These really are the perfect snack-time companion. Filling and satisfying, a handful of pumpkin seeds can leave you satiated for a few hours all by itself. They’re also nice to have on hand for adding into soups and onto salads.
It’s so easy to get them into the oven, and from there it’s just a matter of waiting till they’re done.
Each time fall rolls around you’ll probably get inundated with a bunch of pumpkin seeds. The perfect time to load up on these baked goodies so you can snack on them all winter long.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you about all of the nutritional tidbits of pumpkin seeds that makes them such a wise snack choice. They’re full of healthy fat, fiber, and protein and also contain antioxidants and are a storehouse of minerals that your body needs each day. All the more reason to bake these up and munch on them between meals.
Admittedly the hardest part of this recipe is separating the seeds from the pumpkin. Some of them can be quite clingy, and you’ll definitely get your hands a bit messy during the process. But that’s part of the fun of Paleo, getting into the process of making your food instead of just mindlessly letting Big Food do everything for you.
Once you have those little guys on their own, it’s really just a matter of rising the goop off of them and then cooking them up. This is one recipe where you’ll want to pretty much babysit them after about five minutes or so since you’re looking for that perfect golden brown color and a few minutes in either direction and they either won’t be done all the way or will be too done.
These store well in an airtight container and are always ready when it’s snack time. I also like to top a nice spinach salad with them and they make great additions to the top of several different soups when you’re looking for a good presentation. Of course the best soup to be topped with pumpkin seeds is a creamy pumpkin soup.
It’s just the thing to keep you fueled through the cool days of fall and into the harsh days of winter. Try them, I’m sure you’ll like them and let me know if there’s anything that needs to be added or changed in the comments below.
Ingredients
- pumpkin seeds
- Seasoning (for each cup of fresh seeds)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp hot or sweet smoked paprika
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F.
- Scrape the seeds from pumpkin with a spoon. Separate the seeds from pulp and rinse them under running water.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add the pumpkin seeds. Cook it for 10 minutes then remove from heat and drain well.
- Measure the seeds in a cup measure and place them in a bowl. For each cup of pumpkin seeds add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of chili flakes and ½ tsp hot or sweet smoked paprika. Mix well to coat and place them on an oiled baking sheet in the single layer, bake them in batches if necessary. Bake in middle of the oven stirring every 3-4 minutes. Baking time depends on size of the seeds and will vary from 5 to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the seeds and remove them from the oven when they became golden brown. Do not burn them.
Is there an easy way to get than nasty, woody shell off? Do you do it before or after roasting them? I have tried to eat these in the shell and end up with a mouthful of yuck! It seems like a LOT of hassle!
How long will they keep in the container?
Do you eat the seeds whole, in the shell?