This sweet and salty cinnamon and honey roasted pumpkin seeds recipe is just another great way to enjoy the abundance of pumpkins in the fall. Don't let the seeds from your jack-o-lanterns go to waste! Instead, make them into this delicious snack.
We collected a cute little crop of mini pumpkins from our garden this year. (If you are unsure how to start a vegetable garden, I recommend this article to you. It's so worth it!)
On I went to cut, scrape out, roast, blend and strain to make it all into beautifully smooth pumpkin puree. It's now in the freezer for use in the coming winter months. Hello, pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice sauce!
I have this dilemma every single time I'm scooping seeds out of a pumpkin, whether I'm doing it to carve a jack-o-lantern or make pumpkin puree from scratch.
Do I roast the seeds??
It always seems like way too much effort, but every time I do it, I realize it's just a little work on top of what I'm already doing and it's totally worth it.
The little seeds are quite filling, so you'll be snacking on them for days, especially if you make a big batch. (Well... that might not be true. They are quite an addictive snack!)
Plus, you already bought or grew the pumpkin. Why waste perfectly good and edible seeds?
P.S. If you carve pumpkins as a family tradition, roasting the seeds is a fun way to make the activity more exciting. Everyone loves a special treat!
Are Roasted pUmpkin Seeds Healthy?
Pumpkin seeds are full of nutrients! They are very high in manganese, magnesium, iron and phosphorus and also contain good amounts of Vitamin K, zinc, copper, antioxidants, fatty acids and fibre.
Because of their nutrient profile, they can reduce the risk of many diseases by reducing inflammation in the body, and also improve heart health, fertility, sleep and more!
Leaving the seeds in the shell just adds more fibre to this delicious snack!
Raw pumpkin seeds do offer more nutritional value as some nutrients are lost or diminished in the roasting process, however roasted seeds still offer nutrients and health benefits!
WHy Soak Pumpkin Seeds?
Two reasons!
- Pumpkin seeds contain an "anti-nutrient" called phytic acid, which prevents your body from absorbing and using many of the nutrients in the seeds. The way to neutralize the phytic acid in nuts is to soak them in warm saltwater. Doing this makes it much easier for your body to digest the seeds and use the pumpkin seeds' good nutrients.
- It can be quite difficult and painstaking to separate the seeds from the pumpkin flesh. The soaking makes it much easier to break the flesh away from the seeds.
Wooden spoon
How to Make Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cinnamon
Ingredients:
- 2 cups pumpkin seeds (or approx 3 cups seeds + flesh from fresh pumpkin)
- 4 cups filtered water (for soaking- we use the Berkey water filter. Read my review here)
- 2 tablespoon sea salt (for soaking)
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (or melted butter or coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
Instructions:
Boil 2 cups of water, add 2 tablespoon sea salt and stir until dissolved. Add remaining 2 cups water and seeds + any attached flesh from fresh pumpkin. Allow to soak for 6-8 hours (this is the easiest way I've found to clean seeds and separate them from the flesh, and increases the nutritional value of the seeds too!).
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Pour seeds and flesh into a colander. Remove any large chunks of flesh and wash pumpkin seeds by swishing them around with your hand until all the pumpkin flesh bits have been washed away.
Dry pumpkin seeds well by laying them on a kitchen towel or paper towel and patting them dry.
Put seeds into a large bowl and add olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, cinnamon and honey. Toss well to combine.
Spread the coated seeds in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet (a single layer is ideal, but not necessary) and use a rubber spatula to scrape all the honey out of the bowl and onto the seeds!
Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning every 7 minutes until seeds are a light golden brown. The hardest part can be catching them when they are the perfect color, so be sure to start watching carefully at the 30 minute point, so you don't burn them!
Remove from the oven and toss with coconut or brown sugar. They will get crispier as they cool.
How to Store Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Store pumpkin seeds in a bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 14 days.
Did you try this recipe and love it? If so, I would appreciate a 5-star review and your comments below!
More PUmpkin Recipes
- PUMPKIN SPICE SAUCE
- EGGLESS PUMPKIN PIE
- GLUTEN-FREE PUMPKIN BARS
- HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PUREE
MORE HEALTHY SNACKS
- HOMEMADE PROTEIN PANCAKE MIX
- HOMEMADE FRUIT LEATHER
- HOW TO EAT PATE
- HOW TO CUT CARROTS STICKS
- DEHYDRATED KALE CHIPS
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon and Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Additional Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 50 minutes
Sweet and salty cinnamon and honey roasted pumpkin seeds are just another great way to enjoy the abundance of pumpkins in the fall.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin seeds (or approx 3 cups seeds + flesh from fresh pumpkin)
- 4 cups filtered water (for soaking)
- 2 tablespoon sea salt (for soaking)
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (or melted butter or coconut oil)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of water, add 2 tablespoon sea salt and stir until dissolved. Add remaining 2 cups water and seeds + any attached flesh from fresh pumpkin.
- Allow to soak for 6-8 hours (this is the easiest way I’ve found to clean seeds and separate them from the flesh, and increases the nutritional value of the seeds too!).
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour seeds and flesh into a colander. Remove any large chunks of flesh and wash pumpkin seeds by swishing them around with your hand until all the pumpkin flesh bits have been washed away.
- Dry pumpkin seeds well by laying them on a kitchen towel or paper towel and patting them dry.
- Put seeds into a bowl and add olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, cinnamon and honey. Toss well to combine.
- Spread the coated seeds in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet (a single layer is ideal, but not necessary) and use a rubber spatula to scrape all the honey out of the bowl and onto the seeds!
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning every 7 minutes until seeds are a light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and toss with coconut or brown sugar. They will get crispier as they cool.
Notes
Store pumpkin seeds in a bag or airtight container at room temperature for up to 14 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Serving Size: ¼ cup
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 111Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2043mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 3g
This nutrient calculation is done by an automated calculator and may not be accurate.
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