Oven Baked Pumpkin Seeds or Roasted Pepitas

 Learn How To Make Quick and Easy Oven Baked Pumpkin Seeds or Roasted Pepitas to enjoy as a perfect crunchy snack, toppings on your salads, soups, or granola. Making pumpkin seeds and toasted pepitas a delicious keto snack that is fully low carb, grain-free, gluten-free and diabetic friendly has never been easier.

Are you missing an easy Keto Snack? Super simple Oven Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe is a perfect quick and easy crispy low-carb snack. Satisfy your taste buds whenever you need to snack on something.

Enjoy roasted pumpkin seeds on their own as a snack in the evening. Sprinkle them on salads or soup. Add into the smoothie, and mix into breakfast yogurt or granola. You can even blend roasted pepitas into the pesto or guacamole for an additional taste. 

Pumpkin Recipes

Making one of our pumpkin recipes, I always mention not to throw the seeds. They are indeed the brain of the pumpkin and hearing about throwing them always saddens me.  

Till now, I have not met anyone who told me they do not like pumpkins. Pumpkins are a big part of our menu, especially during the second half of the year. 

At least twice a week, I make either our pumpkin soup with its VIP baked edible pumpkin bowl. But having pumpkin fries for dinner is my family favorite. 

And when it comes to my husband, pumpkin meatballs or cauliflower pumpkin puree are always requested. 

 O my. The ideas are endless. I have even prepared a great collection of over 25 Keto and Low Carb Pumpkin Recipes from around the world for you to look at.

Now you can just imagine all of the pumpkin seeds and pepitas accumulating from each of the recipes. 

Difference between pepitas and pumpkin seeds

As already mentioned, pepitas are shell-free pumpkin seeds, naturally grown inside special oil seeds or Styrian pumpkins.

All of the other pumpkins are filled with pumpkin seeds or pepitas covered with the shell, which we actually enjoy the most.

The general knowledge between the two names is unclear, and people use both words for both types of seeds. 

Whether you pick hull-less raw pepitas or hulled seeds, you will surely love them. 

Advantages of pumpkin seeds 

Knowing pumpkin seeds contain double the amount of fiber compared to unhulled pepitas makes me wanna make them even more. 

The additional advantage is that if you are snacking on hulled pumpkin seeds, you will not eat as many as you would with pepitas. That saves you on calories, which counts even though they do not contain a lot. 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Coming from Slovakia, roasted pumpkin seeds have been my childhood favorite to snack on. They are widely available in vegetable markets, and I get at least a few bags every time I visit. 

In my recipe, I am going to show you the original version of Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. The version which I know from my country and the version I am used to from early childhood. There are no spices except a bit of salt and a sprinkle of oil. The recipe is really easy and goes with almost anything. 

What Pumpkin Seeds to use for roasting?

For our recipe, all you need is seeds from the pumpkin you have consumed for the last few days or craved with your kids. I am sure you have already collected a whole bowl full. Do not throw them as you might be used to. 

With our great tips and suggestions, you can have a perfect simple Keto Snack in no time. 

And that is day after day. Every time one of the pumpkins is opened. If you start thinking about saving all of those Pepitas. 

And I am sure you are now thinking: “Why did we throw so many of them?” 

Why? We could have had the best Toasted Pepitas on a daily menu. 

Different Flavors of Pumpkin Seeds

Even though our recipe uses simply oil and salt, there are additional spices or flavorings you can use.

Pumpkin Seeds Flavors:

• Sweet Pumpkin Seeds – add cinnamon and brown sugar sweetener before baking 
• Chili Lime Pepitas – sprinkle chili and drops of lemon juice in
• Garlic Pumpkin Seeds – freshly grated garlic is the way to go
• Spicy Pumpkin Seeds – few teaspoons of tabasco give you that perfect touch of spiciness
• Salted Pumpkin Seeds – plain crystalized Himalayan salt is great for the lovers of salty snacks
• Oily Pumpkin seeds – Mix different varieties of oil such as avocado oil or MCT Oil

You can additionally have roasted pumpkin seeds seasoning such as:

• Fresh herbs
• Dry paprika
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Grated cheese
• Basil
• Dill
• Black pepper

The options are endless. 

Making Pumpkin Seeds

Below you will find complete instructions on how to make the best pumpkin seeds recipe. 

Kitchen gadgets needed  for making pumpkin seeds

• A Bowl
• Mason Jar
• Baking Tray
• Parchment Paper
• Oil Sprayer Bottle – this is a great help in our kitchen for lots of recipes
• Sieve

Ingredients needed for roasted pepitas:

• Pumpkin seeds or pepitas
• Extra Virgin olive Oil
• Salt

*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO ROAST PUMPKIN SEEDS

First Step: Cut the Pumpkins

With a sharp knife, cut Pumpkins in half. As you can see in the picture, my pumpkin is not so big in size, so it is pretty easy to cut. 

