This roasted sweet and spicy pumpkin seed recipe is incredibly easy and they have tons of flavor. The spice comes from the chili powder and can be adjusted to your preference.
Plus, while you’re making these to snack on, you might as well make our favorite “Texas Trash” to snack on too, and these chocolate-covered pumpkin strawberries!
This recipe and post was originally published in 2021, and updated in August 2023.
Anything pumpkin during the fall months is a must! So if you have pumpkin on your mind, I want to make sure you know about these pumpkin cheesecake bars and this pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Use up more of your pumpkin: If you have seeds from your pumpkin carving, don’t waste the seeds! This is a great way to use them up.
- The flavor: Boring pumpkin seeds are just as wasteful as throwing them out. This recipe gives the seeds tons of flavor.
- Make them ahead of time: These crunchy pumpkin seeds freeze and thaw nicely. Once they have cooled completely, seal them in an airtight container or a sturdy Ziploc bag (be sure to get as much air out as possible) and store them in the freezer. They will stay good for up to 6 months. Allow them to thaw at room temperature before diving in.
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make these pumpkin seeds – but make sure you scroll to the recipe card at the bottom to see all of the recipe’s details in one place.
- Pumpkin seeds
- Olive oil – Feel free to use coconut oil (or really any other quality cooking oil) instead. Just note that each oil will have a slightly different taste.
- Honey – You could use agave instead.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon – Leave the cinnamon out if you’re not in a cinnamon kind of mood. You could also use pumpkin spice in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Nutmeg – You can leave the nutmeg out if you’d like. Pumpkin spice will also work in place of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce – The Worcestershire sauce is optional but I think it adds a wonderful savory element to this subtly sweet snack.
📖 Variations
You could make these crispy pumpkin seeds in the air fryer instead of the oven if you’d like. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F and line its basket with parchment paper to prevent the seeds from falling through. Season the seeds as you normally would, arrange them in the basket of the air fryer, and air fry for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through.
🍳 Equipment
Check your kitchen for the following items before you get cooking.
- Paper towels – To dry the seeds.
- Mixing bowls
- Wooden spoon or spatula – To stir the seeds.
- Baking sheet
- Parchments paper
What if I don’t have parchment paper? If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use nonstick cooking spray instead. Just be extra sure to give the seeds a good stir a couple of times as they roast.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make This Pumpkin Seeds Recipe
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Clean. If you are using fresh pumpkin seeds, rinse them of their pulp and dry them thoroughly. If you are using store-bought seeds, you can skip this step.
- Make the spice mixture. Whisk together the honey, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.
- Season. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil mixture to coat and then with the spice mixture.
- Bake. Sprinkle the seasoned seeds in an even layer over the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Give the seeds a stir every 15 minutes or so.
Should I eat sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds warm or cold?: Sweet and spicy roasted pumpkin seeds are best enjoyed at room temperature. Once they come out of the oven, they will continue to crisp up as they cool. So have a little patience and give them some time to do their thing.
📋 Recipe FAQs
Pumpkin seeds and pepitas are often confused. The term pepita refers to a pumpkin seed that has been shelled. They are usually roasted and generally come from Styrian pumpkins, specifically.
Do I have to use store-bought pumpkin seeds or can I make my own?
You can 100% use your own. This recipe is a great way to use the pumpkin seeds you might otherwise throw away from your carving pumpkins (and/or a pie pumpkins). Treat them just as you would store-bought pumpkin seeds; just be sure to clean and dry them very well. If you have the time, spread your pumpkin seeds over a baking sheet and allow them to dry out for several hours (up to overnight) before seasoning and roasting.
❄️ Storage
Once the pumpkin seeds have fully cooled, seal them in an airtight container and store them on the countertop (ideally out of the sun) for up to 1 month, in the fridge for up to 3 months, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you decide to freeze them, allow the seeds to thaw at room temperature before enjoying them.
🥜 More Snack Recipes You’ll Love
If you love fun snacks, then you’ll also love these easy snack recipes:
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
📖 Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seed Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Clean. If you are using fresh pumpkin seeds, rinse them of their pulp and dry them thoroughly. If you are using store-bought seeds, you can skip this step.
- Make the spice mixture. Whisk together the honey, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar.
- Season. Toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil mixture to coat and then with the spice mixture.
- Bake. Sprinkle the seasoned seeds in an even layer over the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Give the seeds a stir every 15 minutes or so.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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