One of the great Halloween traditions also happens to be an excuse for a fantastic snack. Have you carved any pumpkins yet? Don’t trash those precious seeds, roast them! We have three different spice blends to add to your homemade pumpkin seeds. Carving a lot of pumpkins? Try all three and pair with your favorite cheeses!
BBQ 1 Tbsp Cumin ½ Tbsp Paprika ½ Tbsp Garlic ¼ tsp Finely ground sea salt 2 Tbsp Olive oil Goes well with Cabot Clothbound Cheddar
Truffle Parmigiano 1 Tbsp Truffle zest 2 Tbsp Finely grated Parmigiano cheese ¼ tsp Finely ground sea salt 2 Tbsp Olive oil Goes with another hit of bitey Parmigiano Cravero
Cinnamon Sugar 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar ½ tsp Nutmeg ¼ tsp Finely ground sea salt 2 Tbsp melted butter Goes with smooth vanilla-y Challerhocker *These measurements are based off an average sized pumpkin’s worth of seeds, about two cups
You don’t need a pumpkin carving knife set to get the job done. A boning knife, thin and flexible, works well to cut into the top of the pumpkin. Scoop out all the flesh and place seeds and guts in a colander. Sort out the seeds under some cool running water. This is the most labor-intensive part! Do your best to remove as much of the flesh as possible.
Preheat your oven to 300° F. Lay the cleaned seeds onto a paper towel and dry them off. In a large bowl, combine the seeds with the oil and the spices so that they’re evenly coated. Spread the coated seeds evenly onto a baking sheet (lining it with parchment will save you some clean up).
Bake the seeds at 15-minute intervals, tossing and flipping them as you check for doneness. There will be some variables in cooking time so the best thing to do is test them as you bake. Are they hard and crunchy, or soft and chewy? Bake them to your preferred taste, just don’t let them burn! Bakers beware, the cinnamon sugar will be the easiest to burn—keep a close eye on them.
Shown above from left to right, BBQ, Truffle Parmigiano and Cinnamon Sugar.
