I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve tried to roast pumpkin seeds after carving a pumpkin, only to end up with inedible results. Either they’re burned, too hard to chew, too salty, or all of the above. Other people have told me “Oh, you don’t need a recipe, just stick them in the oven for a few minutes and salt them!” Or, I’ve tried other recipes that gave me bad results, only to have other-other people say, “But mine always turn out perfectly!”

Finally, I think I’ve found a recipe that has made them at least somewhat palatable. They’re still tough, but there’s a little bit of crunch to them. And while they may have turned out a little on the salty side, I think I had less than 3/4 cup of seeds to begin with, so that probably threw things off a scootch. You can adjust the seasonings as needed.

One crucial step I learned from this exercise is the need to thoroughly dry the seeds after rinsing them. DO NOT USE PAPER TOWELS, however; as the seeds will stick and become annoyingly difficult to remove!

¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. paprika
⅛ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil.

Wash pumpkin seeds in a colander to remove the pulp and fibers. Thoroughly dry with a dish towel. (DO NOT USE PAPER TOWELS.)

In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin seeds, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper. Spread the seasoned pumpkin seeds evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake until the seeds are toasted and crunchy, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes for even toasting, and check for doneness with each stir by tasting a seed for crunchiness.

Transfer the roasted pumpkin seeds to a bowl to cool down.