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You are here: Home / Dessert / Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Last updated on October 22, 2019. Originally published October 27, 2016 38 Comments

Recipe Pin Recipe

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds Recipe! Don’t throw away the seeds when you carve pumpkins this year! Save them and make this recipe for the perfect sweet and salty fall snack! Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free! and paleo-friendly!

Up close front view of a bag full of Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Have you carved your pumpkins yet?! We carved three big pumpkins this week and it was so fun! However, this year my kids decided to be silly and didn’t want to touch the pumpkin guts! Last year they literally played in the bowl of it for hours…oh how things can change! My daughter did help me separate the seeds…just so we could make these Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds!

I know it’s a lot of work, but trust me when I tell you that taking the time to save the seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds is so worth it! Especially if you decide to make these Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds! This recipe only has 6 ingredients, is super easy to toss together, and results is the perfect sweet and salty fall snack!

Overhead view of a spoon scooping Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds out of a baking pan

How to make Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

1. Let the seeds dry completely! 

The key to making excellent Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds is letting them completely dry before roasting! To do this, remove the seeds from the pumpkins and rinse thoroughly. Make sure there are no stringy orange guts left!

Let the seeds drain, and line a large baking sheet with paper towels. Spread the seeds on the baking sheet in one, even layer and let sit for 24 hours. At the 12 hour mark, change the damp paper towels for dry ones and stir every now and then!

Overhead view of Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds in a baking pan after being dried

2. Add the ingredients

Coat evenly. Once the seeds are completely dry, you are ready to make these roasted pumpkin seeds! Simply melt the coconut oil or butter in a microwave safe dish. Mix in vanilla and stir in the pumpkin seeds, making sure the seeds are evenly coated with the mixture!

Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients together, then toss them into the bowl of coated pumpkin seeds, once again making sure they are evenly coated!

overhead view of Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds in a baking pan before roasting

3. Do not over bake!

A little helpful tip, be very careful not to over-bake these Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds! When they start to brown ever-so-slightly they are done.

Test for doneness 

by taking out 3 or 4 seeds and letting them come to room temperature. If the roasted pumpkin seeds become nice and crispy then your seeds are done baking! If they remain soft, toss them back on the pan and bake a touch longer!

Helpful Tip (How to re-crisp roasted pumpkin seeds)

If your seeds become soft after a day or two…simply reheat them at 250 in the oven for 5-10 minutes! When you remove them and they cool completely they will perfectly crisp up like they were freshly made that day!

overhead view of Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds in the baking pan after roasting

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds: Substitutions

This recipe is delicious as-is! But If you are looking to make some substitutions here are a few that have passed the test:

  • Coconut oil: Butter and vegan butter (like Earth Balance) are delicious substitutions for the coconut oil!
  • Granulated sugar: I use raw, organic sugar in this recipe. But you can choose your favorite granulated sugar and use it with great results! You can also use coconut sugar for a paleo version!

That’s it! There are only 6 ingredients in this recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds and I don’t recommend substituting any other ingredients!

More pumpkin recipes: 

If you’re looking for ways to use the inside of the pumpkin (after you’ve made homemade pumpkin puree) here are some of our favorites: 

  • The BEST classic homemade pumpkin pie (or this dairy-free pumpkin pie)!
  • Baked Pumpkin Donuts
  • For a cozy breakfast, make this pumpkin baked oatmeal!
  • Try our recipe for the best pumpkin bread ever!

Overhead view of Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds in a small bag with more roasted pumpkin seeds in the background

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5 from 4 votes

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds Recipe! Don't throw away the seeds when you carve pumpkins this year! Save them and make this recipe for the perfect sweet and salty fall snack! Vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free! and paleo-friendly!
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds, homemade pumpkin seeds, how to make roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seeds recipe, pumpkin seeds roasted, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3 cups of pumpkin seeds
Calories 120.8kcal
Author Laura

Ingredients

  • 3 cups pumpkin seeds dried for at least 24 hours
  • 3 TBS coconut oil or butter
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 4 TBS granulated sugar*
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

To dry pumpkin seeds:

  • Remove from pumpkins and rinse thoroughly. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours, changing the damp paper towels out for dry ones after about 12 hours and stirring occasionally.

