Treat yourself to these delicious Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds! These irresistible honey and cinnamon glazed seeds are super easy to make, and you're going to love their scrumptious flavor. They're the perfect fall treat!
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Ginnie's Take
I've never met a pumpkin seed I didn't like, and judging by traffic my recipes for these tasty seeds receive every October, y'all do too! It's always fun experimenting with different flavors, and the recipe for these Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds took a few tries to perfect. But once I figured it out, it was love at first bite. If you're ready to give this fall classic a unique twist, then you have to try this easy recipe!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Mouthwatering Flavor - These yummy seeds have a salty-sweet, spiced taste that is truly delicious. You may want to make a big batch, because they lasted all of an afternoon at my place!
- Simple + Foolproof - This recipe is super easy to make. The trick is glazing the seeds with honey after they come out of the oven. That way, the honey doesn't burn as it bakes.
- Great No Waste Recipe - When you make this recipe, you're using up the part of the pumpkin that often gets thrown out, and turning it into a tasty treat. Who doesn't love that?
Jump to:
Ingredients
You need just a few basic ingredients to make this easy recipe:
- Seeds - You can use the seeds from a smaller sugar / pie, or a larger jack-o'-lantern style pumpkin for this recipe. It's easy to scale the recipe up (or down) depending on how many seeds you have.
- Honey - Choose your favorite honey to coat the seeds.
- Olive Oil + Butter - You'll use olive oil to roast the seeds. Then once they're finished baking, you'll coat them in a butter-honey mixture. I recommending using unsalted butter, but salted is fine if that's all you have.
- Sugar + Cinnamon - The seeds are coated with a cinnamon and granulated sugar mixture after mixing them with the honey. This coating ads tons of flavor, and keeps them from being too messy / sticky.
- Salt - A little salt brings out all the flavors and gives the finished seeds an irresisitible salty-sweet taste. I recommend using kosher salt.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian, nut free, and gluten free. You can make it dairy free by using plant based butter.
You'll Also Need
You will need a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin, a large baking sheet to roast the seeds, and medium frying pan to make the honey mixture. I also recommend lining your baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper, which will making cleaning up after the sticky seeds a little easier.
How to Make Honey Pumpkin Seeds
These yummy Honey Pumpkin Seeds are super easy to prepare! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's a quick overview of the steps:
- Clean seeds. Start by separating the seeds from the pulp. Brush off any seeds hanging to the pulp, the gently squeeze the pulp to remove the remaining seeds.
- Dry seeds. After you've cleaned the seeds, spread them on a baking sheet in an even layer. Then let dry for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Roast. When the seeds are dry, mix them with a little olive oil. Then bake them until they're browned and crisped throughout, mixing every five minutes.
- Make spice mixture. While the seeds cook, mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Tip: You also prepare this mixture after the next step, if you prefer.
- Coat seeds with honey. When the seeds are done roasting, combine the honey, butter, and salt in a medium frying pan. Heat over medium until the butter has melted and the mixture is starting to bubble. Add the seeds, then stir until they're well coated. Tip: Be very careful when handling this mixture to avoid burning yourself.
- Toss with spice mixture. Let the seeds cool slightly, then add them to the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Mix until well coated, then spread the seeds on the baking sheet to cool.
Okay, time to treat yourself to these homemade Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. I hope you made a big batch, because they won't last long!
Variations
Change up the flavor of these tasty seeds with one of these simple variations:
- Honey - Experiment with different types of honey. Each variety has a unique flavor. Hot honey would also be delicious!
- Spices - Swap out the cinnamon for other warm spices, like cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, or cloves or use a combination of spices. Spice blends (like (Pumpkin Spice or Chai Spice) would also work great.
- Dairy Free - To make this recipe dairy free, use a plant based butter.
Storage
If you have leftover Honey Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. There is a lot of moisture in the honey, so they'll taste best when eaten within a few days.
Related Recipes
If you loved these sweet seeds, try my Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds, Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds, and Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seeds next! And check out these savory recipes, too:
- My basic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe has tons of helpful tips and seasoning ideas.
- Are you a garlic lover? You have to try these Garlic Pumpkin Seeds and these Garlic and Parmesan Pumpkin Seeds. Then let me know which on is your fave!
- These delicious Ranch Pumpkin Seeds taste just like your go-to dressing.
- Calling all pickle fans ... these Dill Pickle Pumpkin Seeds are for you!
- These Old Bay Pumpkin Seeds are one of the best ways to use the iconic seasoning.
- Craving a little heat? Then you're going love these Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.
- You can make all these Pumpkin Seeds in an Air Fryer, too!
P.S. You can make this recipe with Roasted Squash Seeds, too!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
No, you do not need to soak pumpkin seeds before roasting them. Some recipes claim that this makes the seeds easier to digest, but it just takes extra time, and it isn't necessary for most people.
Roasted pumpkin seeds make a nutritious snack. They contain protein, antioxidants, minerals, healthy fats, and have other benefits, too. Check out this article from WebMD for more information. Of course, with recipes like this one (which contain added sugars and fat), you'll want to enjoy them in moderation.
Pumpkin seeds can be eaten raw, but they taste much better (and are more pleasant to eat) when roasted. Mix the seeds with olive, then season with salt and other spices to taste. Bake the seeds at 350 degrees, stirring every five minutes, until they're toasted and crunchy.
To clean pumpkin seeds fast, grab a small amount of pulp, then brush off any seeds that are hanging from it. Gently squeeze the pulp to remove the remaining seeds. Repeat with the remaining pulp. You do not need to wash the seeds, unless there's a lot of pulp clinging to them.
If your pumpkin seeds are chewy, you didn't bake them long enough. Return the seeds to your oven, then continue cooking them until they are crunchy throughout. Make sure to stir the seeds frequently, and taste them as they cook so you'll know when they're crisp.
Cleaned pumpkin seeds can sit out for a few hours (or overnight) before cooking them. Letting the seeds sit out helps dry their exterior, which you need to do before baking them anyway. If you're not planning to roast the seeds right away (or don't have time to clean them), transfer the seeds to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Pumpkin Seeds have mild, slightly nutty flavor. They'll take on the flavor of whatever spices you use to season them.
Pumpkin seeds (like the ones from jack-o'-lanterns and pie pumpkins) and pepitas come from different varieties of pumpkins. Pepitas are green (while pumpkin seeds are a white / creamy color), and pepitas have no hull. Because of this, pepitas are more tender, and less chewy than other pumpkin seeds.
Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (1 ½ teaspoons)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C).
- Place pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet. Let dry for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight).
- Drizzle olive oil over seeds, then mix well.
- Bake seeds, stirring every 5 minutes, until toasted and crisp (about 20 to 25 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside.
- Combine honey, butter, and salt in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Warm until butter is melted and mixture is bubbly, stirring often.
- Add roasted seeds to honey mixture, then stir until seeds are well coated. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Mix together sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add pumpkin seeds and stir until they're coated in the sugar mixture.
- Spread seeds on baking sheet in an even layer (they will stick together a bit). Cool completely before storing. Enjoy!
Notes
