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VG Vegetarian

Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) Eight Ways

4.29
/5
25 mins
88 Comments
Jump to Recipe
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 10/12/2011Updated: 06/16/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

A scattering of pepitas on grey background. Text Overlay reads Pumpkin Seeds [pepitas] 8 ways.

The options are endless for roasted pumpkin seeds (peptitas). Here are 8 flavorful ways to enjoy these tasty little seeds.

Curved white dish containing untoasted pepitas. Pumpkin in background.

First way: Yummy.

Second way: Delicious.

Third way: Delectable.

Fourth way: Tasty.

Fifth way: Scrumptious.

Sixth way: Finger-licking good.

Seventh way: Flavorful.

Eighth way: Delish.

Pumpkin seeds EIGHT ways. Things got a bit out of control. I thought about doing a pepita series (similar to my hot fudge series) but decided to give you all eight at once. I have so many great things to share with you that I don’t want to use up a whole week just talking about pumpkin seeds.

A few of these recipes are adapted from Everyday Food magazine but the rest were thought up in my crazy big head. (Really, my head is crazy large. My poor daughter inherited this trait.)

I bought raw peptitas for these recipes (peptitas = shelled pumpkin seeds). You could use the seeds that you clean out of your pumpkin in these recipes, just make sure to clean and dry them thoroughly. The pepitas are not as tough since they don’t have the outer shell, and they’re much easier to prepare. I love the pretty green color.

Large roasting pan, foiled lined with three types of seasoned pepitas, on stovetop.

Ready for the recipes?

Here.

We.

Go.

Each recipe makes two cups, but feel free to scale back based on the amount of seeds you have, or the number of varieties you wish to make. 

Several seasoned roasted pepitas on gray board.

1. Traditional

2 cups pepitas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 tsp of freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Overhead view of wooden salt and pepper grinders, with small dish of olive oil, on deck boards.

2. Ginger Soy 

2 cups pepitas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons ground ginger

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Overhead view of small paper cup containing soy sauce, surrounded by small mounds of white sugar and ground ginger.

3. Pumpkin Pie Spice

2 cups pepitas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Close up of small white bowl containing brown sugar and dark brown spice.

4. Maple Chili Powder

2 cups pepitas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Overhead view of square white plate containing white paper cup of maple syrup, and 3 small piles of cumin, chili powder, and salt.

5. Curry Lime

2 cups pepitas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1.5 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Closeup horizontal shot of wooden cutting board with three rows of spices, and 3 lime wedges.

6. Italian

2 cups pepitas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Overhead view of shallow dish containing Italian spice and olive oil.

7. Jamaican Jerk (Disclaimer: this is the only flavor that I didn’t actually bake. However, still wanted to share with you guys. Let me know if you try it!)

2 cups pepitas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning, crumbled with your fingers
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Closeup of Jamaican jerk seasoning.

8. Latte

2 cups pepitas
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1.5 teaspoons espresso powder

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through (watch these closely, they like to burn). Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Very closeup of espresso powder and brown sugar side by side.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Close up of toasted pepitas in a wooden bowl.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas) Eight Ways

4.29 from 21 votes
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
2 cups
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
The options are endless for roasted pumpkin seeds (peptitas). Here are 8 flavorful ways to enjoy these tasty little seeds.

Ingredients

Traditional

  • 2 cups pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

Ginger Soy

  • 2 cups pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

Pumpkin Pie Spice

  • 2 cups pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Maple Chili Powder

  • 2 cups pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Curry Lime

  • 2 cups pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Italian

  • 2 cups pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Jamaican Jerk

  • 2 cups pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning, crumbled with your fingers
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Latte

  • 2 cups pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  • Combine all ingredients and spread in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Seeds should be golden and crunchy.

Notes

  • Nutrition is based on 1/4 cup serving of plain pepitas.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/4 cup, Calories: 169kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Sodium: 5mg, Fiber: 2g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
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Verdict: Great snacking material, they would all be perfect to set out at a fall party. My favorite is the Maple Chili Powder, and my least favorite is the Curry Lime.
Husband’s take: “Good!” Sometimes he is a man of very few words. I pressed him for more details. He said he liked the Maple Chili Powder the best. “They would be really good if you were just snacking on them and drinking beer.” Then he said he liked them all, and I asked “Even the curry?” (He is not a fan of curry.) In response he said, “I didn’t hate the curry!” So there ya go. They are tasty.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: Easy!

Close up of a large pile of seasoned roasted pepitas in varnished wooden bowl.

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  1. Marti says

    June 6, 2015 at 7:50 am

    The maple chili recipe is fantastic! I have never liked pumpkin seeds in the past, but these are truly addictive! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Rebecca says

    December 11, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    First, my apologies for incorrectly spelling your name! Second, I also apologize for two posts about the same thing within a year; guess I’d forgotten I’d already posted here before… guess I’m getting old! LOL ;-)

    Thank you for the advice about shipping in a zip bag. My family loves when I send homemade goodies from home for Christmas, so these are what’s up this year.

