We love making delicious recipes in our air fryer, just like this air fryer pumpkin seed recipe. Some fall favorites are this juicy Air Fryer Turkey Breast with Gravy. Serve it with these easy Dinner Rolls in the Air Fryer and Air Fryer Acorn Squash.
Air Fried Pumpkin Seeds
After carving those pumpkins into jack o lanterns, do NOT throw out those seeds. It’s super easy to turn them into a nutritious snack with just a few steps and a few ingredients! I have included five different delicious flavors to try out. Our two favorites are the buffalo pumpkin seeds and the ranch pumpkin seeds.
Before purchasing my favorite kitchen gadget, the air fryer of course, we used to bake our pumpkin seeds in the oven every year. Now there is an easier and faster way to enjoy them.
Roasted pumpkin seeds in the air fryer!
After carving our pumpkins in October, we now air fry pumpkin seeds and enjoy them until they disappear, which is rather quickly. This is a great alternative to chips, you get salt and crunch from these bad boys.
I love to drop these into my kids backpacks to eat while they are at school and they even eat them as an afternoon snack when they get home.
These air fried pumpkin seeds are perfect to take with you on those long hikes or even car trips, you can eat it plain or mix it into some trail mix.
If you make home made pumpkin pie from scratch for the holidays, you can also use the pumpkin seeds from those pumpkins to make more roasted air fried pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin seeds are a deliciously crunchy, roasted snack that are full of health benefits. Did you know that pumpkin seeds are a great source of plant protein? They are also rich in antioxidants and help keep your heart healthy.
Best Pumpkins for Seeds?
To make air fryer pumpkin seeds, also known as air fryer pepitas, you are probably wondering what kinds of pumpkins you can use to get seeds. Pretty much any pumpkins will work, from a colossal pumpkin all the way down to the teeny mini pumpkins. For this recipe I like to use large pumpkins, the kind that you carve for Halloween.
They have nice big seeds and there are a lot of them. You can also get seeds from the pumpkin pie type of pumpkins or even those tiny pumpkins, but you will need a lot of them and the seeds may be harder to get out of the pumpkin guts.
How do you Eat Pumpkin Seeds?
How to eat pumpkin seeds is completely up to you. Some people like to peel off the outer shell before just eating the little green seed inside. But, you can also just eat the whole seed shell and all, especially if the outside is coated in yummy flavors and are crunchy. Or eat them both ways, some of them shelled, some of them de-shelled. The choice is up to you.
Do you Need to Rinse Pumpkin Seeds?
Yes, pumpkin seeds need to be rinsed clean of all the gooey orange strands (aka pumpkin guts) that are inside the pumpkin with the seeds. Leaving some of the goo on the pumpkin seeds is fine but you will want to have them mostly clean before air frying them.
How to Clean Pumpkin Seeds?
There is a super simple way of how to clean pumpkin seeds for roasting that gets all the gunk off of pumpkin seeds but doesn’t entail you trying to pick all of the seeds out one by one. This is the best way to clean pumpkin seeds!
- Fill the bowl that contains the pumpkin guts and seeds up with water. Let it kind of soak there for a few minutes. After letting it sit, the pumpkin seeds will float to the top of the water.
- Using a large slotted spoon, scoop out the seeds into a colander. They separate pretty easily from the orange strands. Swirl the mixture around to get more seeds to rise up. Get as many as you can/want out of the bowl.
- Rinse the seeds and then dry them off using one of the methods below.
How to Soak Pumpkin Seeds?
If you find that when you normally eat pumpkin seeds it upsets your stomach you can soak or boil the pumpkin seeds after cleaning them before air frying to help with digestion. It is not necessary to do this step. The seeds may need to air fry a little longer if you do either one of these steps.
To Boil Pumpkin Seeds: Fill a 4 quart pot with water and add in 4 tablespoons of salt. Bring up to a boil. Add pumpkin seeds to the water. Boil them for about 10 minutes. Dry the seeds and continue with the recipe.
To Soak Pumpkin Seeds: This is the longer of the two methods. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to a quart of water, add in the cleaned pumpkin seeds. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight at room temp. Dry the seeds and continue with the recipe.
How Long do Pumpkin Seeds Need to Dry Before Air Frying?
I have tried drying the pumpkin seeds over night and also just towel dried them before air frying them. They seemed to cook in about the same amount of time either way. So it depends how much time you have.
How to Dry Pumpkin Seeds
You will want the pumpkin seeds to be dry before you roast them in the air fryer. Here are a couple methods you can use to dry them out.
- Overnight air dry. Let them air dry over night on baking sheet on a clean dry, lint free tea towel (not parchment paper the seeds can stick to it). You can also allow them to dry in the sun.
- With towels (my favorite method). Lay out a clean dry, lint free tea towel. Pour the seeds onto the towel. Using another clean towel, dry off the seeds.
- In the oven. Set the oven to the warm or lowest heat setting. Let them dry for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. This is the riskiest method because seeds can burn.
