Pumpkins begin to appear in grocery stores, on roadside stands, and at farmer’s markets in early October, just in time for Jack-o-lanterns, and are usually available at least through Thanksgiving, where soups, stews, and main dishes are cooked inside them. While it isn’t a pleasant job to clean out the strings and seeds of the pumpkins, it’s worth it when the seeds are separated from the strings and they are roasted with seasonings. Spiced Pumpkin Seeds are easy to make, but not easy to resist

Favorite seasonings include Caribbean Jerk seasoning, Cajun seasoning, Penzey’s Forward seasoning (available from penzeys.com), and lemon pepper Seasoning, but any seasoning without salt can be used. The following Spiced Pumpkin Seeds are not as pithy and are more tender than pumpkin seeds that are simply roasted; these pumpkin seeds are boiled prior to roasting.


6 Servings

2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon favorite seasoning (no salt)

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil; add 1 teaspoon salt and add the pumpkin seeds.


2. Simmer the seeds for 30 minutes.


3. Drain well in a fine strainer.


4. Spread the seeds out on paper towels to dry.


5. Preheat oven to 350°.


6. Toss the pumpkin seeds in the vegetable oil, salt, and favorite seasoning.


7. Spread the mixture out on a large baking sheet.


8. Bake 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 115 Calories from Fat 51
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 45% Protein 14% Carb. 41%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 6 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 198 mg
Total Carbohydrate 12 g
Dietary Fiber 8 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 4 g

Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 5%