    Reply
  3. Donna says

    December 8, 2014 at 2:09 pm

    Rachel,
    Thanks for the recipes for Pepitas. I used the traditional method since I am mixing them in a trail mix but the others sound delicious. I get my seeds and nuts at Kroger where they have them by the pound in bins so you can get the amount you need. Whole Foods carries them too.

    Reply
  4. Rebecca says

    November 7, 2014 at 12:10 am

    Do you think they would ship well, like maybe over a few days in a zip-type bag?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 8, 2014 at 3:33 pm

      absolutely!

      Reply
  5. Rebecca says

    November 7, 2014 at 12:05 am

    All those flavors sound amazing, and I intend to make a couple of them for Christmas gifts this year! The only one I’ve made so far was your curry-lime flavor, but since I was actually looking for a chipotle-lime recipe, I substituted 1 teaspoon of chili powder for the curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon of ground chipotle for the rest (maybe a tad more; i like spicy!). I left out the coriander. Eventually, I will make them all, but next time definitely the maple-chile and ginger-soy! Thanks, Rachael!!

    Reply
  6. Teresa says

    April 20, 2014 at 10:31 pm

    I just baked the Curry Lime Pepita recipe and it is absolutely delicious!! My husband loved them too.

    Reply
  7. Rebecca says

    February 11, 2014 at 10:23 pm

    OMG these recipes sound fantastic! I just found a recipe for a salad with a creamy cilantro-jalapeno recipe, and it called for roasted pumpkin seeds. All I could find at the store were raw, so this is how I found your site!! :-) My first attempt, for this salad, will be using your measurements for the curry-lime seasoning but subbing chili powder for the curry(I’m a huge fan of curry, so I WILL be making that one too!). And since the maple chili pepitas are getting high votes, I might just have to try that one as well… with maple flavored agave nectar (I can’t do sugars anymore). One question: what is the best way to store these once roasted? If my hubby and I really like them, I might want to keep them around for snacking or sending them with him to work.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      February 12, 2014 at 9:25 am

      Hope you love them! They’ll store in an airtight container for a couple of weeks — no need to refrigerate or anything.

      Reply
  8. Margarita says

    January 18, 2014 at 9:00 pm

    Thanks for great recipes! I had a bag of pumpkin seeds I got at Whole Foods a while ago, and now I know what to do with them… ROAST!! The maple chili ones were OUTSTANDING! Boyfriend demanded I made more for him :-)

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      January 18, 2014 at 9:42 pm

      So glad you liked them!

      Reply
      • Margarita says

        January 19, 2014 at 12:21 am

        Oh no, we didn’t like them. We LOVED them! :-)

        Reply
  9. Ashley | CenterCutCook says

    October 28, 2013 at 8:53 pm

    This is fabulous Rachel! Can’t wait to try the curry lime version. Pinning and sharing on my Facebook page! :)

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 28, 2013 at 9:25 pm

      Thanks Ashley! Appreciate the shares. :)

      Reply
  10. Tttessa says

    October 21, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    Hiya… LOVE your recipes…… I’m from the uk – don’t tend to do pumpkin things sooooo much over here – if I take all the seeds out of a fresh pumpkin, do you eat the seed shells? do you have to “peel” them? do you roast them in the “shells”? – soooo many questions!!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 21, 2013 at 3:37 pm

      Thank you! You can definitely use pumpkin seeds out of a pumpkin. Make sure to wash and dry them thoroughly. The shells are edible!

      Reply
  11. Judith Richards Shubert says

    October 4, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    What a terrific cook you must be! I love this recipe with the 8 variations. I can’t wait to try them. I was introduced to the small pie pumpkins several years ago by a cousin in Tennessee when she gave me one out of her garden and a recipe for pumpkin fudge. When I read this recipe I thought maybe the pepitas would be good using a fudge flavor. What do you think? Would it work? I love sweet and salty.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 5, 2013 at 8:45 pm

      I think that would be wonderful! Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  12. David says

    October 1, 2013 at 12:26 am

    How are raw pepitas supposed to taste? Do They taste a little bitter or should tasty nutty and sweet all the way through.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 1, 2013 at 3:33 pm

      I wouldn’t describe them as bitter. They are flavorful though. They’ll have a nice roasted taste after you use them in these recipes though.

      Reply
  13. Erica says

    August 16, 2013 at 3:55 pm

    This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite snack recipes a colleague introduced me to called “Pumpkin Pie Pepitas.” My colleague gives it away as gifts…I on the other hand can’t bear to give it away whenever I make a batch. It’s just too good. :-)

    Reply
  14. Kimmi says

    May 8, 2013 at 10:14 am

    Wow!! I bought pepitas fairly randomly from the supermarket tonight and while googling what they are (apart from delicious in pumpkin scones!) I came across your site. Maple chilli are in the oven right now :) oops, midnight cooking!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 8, 2013 at 2:36 pm

      How cool! Hope you love them!!!

      Reply
  15. Cookie and Kate says

    November 2, 2011 at 1:40 am

    Thanks for all the great ideas! My friends and I watched Hocus Pocus and carved pumpkins on Saturday night. I pulled up your post for reference and we decided on maple chile (my favorite) and pumpkin pie (my friend’s favorite). I just wish we hadn’t eaten them all that night!

    Reply
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