What to do with pumpkin seeds after pumpkin carving (2024)

'Tis the season for classic fall activities, such as apple picking, pumpkin carving and baking galore. With that comes pumpkin guts, which leaves us with one question — what should I do with all of those pumpkin seeds? Pumpkin seeds are a delicious and nutrient-rich powerhouse ingredient. You can roast the seeds with olive oil and seasonings, scatter them over soups and salads or incorporate them into autumn desserts like cobbler, pumpkin pie and more. In short, there are endless ways to eat pumpkin seeds.

How to roast pumpkin seeds

If you’re starting with a fresh pumpkin, follow these steps to prepare the seeds for cooking and snacking.

Scoop the seeds

Remove the top of the pumpkin and use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to scrape out the seeds. There will be a lot of pulp attached to the seeds, but don’t worry about that yet.

Clean the seeds

The pulp can easily be separated from the seeds — all you need is water. Place the seeds in a large bowl filled with cool water, then use your hands to agitate the seeds to help separate the fibrous strands. Drain, rinse under cool water and repeat this process a few more times as needed. If they’re not perfectly clean, don’t worry. The seeds can be roasted with a good deal of the pulp still attached — it will caramelize in the oven and become sticky and sweet. But if you want to make sure all of the pulp is rinsed off, use salted water. Add a generous handful of kosher salt to the water — it will act similarly to an exfoliant, so you can rub the pulp off of the seeds. Once thoroughly rinsed, pat the seeds dry with paper towels or a clean dish towel. Dry seeds are the key to developing a crunchy texture.

Season the seeds

You can keep the flavor of your roasted pumpkin seeds simple or make it more elaborate — just transfer them to a bowl, toss the seeds with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and any other flavoring agents you have on hand. Use about 1 tablespoon of olive oil for every cup of pumpkin seeds.

Roast the seeds

Spread the seeds into an even layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 250 F oven for about 45 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Just give them a stir here and there.

Pro Tip: Depending on the size of the pumpkin, you will get somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 cup of seeds. If you choose to cook the pumpkin flesh as well, a large pumpkin can yield between three and four cups of pumpkin purée.

How to season pumpkin seeds

Experiment with a handful of these flavors and find the combination that you love the most. Whether you save them for snacking or give them away as gifts, soon, people will be asking for your roasted pumpkin seeds recipe.

• Parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper
• Brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice
• Maple syrup and fresh minced rosemary
• Honey and Sriracha
• Curry powder and lime zest
• Pre-made spice mixes, such as ranch powder, za’atar and everything bagel seasoning

How to cook with pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are just one of many nutritious elements in this salad. It’s packed with antioxidant-rich kale, Brussel sprouts and pomegranate seeds in addition to heart-healthy avocado and olive oil.

Granola certainly doesn’t need to be boring, and it’s the perfect place to use up all of those leftover pumpkin seeds. Toss them with rolled oats, chocolate chips and other dried fruits and nuts to create a flavorful granola for snacking or sprinkling over your morning yogurt.

While the squash roasts for this warm salad, toast the seeds with pecans to make a crunchy topping.

Here, crispiness comes in many forms. Cooked quinoa and reserved pumpkin seeds are roasted together until golden and crunchy, then scattered over the seasonal vegetable salad.

Pumpkin pie meets cheesecake in this simple Thanksgiving dessert recipe. Pumpkin seeds and pecans are incorporated into the crunchy nut brittle that’s sprinkled on top.

The mole gravy for these beef and lamb meatballs is made with a combination of sesame and pumpkin seeds. It gets blended into a thick and creamy sauce with a mild pumpkin flavor.

Coffee cake is a delicious breakfast any time of year, but it’s particularly satisfying during the cold-weather months. The pumpkin seeds on top perfectly complement the pumpkin-white chocolate glaze.

One way to make a warm bowl of brothy ramen noodles even better is to add lots of delicious toppings. Here, we like to include lightly salted roasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil for a fall twist.

Whether you use freshly scooped seeds or store-bought ones, Indian-inspired spices such as chaat masala, turmeric and dried mint add lots of flavor.

Pumpkin seeds add a crunchy element to a moist loaf of spiced pumpkin bread.

Pumpkin flavor comes full circle with the addition of both pumpkin purée and pumpkin seeds in these morning muffins.

All you need is chili powder and cumin to punch up the flavor of simple roasted pumpkin seeds.

These pumpkin Greek yogurt parfaits are sweetened with dates and maple syrup and get some crunch from pumpkin seeds and coconut.

While not the most traditional ingredient in pesto, this pumpkin seed-based sauce is perfect for autumnal pasta dishes.

Nutty toasted pumpkin seeds are incorporated into the spicy mole sauce, while the remainder are scattered on top of the salmon.