To make the pumpkin seeds:

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Very lightly grease a large baking pan, set aside.
  • In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
  • Melt coconut oil or butter in a large microwave safe bowl or on the stovetop in a 4-quart pot.
  • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  • Mix in pumpkin seeds until they are all evenly coated.
  • Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin seeds and mix until all they are evenly coated.
  • Spread pumpkin seeds on your prepared baking pan in single layer.
  • Bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until seeds begin to brown.
  • To test for doneness: remove a few seeds from the pan and let sit on the counter to cool. If they harden up the seeds are done. If they remain soft, return to the oven, checking them after 5 minutes. Continue baking in 5 minute intervals until done.
  • Once seeds are done, transfer them from the warm pan to another pan lined with parchment paper to let cool.

Video

Notes

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds: Substitutions

This recipe is delicious as-is! But If you are looking to make some substitutions here are a few that have passed the test:
  • Coconut oil:Ā Butter and vegan butter (like Earth Balance) are delicious substitutions for the coconut oil!
  • Granulated sugar:Ā I use raw, organic sugar in this recipe. But you can choose your favorite granulated sugar and use it with great results! You can also use coconut sugar for a paleo version!
Carving three large pumpkins resulted in 3 cups of seeds. You can easily halve this recipe to accommodate the amount of seeds you harvest from your pumpkins!

Nutrition

Serving: 2TBS | Calories: 120.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.9g | Protein: 3.7g | Fat: 9.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.2g | Sodium: 189.3mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 2.1g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

up close front view of Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds in a small bag

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 120.8

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Filed Under: Dessert, Gluten-Free, Healthier Desserts, Paleo, Recipes, Snacks, vegan Tagged With: dairy free, gluten free, pumpkin seeds, snacks, vegan

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeremiah

    November 2, 2019 at 9:21 am

    Laura, I have a dumb question.
    I’ve never had roasted pumpkin seeds, but my grandma used to talk about them all the time. Do you eat the entire seed, or do you break them open to eat what is inside like a sunflower seed? The way grandma talked, it sounded like she ate the whole thing.

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 2, 2019 at 10:23 am

      Jeremiah there is no such thing as a dumb question in my opinion! You eat the entire seed!

      Reply
  2. Mike

    October 28, 2019 at 8:36 am

    5 stars
    I’m a purist at heart…and I wasn’t sure I’d like these at first…but they are awesome! I am now hooked! I only had a cup of seeds and so just scaled down the recipe, but followed exactly as written using butter and this is the best snack I’ve ever made myself!

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 2, 2019 at 10:24 am

      Thank you Mike! So glad you love them!

      Reply
  3. L Tucker

    October 12, 2019 at 2:18 pm

    Yum! Here’s a tip: you can quick-dry the rinsed seeds by drying them on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven for an hour or two, stirring once or twice.

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 2, 2019 at 10:25 am

      I LOVE that tip! I’m usually ready to take a 24 hr break after carving pumpkins and separating the seeds (a true labor of love for this momma) but a quick dry option is awesome!

      Reply
  4. Amanda

    November 8, 2018 at 8:10 pm

    5 stars
    Made the original recipe a couple weeks ago and it was great! I added a touch of cardamom the 2nd time around…yummm! Thanks for the tip on drying the seeds

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 10, 2018 at 1:05 pm

      I love that addition Amanda!! Sounds amazing!

      Reply
  5. Evelyn Galvez

    November 1, 2018 at 3:30 pm

    5 stars
    We got one cup of seeds from one pumpkin, now I wish that I would have purchased 1 pumpkin for each of my 3 kids instead of 1 for all 3. These are delicious and we will need to purchase more pumpkins for the 3 cups full.

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2018 at 4:30 pm

      I’m SO glad you enjoyed these! I have a whole bowl full of dried seeds ready to make these tomorrow! šŸ™‚ And I 110% understand the desire to only carve 1 pumpkin instead of 3!!!! LOL!

      Reply
  6. Easy Peasy Life Matters

    November 2, 2016 at 3:46 pm

    These Pumpkin Seeds sound delicious! I love all the healthy ingredients. Thanks for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party! We will be featuring your recipe tonight šŸ™‚ Have a wonderful evening!

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 6, 2016 at 4:01 pm

      Thank you so much! šŸ™‚ <3

      Reply
  7. Deborah Davis

    November 1, 2016 at 8:36 pm

    5 stars
    My what a healthy and delicious seasonal snack. I can;t wait to make this for my friends and family. I’m pinning and sharing.

