Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds
If you’re planning to carve a pumpkin in time for Halloween this year, don’t throw away the seeds! Roasted pumpkin seeds make a great snack, and these ones are coated in tasty spices and crisped up in the air fryer (or in the oven, if you prefer!).
It seems a shame to throw away perfectly useable stuff (my house may have a minor clutter problem), so if there’s a way to use something that would usually go into the bin, I’m all for it. Plus it’s a nice easy recipe to make with the kids!
Seeds that are picked from a fresh pumpkin have a slightly tough shell around them. It’s totally up to you whether you want to leave this shell on, or remove it from each seed.
The shell contains tons of fibre and is totally edible, but it does make the seeds a little harder to digest, so you may choose to remove the shells if you have any stomach issues. I didn’t bother removing the shells (as a general rule I will skip any step that isn’t 100% necessary), but either way works!
🎃 Spice Ideas for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
I flavoured my pumpkin seeds with my all-time favourite spice, smoked paprika, as well as a little chilli powder and some salt.
Of course, you can use whatever combination of spices you like! Here are a few ideas:
- Make Tex-Mex pumpkin seeds using either a shop-bought taco spice mix, or your own favourite blend.
- Go for an Indian vibe with garam masala or your favourite curry powder.
- Use garlic powder and dried herbs for a less spicy option.
- You could even experiment with sweet roasted pumpkin seeds, using cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Even just a bit of salt and pepper would be great!
🌱 Can I Use Shop-Bought Pumpkin Seeds?
Yes! This recipe also works really well with shop-bought pumpkin seeds (pepitas), in case you don’t want to go to the effort of picking them out of a fresh pumpkin. Shop-bought seeds often have the shell of the seed removed, which is why they usually look a sort of grey-green colour.
Here’s what shop-bought seeds look like after being cooked up in the air fryer:
🍴 How to Use Air Fried Pumpkin Seeds
After you’ve cooked them, these toasted pumpkin seeds will last for a good week or two in an air-tight tub, so you can use them up gradually (or snaffle them all in one go, no judgement here).
Here are a few ways I like to serve these pumpkin seeds:
- sprinkled over a Caesar salad (it adds a nice crunch, similar to a crouton)
- stirred through scrambled eggs
- on their own as a crunchy snack!
- sprinkled onto avocado toast
- served on a jacket potato
…or any other way you can think of!
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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.
- pumpkin seeds. If you’re using shop-bought seeds, just skip the first few steps of the recipe.
- oil (to help them get nice and crispy)
- your choice of spices – I used smoked paprika, chilli powder and salt.
Becca’s Top Tip
Air frying is nice and quick as it doesn’t require any pre-heating, but an air fryer is essentially just a mini oven – so if you don’t have one, you can also cook pumpkin seeds in the oven. Just spread them on a baking tray, and roast for a few minutes at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
📹 Recipe Video
🔪 Equipment
The air fryer I use is the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which I really love. You can use the two baskets at the same time if you’re cooking a full meal, or use them separately, for small batches of pumpkin seeds!
Here’s the one I have on Amazon:
If you're in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.
🖨️ Printable Instructions
Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds
If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin CommentIngredients
- ~ 4 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- If you’re using pumpkin seeds from a fresh pumpkin, begin by removing as much of the orange pulp from the seeds as possible.
- Wash any remaining pulp from the seeds using a colander, then spread the seeds out to dry on some paper towels.
- Add the seeds to a bowl with the oil and spices, and mix well to combine.
- Spread the spiced seeds out in a single layer in an air fryer basket, and cook for 5-8 minutes at 190°C (375°F). Give them a shake every few minutes, and remove them from the air fryer when they look nice and crispy, as they can burn easily.
- Allow them to cool, and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Once cooled, you should store your air fryer pumpkin seeds in an airtight container at room temperature. I would happily eat them for a week or two (if they last that long), but they do start to lose their crunch after a while. They’re best eaten in the first few days.
Yes, these roasted pumpkin seeds are totally vegan.
