Can I use store-bought pumpkin seeds?

Yes, you can use store-bought pumpkin seeds for this recipe, but they may look a little different. Instead of the white fibrous hull of fresh pumpkin seeds, many commercial pumpkin seeds are small, crisp, greenish seeds called pepitas, which come from specific pumpkin varieties that have been bred to produce hulless seeds.

These seeds will taste just as good as fresh ones, but might be a little chewier. The drier these store-bought seeds are before you roast them, the crunchier they turn out.

How should you use spicy pumpkin seeds?

Spicy pumpkin seeds disappear quickly when you leave a bowl within reach, but they have many other uses. Sprinkle them as a garnish on a variety of dishes. They offer a delicious crunch to appetizers like pumpkin hummus or fresh fall salads in place of croutons or chopped nuts. When it comes to a main dish, these spicy seeds can be sprinkled on thick pumpkin soup or tomato bisque, or on butternut squash pasta. My personal favorite way to eat these seeds is tossed in a Buddha bowl.

When it comes to snacks, spicy pumpkin seeds are a welcome addition to nuts and seeds trail mix as a spicy contrast to the chocolate and dried fruit.

Watch How to Make Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

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