Pumpkin Seeds: Sweet or Savory

This year when you carve your pumpkins, don’t just throw away all those gooey pumpkin guts! You can make a perfectly tasty snack and use in season produce all at once.

Don’t forget when buying your pumpkin to look for ones that are grown locally. Last time I looked, Whole Foods had some from Michigan and Indiana and there’s always plenty at the farmer’s market.

When you’re cleaning out your pumpkin, go ahead and separate the seeds from the rest of the pumpkin guts (it will save you lots of time and annoyance later). Thank you 2303 Sheridan for giving me your pumpkin seeds!

Servings: 2-3 (as a snack)

Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

-1 ½ cups pumpkin seeds

-1 tablespoon brown sugar

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-2 tablespoons butter (can be made vegan by using vegan butter or other oils)

-Sea salt (in a grinder if possible)

-Smoked paprika or other spices to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F and begin rinsing the remaining strings off the seeds.

2. Once the seeds are mostly free of orange pumpkin insides, you can lay all the seeds out on towels and pat them as dry as possible (they will still stay a bit slimy) then put them in a mixing bowl.

3. Melt butter and pour over seeds, stirring well.

4. Divide seeds into two bowls (equal amounts in each). In one bowl, add the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. In the other bowl, grind sea salt over top until lightly salted (feel free to add other spices here if you would like).

5. Spread each bowl onto one half of a greased baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes stirring halfway through.

6. You can choose to leave each of these separate, but I think they are best mixed together for a sweet/salty snack.