Here's How Long Pumpkin Seeds Should Bake And The Best Temperature

Fall is upon us, which means it's everything pumpkin all the time — but many of us spend so much time on pumpkin-flavored things that we forget the gourd itself has so much to offer. A personal favorite fall and Halloween snack of mine are pumpkin seeds. When baked properly, they're the perfect salty, crunchy snack that really tastes best when fresh out of your newly-carved jack-o-lantern (not to mention they're waste-free snack and a big source of fiber and nutrients). Trust me, you want to learn everything there is to know about pumpkin seeds, including how to cook them.

The best temperature to cook pumpkin seeds is 350 degrees, which will properly roast your seeds without burning the outsides. As for how long to bake them? That can be left up to preference, but a baseline of 45 minutes is a good place to start. You can extend this to an hour of bake time if you prefer your seeds extra crispy, but regardless, be sure to mix around and flip your seeds once or twice so they cook evenly. You might also want to keep an eye on them to prevent burning, if you've never attempted this before. And as you hit the farmers markets, be sure to choose a pumpkin that won't rot too quickly, so the seeds are ready to roast when carving day comes.

The first step to preparing your pumpkin seeds is removing them from the pumpkin and knowing how to clean the seeds for successful roasting. Scooping the seeds into a large bowl or strainer and rinsing them with water is the easiest way to clean them off and remove the pulp and pumpkin guts. However, my personal favorite seeds have a few strings of pulp clinging on, which add to the crispiness and pumpkin flavor. So while it's good to clean the seeds, they don't need to be pristine before you dry them and spread them out on a pan.

After placing your seeds on a baking sheet, cut a few slices of butter and spread them evenly around the pan so they'll coat the seeds as they cook (you can use olive oil if you avoid animal products). Then sprinkle a healthy layer of salt over the seeds and pop them in the oven. From personal experience, keeping the ingredients simple and adding a little extra salt and butter when you flip the seeds yields the most effortlessly delicious snack — but you can also add cinnamon and sugar for a sweet fall twist, or cayenne for a hint of spice.