Every year, we flock to the pumpkin patch or (online) grocery store to get the perfect pumpkin to make the spookiest or funniest jack-o’-lantern in the neighbourhood. We cut ‘em open, pull out the guts, and then get to carving, but what about all those pumpkin seeds? Well don’t waste them! Just two tablespoons contain 8 grams of protein and a healthy amount of fibre and zinc!

There are a lot of ways to get the most out of pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed milk for example, but the most popular of all is to simply roast ‘em. It’s the perfect treat after completing the fun, yet strenuous task of carving a face out of a giant fruit. The classic melted butter and salt recipe can get to be a little uninteresting after years of tradition. While I personally enjoy them, I think it’s only right to flavour the pumpkin seeds up a little bit. The more seeds you have the more recipes you should try. They don’t take long at all and many of the steps are the same!

Here are 4 simple roasted pumpkin seed recipes you should try this season.

The Method

For all of these recipes, you’ll want to start with washed seeds. While it’s virtually impossible to remove all of the orange stuff, do the best you can! The cleaner the seeds the better. Dry and spread them as best you can on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake at 300℃ for 30 minutes. Separate the seeds into different bowls for seasoning, mix well, lay on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake separately for 12 minutes at the same temperature.

1. Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

The sweet heat of cinnamon-sugar anything wins me over in a heartbeat, and this recipe is no exception. More a dessert than a casual snack, it’ll satisfy any sweet tooth without going overboard. For every cup of pumpkin seeds add:

• 1 Tbsp melted butter or neutral oil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, heaping

You’ll be munching on these by the handful!

2. Pumpkin Spice

It’s not fall without pumpkin spice, right? Pumpkin spice flavoured pumpkin seeds may sound like a joke, but they are surely not. Similar to the cinnamon-sugar recipe, this one is also a little on the sweet end. For every cup of pumpkin seeds add in:

• 1 tsp pumpkin spice mix
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp neutral oil (avocado, refined coconut, etc.)

Treat yourself to the most autumn experience imaginable and let us know how you like it!

3. Roasted Ranch

Taking a big step away from sweet, this roasted ranch recipe switches things up. Enjoy a light, yet flavourful experience that’ll have you snacking until there’s nothing left! You’ll need a little more than just a few ingredients for this one. For one cup of pumpkin seeds you’ll need:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp each of: onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and dill
• 1/4 tsp each of: dry mustard, paprika, celery seed, and black pepper

This recipe is perfect if you’re planning on taking ‘em to work or giving them to your kids as a school snack!

4. Dill Pumpkin Seeds

When I was younger, dill flavoured anything will have me running over for a bite, and this roasted pumpkin seed recipe has me reminiscing. For every cup of pumpkin seeds mix in:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Give these roasted pumpkin seed recipes a try this season and let us know how it goes!