    Reply
  8. Miz Helen

    November 1, 2016 at 4:59 pm

    What a delicious treat, I will love it! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  9. Chrissa- Physical KItchness

    October 30, 2016 at 1:10 pm

    Completely dry. CHECK. Ok I’m trying these!!! Pumpkin seeds are my fav but I never could master a the art. Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2016 at 7:31 am

      Yay Chrissa I hope you love them!! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  10. Lindsay Cotter

    October 29, 2016 at 7:58 pm

    This is a tasty fall snack! I wish I had some right now!

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2016 at 7:30 am

      They definitely didn’t last long in my house!

      Reply
  11. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

    October 29, 2016 at 1:56 pm

    O yes! I think my favorite thing about carving a pumpkin is roasting the fresh seeds!

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2016 at 7:30 am

      They are the perfect healthy snack! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  12. Liz @ pumpkin and peanut butter

    October 29, 2016 at 4:09 am

    That’s so funny they didn’t want to touch the guts this year! I carved a pumpkin with my students last week and a whole bunch of them refused to stick their hand inside too—- isn’t that the best part?!? I actually make these exact baked pumpkin seeds for my students to try too! We were really thinking alike this week šŸ˜‰

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2016 at 7:30 am

      LOL Liz my kids are like a box of chocolates….never know what you’re gonna get. šŸ˜‰ And you know what they say about great minds…. šŸ˜‰ <3

      Reply
  13. Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen

    October 28, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    Well I haven’t quite carved a pumpkin in some time! I know, shame. But these seeds look great and I love these pictures!

    Reply
  14. Jessy @ The Life Jolie

    October 28, 2016 at 10:54 am

    These sound delicious and your photos are gorgeous!!

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2016 at 7:28 am

      Thank you Jessy! I had fun shooting these little guys! šŸ˜‰

      Reply
  15. Emily

    October 28, 2016 at 8:37 am

    Wow thank you so much for the recommendation to let them dry for an adequate amount of time; I have some that I’m rinsing off, and I’m going to let them dry today, so I can try this later! šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2016 at 7:28 am

      Thank you Emily! šŸ™‚ I hope that your seeds turned out delicious !

      Reply
  16. Alisa Fleming

    October 27, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    Yum! I wish I knew you could roast pumpkin seeds when I was a kid. It always seemed so wasteful when we carved pumpkins.

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2016 at 7:27 am

      Now you can carve them as an adult and save the seeds! win win! šŸ˜‰

      Reply
  17. Maria

    October 27, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    I never thought about going sweet with pumpkin seeds! These look so good šŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Laura

      November 1, 2016 at 7:27 am

      They’re the perfect mix of sweet and salty! šŸ™‚ YUM!

      Reply
  18. Emily

    October 27, 2016 at 12:56 pm

    These pictures are just absoutley stunning! I feel like I need to run home and make these RIGHT NOW!

    Reply
    • Laura

      October 27, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      Thank you Emily! Just carve up some pumpkins and hop to it! šŸ˜‰

      Reply
  19. Rebecca | NOURISHED. the blog

    October 27, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    How fun is this!! I’ve only tried to bake pumpkin seeds once before and it was a total disaster! I definitely did not let them dry at all and I definitely did not sprinkle them with cinnamon or sugar.

    Reply
    • Laura

      October 27, 2016 at 3:18 pm

      Oh no!! LOL! YES! Drying them is absolutely key…otherwise they take F-O-R-E-V-E-R to bake! Like 2 hours at 250! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  20. Rony Jahid

    October 27, 2016 at 11:27 am

    These seeds are my favorite, I always like to eat these seeds. Now I got a new recipe from you for ready to pumpkin seeds. Its very helpful to me, thanks.

    Reply
  21. Nicole @ Fitful Focus

    October 27, 2016 at 10:49 am

    What a perfect snack! I can’t wait to try them.

    Reply
    • Laura

      October 27, 2016 at 3:18 pm

      I’ve been munching on them all week long!

      Reply

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About Laura

Hello I’m Laura! I am a former chemistry teacher turned wife and mom of five beautiful babies! I’m a green smoothie addict, lover of the outdoors, and a peanut butter & nap enthusiast! Click here to read more >>

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