Roasted Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
Posted Oct 27, 2016, Updated Oct 04, 2025
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Save your pumpkin seeds to make these roasted cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds. They are irresistibly delicious – the perfect sweet and salty fall snack!
Do you love carving pumpkins in the fall? We definitely do, and we have 6 kids so that always means lots of pumpkin seeds. They love helping me separate the seeds from the pulp, just so we can make these 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 this roasted cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds recipe. It’s easy to make with only has 6 ingredients, is super easy to make, and results is the perfect sweet and salty fall snack!
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:
- Salted butter: unsalted butter and ghee both work well. For a dairy-free option, use 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!
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
Let’s walk through this recipe step by step.
Dry the Seeds
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.
Make the Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Begin by combining the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Once the seeds are completely dry, you are ready to make these roasted pumpkin seeds! Simply melt the butter in a microwave safe dish. Mix in vanilla and stir the mixture into the pumpkin seeds, making sure the seeds are evenly coated with the mixture.
Then, add the dry mixture to the coated pumpkin seeds and stir to coat.
Next, spread the cinnamon sugar pumpkin seeds out on a large baking sheet in a single layer and 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!
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!
Store
Store these pumpkin seeds in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature. I don’t recommend refrigerating them because it could cause them to become soft again.
To Re-Crisp
If your pumpkin seeds become soggy, you can re-crisp them in the oven set ot 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes.
Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pumpkin Seeds FAQs
No. Quite the opposite, this recipe calls for drying out the pumpkin seeds for 12-24 hours before roasting.
Yes to both! You can easily scale this recipe as needed.
Tossing the dried pumpkin seeds in melted butter and vanilla makes the cinnamon sugar stick to the seeds. Also, stirring during bakings helps reincorporate any cinnamon sugar that may have fallen off during baking.
Yes, drying the pumpkin seeds is crucial for crispy roasted pumpkin seeds that do not get soggy.
We roast the seeds low and slow here, 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius) for 25-35 minutes.
The best way to tell if they are done is to remove one from the baking sheet and let it cool. Once cooled it should be dry to the touch (not sticky) and have a crunchy texture.
They stay fresh for up to 1 week stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
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Roasted Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
Video
Ingredients
- 3 cups pumpkin seeds (dried for at least 24 hours)
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter (or coconut oil)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar*
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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.
Make Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
- Preheat oven to 325°Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius). Very lightly grease a large baking pan, set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- Melt the butter – either in the microwave in a large bowl or on the stovetop in a saucepan over low heat.
- Once the butter is melted, stir in the vanilla.
- Then, add the pumpkin seeds until they are evenly coated in the butter/vanilla mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin seeds and stir until all they are evenly coated.
- Spread pumpkin seeds on the 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.
Notes
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter, coconut oil and vegan butter (like Earth Balance) are good substitutes.
- Granulated sugar: use white sugar, organic cane sugar, or coconut sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve never tried baking pumpkin seeds before but now I’ll never get rid of them again! These were delicious and I was very surprised at how much they crisp up! I thought they would be hard/chewy but they are perfect after baking. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad you love them Elisabeth!
Delicious! Great and easy to follow recipe.
Thank you Stephanie!
My husband, kids and myself all loved these!! A hit for sure!
Another great tip to cut down on the drying time and deliver even crunchier/crisper seeds is to boil them in water for 10 minutes or so. Once done, drain them, pat dry with paper towels and continue with the recipe. It may take a few more minutes to finish roasting in the oven, so check like the recipe recommends. You’d think that this wouldn’t make them crunchier, but it absolutely does! I think it helps break down the woody parts of the seed chaff.
Loved this recipe! I mad mine with brown sugar. Because like sweet and spicy I added some cayenne pepper.
I will be looking for some cheap pumpkins after Halloween for more seeds 🤣
So yummy!! My daughter and I love them. Made them with vegan butter and they were perfect at 25 minutes!
Literally amazing!! Making these every year from now on. They are so delicous I can’t stop eating them! Make them now!!
I would add that you should take a few out each time you stir them to test if they’re done. I stirred them at 10 min intervals and left them in right about the 25 mins and they ended up burning by the time I realized they were done 🙁 I can tell they would be REALLY yummy if I had done them right though.
I made this recipe for my grandson with major allergies and substituted the butter with coconut oil– they were GREAT — and I also dried them out quicker by Turing the oven on at 350, let it heat up and then turned the oven off and then putting the seeds on a cookie sheet in the oven.
My great-grandson Romello ask me to bake him some pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin he received from the pumpkin patch of course I said okay. I have not baked pumpkins seeds in over 30 years so when I can across your recipe it sounded delicious and indeed it was. BEST RECIPE EVER. Romello and I loved them I will be making them all year at least once a month maybe twice. Thanks so much for sharing!
Awwww 🥰 kool
So delicious! And such great, detailed instructions. I do not like cooking. But this was worth the effort! Thank you for sharing.
I just made these for my family and my daughters and my husband liked them. I will be making these again. I LOVE them so if anyone decides to pass on them it will be more for me lol
Delicious!
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.
Jeremiah there is no such thing as a dumb question in my opinion! You eat the entire seed!