Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Today, I have an easy, tasty recipe for candied pumpkin seeds for you.

I made this recipe with the seeds I took out of the pumpkin I used to bake this Pumpkin Stuffed with Cheese, Sausage, and Pasta. Whenever you “play with” pumpkins, you always end up with a sloppy mess of pumpkin seeds, right? Don’t dump them in the compost (or worse yet, the garbage)…use them to make a healthy snack instead!

Seeds (and nuts and grains and some other foods) naturally contain something called enzyme inhibitors. To increase the amount of nutrients available to your body when you eat these foods (and to make them more digestible), it’s good to give them “a good soaking”. This is why I recommend soaking your pumpkin seeds in salted water before roasting them (doing this also simplifies removing all of the pulp that may stick to the seeds upon removal from the pumpkin).

These fiber and zinc-rich goodies are perfect for topping salads and side dishes. They are also wonderful eaten on their own.

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5 from 2 votes

Candied Pumpkin Seeds

Easy, delicious candied pumpkin seeds are a great way to use the seeds you remove from your pumpkins in the fall. If you don't want a sweet pumpkin seed recipe, omit the maple syrup and use savory seasonings, such as garlic and/or onion powder, cayenne powder, or the seasoning blend of your choice instead. The same directions can be used for other nuts and seeds, too, by the way. Pecans and walnuts, in particular, are great when roasted with maple syrup and butter!

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Ingredients

For pre-soaking the pumpkin seeds:

• 1.5 cups pumpkin seeds mine were from the sugar pumpkin I used to make this recipe
• 1 tsp sea salt
• water

For roasting the seeds:

• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 4 tbsp butter melted
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt plus more to taste

Instructions

• Combine pumpkin seeds with salt in a bowl and add warm water to cover. Stir around to dissolve the salt. Cover with a tea towel and allow to sit on the counter for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Strain the pumpkin seeds and remove any residual pumpkin pulp. Pat seeds dry with a towel.
• Toss pumpkin seeds with the maple syrup, melted butter, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Spread out on a lidded sheet pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until they are starting to brown and get crispy, tossing every 10-15 minutes. They may not seem 100% crispy when you remove them from the oven, but they will crisp up as they cool. Toss with additional coarse sea salt, if desired.
• Eat these as a snack on their own, or sprinkle them on salads or other vegetable-based side dishes.