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About this time of year families around the country pack their kids in the car for a trip to the pumpkin patch. Amongst the misshapen orbs, over-sized behemoths, and miniature decorative types, the kids manage to find the perfect pumpkin to bring home. Then, with newspaper spread protectively on the floor, the business of decorating the pumpkin begins.
A design is drawn to form some ghoulish or laughable face. Then that very face is scalped so that the guts of the pumpkin creature can be removed. Out come the fibrous bits and seeds, to be heaped to the side to wait for their inevitable fate in the dumpster. Slowly, after painstakingly working through the thick squash flesh, a face emerges, awaiting the candle to light it up on Halloween night.
But what of all those discarded guts? Pumpkins grown for decorating rarely make for good cooking like a smaller, sweeter sugar pumpkin. But surely something can be done with those pumpkin seeds? Before you think of discarding the interior of that pumpkin, give the seeds a shot at becoming as exciting as the Jack O’ Lantern they came from.
Raw seeds straight from the pumpkin need to be rinsed in a colander to remove the pulp. At this point the seeds can be patted dry with paper towels and go straight into a 325°F oven for about 25 minutes until the hulls start to pop. To get them extra crispy, let the seeds dry out over night before roasting them. In this form pumpkin seeds can be seasoned with as little as olive oil and sea salt or something as exotic as curry or tamari. This technique can also be used with seeds from other winter squash like butternut or kabocha.
If you are not carving pumpkins or are just looking for a tasty pumpkin seed year-round, the hulled green seed commonly known by its Spanish name, pepita, is widely available in natural food stores and Latin markets. As a snack, pepitas take little more than a quick roast in a medium hot pan for 4-5 minutes to be ready for eating. High in protein, essential minerals like iron, and a good source of fiber, pepitas are wholesome as well as delicious.
Beyond snacking, pumpkin seeds can be an interesting twist on many a baked good, dessert, or savory entrée. Consider mixing in a few tablespoons of raw, green pepitas into pumpkin muffin or bread batter and topping the uncooked mix with a sprinkling of the same. The result is a tasty and toasted crisp topping to some classic fall quick breads. If you are a candy maker, try swapping pumpkins seeds for peanuts in a brittle. As pumpkin seeds feature heavily in Mexican cuisine, try adding a little chili powder for a spicy, sweet, salty, crunchy pepitas brittle.
This time of year nuts and seeds of many kinds find their way into fall salads for a toasty autumnal take on a summer staple. Try making a squash salad but roasting some cubes of butternut, kabocha, or pumpkin.
Candied pumpkin seeds can be made in a pan by melting butter and sugar with spices such as pumpkin pie spice blend until the sugar begins to caramelize. The seeds are mixed into the sugar and stirred for 4-5 minutes until the seeds toast. Spread out on parchment to cool, the sugared pepitas can then be broken up to add to the roasted squash along with some mixed greens and perhaps a crumble of queso fresco or goat cheese and a warm vinaigrette for a hearty fall salad.
In traditional Mexican cooking pepitas are also used to thicken and flavor sauces like moles. In almost all cases, the raw green seeds are toasted in a pan before being ground to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or put through a blender. These sauces can be as complex as a 20 ingredient mole or as simple as grinding the toasted seeds in a blender with a bit of chicken stock, salt and pepper. That simple sauce can be used to bake chicken or smother enchiladas. For a different take try to make a pesto with reconstituted chilies and ground pepitas or a salsa with chilies, roasted tomatoes and toasted pepitas.
The carving of pumpkins is an essential part of the Halloween festivities, but the stuff on the inside of the pumpkin can also be an essential part of fall cooking if you don’t throw it out. Toasted in their unhulled state they are a terrific fall snack. Mixed into muffins, pureed in sauce, candied for brittle or a sweet salad mix-in these little seeds are the gentle cast-off of their ghoulish Jack O’ Lantern brother.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/971-pumpkin-seeds/
Pumpkin Seeds Make For Some Un-Scary Treats
About this time of year families around the country pack their kids in the car for a trip to the pumpkin patch. Amongst the misshapen orbs, over-sized behemoths, and miniature decorative types, the kids manage to find the perfect pumpkin to bring home. Then, with newspaper spread protectively on the floor, the business of decorating the pumpkin begins.
