Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Paprika, Cayenne & Garlic
If you’ve ever tossed aside pumpkin seeds after carving or cooking a squash, I’ve got a game-changer for you. These roasted seeds become a crunchy, flavour-packed snack (or garnish) that makes use of what might otherwise get wasted. You’ll love how the smoked paprika, garlic and optional cayenne hit together. This recipe is simple, trust me, in about 30 minutes you’ll have seeds ready to munch on or stir into salads, soups, or snack bowls.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups raw pumpkin seeds cleaned and dried (we used a sugar pumpkin in this recipe)
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for mild heat
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven: 325 °F (165 °C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Clean and dry: Rinse and clean seeds in a bowl of water, removing any slimy pumpkin flesh and stringy fibers. Drain and spread and even layer on a clean kitchen towel and pat completely dry with paper towels (or let air-dry overnight for extra crispness).
- Season: In a medium bowl, toss the dry seeds with oil or butter, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Roast: Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast 22–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden, aromatic, and crisp.
- Cool and store: Cool fully before storing in an airtight container. Keeps up to a week at room temperature or longer in the freezer.
- 💬We’d really appreciate your feedback! Please take a moment to rate and review this recipe below. Your thoughts help others, and it would really make our day! Thank you – James & Elaine!
Notes
📌Adjusting for Different Pumpkin Sizes
Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes, so the amount of seeds you get will vary. For every 1 cup of cleaned and dried pumpkin seeds, use 1 tablespoon of oil or melted butter, ½ to 1 teaspoon of seasoning spices total, and ½ teaspoon of salt. If you end up with more seeds, simply scale the oil and spices up using the same ratio for perfectly coated, flavourful seeds every time.
Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes, so the amount of seeds you get will vary. For every 1 cup of cleaned and dried pumpkin seeds, use 1 tablespoon of oil or melted butter, ½ to 1 teaspoon of seasoning spices total, and ½ teaspoon of salt. If you end up with more seeds, simply scale the oil and spices up using the same ratio for perfectly coated, flavourful seeds every time.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!