Why are my Pumpkin Seeds Chewy?
There are many reasons why your pumpkin seeds are coming out chewy.
- The seeds may not have been dry enough before air frying them.
- The seeds weren’t air fried for long enough.
- Too much pulp left on the seeds.
- There were too many seeds in the air fryer
If the pumpkin seeds are coming out chewy and you want them more crisp, then all you need to do is pop them back into the air fryer for a couple more minutes at a time. Just make sure to keep an eye on them and shake the basket so that they don’t start to burn.
Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients
- Pumpkin Seeds: You will need pumpkin seeds in shell. I use the seeds from two large pumpkins, just the type that you use for carving pumpkins.
- Olive Oil: You can also use vegetable oil or butter also.
- Seasonings: There are a bunch of ways to season pumpkin seeds. I have included 5 different seasoning recipes in the recipe card below.
How to Air Fry Pumpkin Seeds
Learn how to cook pumpkin seeds in an air fryer with this easy air fryer recipe. Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
- Gather seeds from pumpkins and clean the seeds.
- If you are going to soak or boil the seeds do it now.
- Dry seeds.
- Take cleaned, dried pumpkin seeds and place them in a bowl with some olive oil.
- Mix in the seasonings of choice.
- Place into air fryer, flip half way through.
- Allow to cool for a minute or so before enjoying.
If you don’t have an air fryer, no need to worry. Here is how to roast pumpkin seeds in an oven.
Ways to Use Pumpkin Seeds
Now that you know how to make crispy pumpkin seeds in the air fryer, you are probably wondering how to use this tasty snack. Here are a few ideas.
- Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds onto salad.
- Add the seeds onto your favorite soups (especially great with pumpkin soup).
- Mix the pumpkin seeds into granola or trail mix.
- They are delicious to eat them all on their own.
Recipe Tips
- If you have a lot of pumpkin seeds, I recommend cooking them in batches. If you put too many in the air fryer at once, they won’t get nice and crisp.
- It’s ok if you still have little bits of pumpkin guts on the seeds, as long as it’s not a lot.
- I use a Cosori 5.8 quart air fryer, it is the basket style air fryer. The holes in the bottom are small enough to where my seeds don’t fall through. If the holes in your airfare are larger, you can line the bottom of your air fryer with air fryer parchment paper.
Pumpkin Seed Seasoning
Pumpkin seeds can be flavored with so many different herbs and spices and combinations of things to make all different flavors. I make them with olive oil, but you can even make them with butter, ghee, or other vegetable oils. Here is a list of more tasty options to try out on the air fried pumpkin seeds.
- Cayenne pepper
- Lemon pepper
- Steak seasoning
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Italian seasoning
- Worchestershire sauce
- Tajin (chili lime)
- Vinegar and sea salt
- Curry powder
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do pumpkin seeds go bad? Yes, pumpkin seeds definitely can go rancid if you keep them for too long. Store pumpkin seeds in an airtight container at room temperature for about two weeks.
- What do pumpkin seeds taste like? Pumpkin seeds have a mild, nutty flavor if you are eating them plain. With seasonings they take on a whole new flavor profile depending on which ones you go with. Make them with a little salt and pepper to keep them simple or go with something more flavorful.
How to Store Pumpkin Seeds
- How to Store Pumpkin Seeds at Room Temperature: Roasted pumpkin seeds are the best kept at room temperature. Store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.
- How to Freeze: Let the seeds cool off completely before putting into an airtight container. Make sure to label with the recipe name and date. The seeds should last about 3 months in the freezer.
More pumpkin recipes!
- Iron Skillet Pumpkin Apple Pie (No Crust)
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (No Bake)
- Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes
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Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds, in shell
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
For Buffalo Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For Ranch Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For BBQ Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- pinch salt
For Salt and Pepper Pumpkin Seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
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Cut open a pumpkin and scoop the contents into a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water and allow seeds to float to the top. Using a slotted spoon, scoop pumpkin seeds into a colander. Rinse the seeds to get any remaining pumpkin pieces off.
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If you would like to boil or soak the seeds for easier digestion, do so now.
To boil, Fill a 4-quart pot with water and add in 4 tablespoons of salt. Bring up to a boil. Add pumpkin seeds to the water. Boil them for about 10 minutes. Dry the seeds and continue with the recipe.
To soak seeds, Add 1 tablespoon of salt to a quart of water, add in the cleaned pumpkin seeds. Let soak for at least 8 hours or overnight at room temp. Dry the seeds and continue with the recipe.
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Lay seeds out onto a clean, lint free tea towel to air dry or dry with another towel.
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Place 1 cup of pumpkin seeds in a medium sized bowl. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Mix in well.
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Add the seasonings of choice. Mixing them together well with the seeds.
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Place the seeds into the air fryer and roast at 360°F for 10 minutes, flipping the seeds around halfway through.
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Let cool for a few minutes before enjoying.
Equipment
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Air Fryer
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
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