DIY Toasted Pumpkin Seeds - 3 ways!

Sometimes we all need an excuse to get messy... and carving a pumpkin is the perfect excuse to do that! Who doesn't like squishing pumpkin guts in their hands? As a preschool educator - this could entertain me and my class for hours! 

But wait! After you are done carving your pumpkin - don't throw away all of those perfectly tasty (and healthy!) pumpkin seeds! Toast them! If you have never toasted pumpkin seeds before, here is how you can do it - it's very easy and customizable.

Ingredients:

3 cups pumpkin seeds

Olive oil

2 tablespoons of spice mixture

(here is what I used, but you can make it whatever flavor you like, I like spicy stuff)

Cayenne pepper and Garlic Salt

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning 

Taco seasoning (make your own)

Here's What to Do:
Step 1: Rinse pumpkin seeds very well. I also took out any small or malformed seeds.

Step 2: Boil seeds for ten minutes

Step 3: Put 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of spice mixture and mix well

Taco seasoning

"Nashville Hot" Cayenne pepper and garlic salt

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Step 4: Let the pumpkin seeds soak in the mixture for an hour (or longer if you want)

I also labeled the aluminum foil with a sharpie so I didn't get the seeds mixed up - but you could just use separate cookie sheets!

Step 5: Bake seeds at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally so they do not stick together

Finally, you can enjoy crunchy, flavorful pumpkin seeds that don't cost hardly anything to make! Pumpkin seeds love parties and they also make great gifts!

Let me know in the comments below if you have ever toasted pumpkin seeds and what flavor you made/would like to make!