Roasted Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds

Sweet, salty, and full of cinnamon flavor—these roasted pumpkin seeds are a fall favorite here at Garden In Minutes®. Our recipe turns the seeds you scoop out while carving or cooking into a crunchy snack worth saving room for.

Use seeds scooped from a fresh pumpkin while carving or cooking. This is a simple way to enjoy a little more of your harvest—or your pumpkin-patch pick.

What you'll need

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt for seasoning, plus 2 teaspoons salt for the boiling water
• 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Have more seeds? These amounts are for 1 cup. Double everything for 2 cups, or halve it for ½ cup. Adjust the cinnamon-sugar coating to your taste.

Time: Allow about 30 minutes for scooping and cleaning, 10 minutes for boiling, and 20–30 minutes for roasting, plus drying and cooling. Seed size and moisture affect the roasting time.

How to make roasted cinnamon pumpkin seeds

1. Scoop and rinse. Separate the seeds from the stringy pulp, then rinse in a colander.
2. Simmer in salted water. Cover the seeds with water in a saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of salt for every ½ cup of seeds, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Drain and dry well. Spread the seeds on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry. Removing surface moisture helps them roast rather than steam.
4. Season lightly. Heat the oven to 325°F. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a small bowl. Toss the dried seeds with the melted butter, then add the seasoning and stir to coat evenly.
5. Roast in a single layer. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for about 20–30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp. Start checking early; smaller or drier seeds may finish sooner, and the sugar coating can burn if left too long.
6. Cool, then taste. Let the seeds cool before eating. Add a little more cinnamon or salt if you'd like.

A note on salt: The seeds pick up some salt while simmering. For a less salty batch, reduce the seasoning salt to ¼ teaspoon. Taste after roasting before adding more.

A few tips for a better crunch

• Don't crowd the pan. Use a second baking sheet if the seeds overlap.
• Coat evenly. Toss thoroughly so the melted butter and seasoning coat the seeds evenly before spreading them on the baking sheet.
• Check a cooled seed. If the center is still chewy, give the batch a few more minutes and check again.
• Cool completely before storing. Keep the finished seeds in an airtight container.

Use seeds from a freshly opened, sound pumpkin—not one that has been carved and sitting out as a decoration.

Something to sip alongside

For an adults-only fall pairing, try our Pumpkin Margarita recipe.

Made a batch? Tell us how you seasoned yours in the comments.