A design is drawn to form some ghoulish or laughable face. Then that very face is scalped so that the guts of the pumpkin creature can be removed. Out come the fibrous bits and seeds, to be heaped to the side to wait for their inevitable fate in the dumpster. Slowly, after painstakingly working through the thick squash flesh, a face emerges, awaiting the candle to light it up on Halloween night.
But what of all those discarded guts? Pumpkins grown for decorating rarely make for good cooking like a smaller, sweeter sugar pumpkin. But surely something can be done with those pumpkin seeds? Before you think of discarding the interior of that pumpkin, give the seeds a shot at becoming as exciting as the Jack O’ Lantern they came from.
Raw seeds straight from the pumpkin need to be rinsed in a colander to remove the pulp. At this point the seeds can be patted dry with paper towels and go straight into a 325°F oven for about 25 minutes until the hulls start to pop. To get them extra crispy, let the seeds dry out over night before roasting them. In this form pumpkin seeds can be seasoned with as little as olive oil and sea salt or something as exotic as curry or tamari. This technique can also be used with seeds from other winter squash like butternut or kabocha.
If you are not carving pumpkins or are just looking for a tasty pumpkin seed year-round, the hulled green seed commonly known by its Spanish name, pepita, is widely available in natural food stores and Latin markets. As a snack, pepitas take little more than a quick roast in a medium hot pan for 4-5 minutes to be ready for eating. High in protein, essential minerals like iron, and a good source of fiber, pepitas are wholesome as well as delicious.
Beyond snacking, pumpkin seeds can be an interesting twist on many a baked good, dessert, or savory entrée. Consider mixing in a few tablespoons of raw, green pepitas into pumpkin muffin or bread batter and topping the uncooked mix with a sprinkling of the same. The result is a tasty and toasted crisp topping to some classic fall quick breads. If you are a candy maker, try swapping pumpkins seeds for peanuts in a brittle. As pumpkin seeds feature heavily in Mexican cuisine, try adding a little chili powder for a spicy, sweet, salty, crunchy pepitas brittle.
This time of year nuts and seeds of many kinds find their way into fall salads for a toasty autumnal take on a summer staple. Try making a squash salad but roasting some cubes of butternut, kabocha, or pumpkin.
Candied pumpkin seeds can be made in a pan by melting butter and sugar with spices such as pumpkin pie spice blend until the sugar begins to caramelize. The seeds are mixed into the sugar and stirred for 4-5 minutes until the seeds toast. Spread out on parchment to cool, the sugared pepitas can then be broken up to add to the roasted squash along with some mixed greens and perhaps a crumble of queso fresco or goat cheese and a warm vinaigrette for a hearty fall salad.
In traditional Mexican cooking pepitas are also used to thicken and flavor sauces like moles. In almost all cases, the raw green seeds are toasted in a pan before being ground to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or put through a blender. These sauces can be as complex as a 20 ingredient mole or as simple as grinding the toasted seeds in a blender with a bit of chicken stock, salt and pepper. That simple sauce can be used to bake chicken or smother enchiladas. For a different take try to make a pesto with reconstituted chilies and ground pepitas or a salsa with chilies, roasted tomatoes and toasted pepitas.
The carving of pumpkins is an essential part of the Halloween festivities, but the stuff on the inside of the pumpkin can also be an essential part of fall cooking if you don’t throw it out. Toasted in their unhulled state they are a terrific fall snack. Mixed into muffins, pureed in sauce, candied for brittle or a sweet salad mix-in these little seeds are the gentle cast-off of their ghoulish Jack O’ Lantern brother.
Serves/Makes: 1
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Ancho or other chili powder
- 1/2 cup green hulled pumpkin seeds
In a small pan bring sugar, water, salt, and chili to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes until at soft ball stage using a candy thermometer (234-240 degrees F).
Turn down heat to medium low and stir in pumpkin seeds with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until sugar becomes granular, 2-3 minutes. Turn heat back up to medium and continue cooking for about another 5-6 minutes until sugar dissolves again and becomes a rich caramel color. Spread the mixture out onto parchment paper. Top with another sheet of parchment and roll as thin as possible. When cooled, break into pieces for brittle.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/971-pumpkin-seeds/