Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Are you in the same situation as me? Did you buy pumpkins to carve for Halloween and then get completely overwhelmed with Halloween festivities, events, parties, decorating and never got around to carving them? We bought several pumpkins to carve but only managed to complete one before Trick or Treaters arrived. I am going to use the leftover pumpkins to make pumpkin pie and I am going to save the seeds and roast them. Roasted pumpkin seeds are a great addition to salads or you can treat them like nuts and put them in a bowl for guests to nibble on when you are entertaining.

Before we get to making them, I have to mention that I learned a lot about pumpkin seeds that I never knew until I went on a preschool pumpkin patch field trip with Catherine. One of the things that I learned that day is that Native Americans didn’t grow pumpkins to eat the flesh, they grew them for the seeds! Pumpkin seeds are very high in protein and other key nutrients, and they were an essential food source during the winter. I did a little more research to learn about the nutritional value of the pumpkin seed and have included some of the information at the end of this post. In the meantime, here is the recipe and step-by-step photos on how to clean, season and roast this delicious superfood.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Instructions:

Soak the pumpkin seeds in water for several hours (soaking the seeds makes them very easy to clean). When you are ready to bake the seeds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and while the oven is warming, remove any pieces of pumpkin pulp. Rinse and drain the seeds and then transfer them to a bowl. Add a tablespoon each of olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper and combine until all the seeds are evenly coated. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread the seeds so they are all a single layer. Bake for 30-45 minutes until they are golden brown. Tip: about halfway through baking, it helps to turn the seeds over with a spatula to allow for more even browning. They will be crispy and salty and totally delicious!

The amazing health benefits of pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are high in calories and if you are considering incorporating them into your diet, be mindful of that fact. Below is a breakout down of the most common health benefits, for a more comprehensive explanation click here.

Rheumatoid arthritis – Pumpkin seeds are the only seeds that are alkaline-forming, an alkaline diet has been shown to reduce chronic pain and inflammation.
Insomnia – Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of zinc ‘which can assist the brain in converting tryptophan into serotonin. In fact, pumpkin seed powder (found in health food stores) is the new ‘warm glass of milk’ when it comes to sleep remedies’ according to a Huffington Post article.
Lower high (LDL type) cholesterol – pumpkin seeds can have a powerful positive impact on your cholesterol levels. They contain a compound called phytosterol, which is very effective in lowering LDL-cholesterol levels. Phytosterols reduce your cholesterol levels by blocking the absorption of harmful cholesterol from your diet.

sarah o’brien

connecticut in style