Also, on the same day, I use the whole pumpkin for our dinner to make an ever great Keto Pumpkin Meatballs. 

If you are going to use the Pumpkins for carving, Just cut the opening on the top and collect the seeds that way. 

Second Step: Scoop and Peel the Seeds

Using a spoon, scoop all the seeds and place them in a bowl. From this medium pumpkin, I got approximately 100 grams of seeds. 

Once all of the seeds are scooped from a pumpkin, using your hands, clean them one by one from the pumpkin “gut”.  They are kind of slimy to the touch, and some people still wash them thoroughly to get rid of the sliminess. 

I love it and try to keep as much of it as possible. 

Once you roast the seeds, the sliminess will turn into a delicious crispy layer. 

Have a Mason jar prepared, where all of the seeds will go.

Third Step: Add salt and water

When you have cleaned all the pumpkin seeds and placed them into the Mason Jar, fill up the jar with filtered water and add 1 Tablespoon of salt. 

General rule – 100 grams of pepitas equals 1 Tablespoon of salt.

Fourth Step: Soak

Close the lid of a mason jar and mix. Place on a kitchen table and let it soak for a minimum of 3 hours up to as long as overnight, depending on your time. 

Soaking the Pumpkin Seeds in salty water will soften and soak the salty flavor. They will also be easier to digest. 

For an additional touch of flavor, you can soak them in one of the Nut milk. 

Fifth Step: Drain and season

Once your Pumpkin Seeds have been soaked, empty the jar through the sieve, sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive oil, and add salt.

If you do not want them salty, you can wash them with cold water once again and dry them accordingly. Dry the remaining moisture with a paper towel.

At the same time, preheat your oven to 150 Celsius or 300 Fahrenheits.

Sixth Step: Bake

Once dried, spread them on a baking tray covered with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. 

After that, reduce the temperature to 100 Celsius or 200 Fahrenheits and roast for another 2 hours until they are crunchy and baked.

Tips and Tricks:

• General rule – 100 grams of pepitas equals 1 Tablespoon of salt.
• Soaking – soak them in Nut Milk for additional flavor if you wish. 
• No time to soak – boil the seeds for about 10 minutes together with a spoon of salt.
• Unsalted pumpkin seeds – simply wash your pumpkins after soaking them.
• Nutritions – with regards to the Nutrition Information, I was not able to find data for the whole shelled pumpkin seeds. So went with my own calculation of having 100 grams / 1,5 Cup – 500 pieces pumpkin seeds – 1000 pieces Pepitas – 50 grams of Nutrition Data

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Why do I need to soak the Pumpkin Seeds?

The raw Pumpkin Seeds are very hard not only to the touch but also on your tummy. Some people eat them without cleaning, which might be too harsh. 

Soaking them in water or milk will soften the pepitas and are much easier to digest. 

How long do I need to soak Pepitas before roasting?

In our case, I soaked our pumpkin seeds in filtered water together with salt for 3 hours.

Just a few hours is enough, but if you have time, you can leave them overnight. 

If you have no time to soak the pepitas, you can fasten the process by boiling the Pumpkin seeds for about 10 minutes with a bit of salt. 

Can I roast pumpkin seeds in an Air Fryer?

You can certainly swap the oven with the air fryer for roasting pepitas. Simply use the instructions of your particular air fryer and toast your pumpkin seeds to perfection.  

How to Eat Pumpkin Seeds?

Pumpkin Seeds are a perfect Keto or a Low Carb Snack for whenever you crave something crunchy but with low calories simultaneously.

If you are not eating them whole, eating a substantial amount will take a long time. They go perfectly with a glass of wine or as a snack while watching movies with our Keto Popcorn. 

How can you store Roasted Pepitas?

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, once cooled, can be stored in an airtight glass container, such as Mason Jars, which I prefer for almost anything. 

They will last a good 3-5 months without any issue. 

No need to refrigerate them at all. 

What can I make with leftover Pumpkins?

Since this recipe uses only seeds from the pumpkin, I am sure you might be interested in various recipes you can use for the actual pumpkin. Here are some suggestions:

• Keto Pumpkin Fries
• Roasted Keto Pumpkin Soup
• Over 25 Low Carb Pumpkin Recipes
• Low Carb Pumpkin Meatballs
• Keto Pumpkin Muffins

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