Don’t throw out your pumpkins! Pepitas are a wonderful treat to make with the seeds!
First 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.
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°F. 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 or on the stovetop.
Then, stir in the vanilla.
Mix in pumpkin seeds until they are all evenly coated.
Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin seeds and mix until all they are evenly coated.
Spread pumpkin seeds on your 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.
