When it comes to these cinnamon coconut roasted pumpkin seeds, I seriously have to control myself. It is really easy for me to sit down and eat an entire bowl in one sitting! So, I have to portion out how much I can eat at a time to keep me from going overboard. They are just. that. good.
To me, roasting pumpkin seeds after you’ve gutted a pumpkin seems like the easiest and most natural thing to do. But, I am constantly amazed at how many people I talk to who don’t know how to do it. So, that is why I wanted to share this recipe. It’s super easy and delicious. You’ll wonder why you always threw those seeds away! The spices can always be adjusted to suit your preference. As a matter of fact, pumpkin pie spice tastes AMAZING on these as well, so if you’re in the mood, you could throw some of that in there too!
Now, a quick note. I personally soak these seeds first for 24 hours before roasting. I am not sure that it really does any good, considering that they still have the outside shell on. However, I do it just out of habit. Feel free to skip this step. Or, if you want, you can shell the pumpkin seeds (a lot of work) and then soak them like you would any other seed. Since you probably won’t be eating these all the time, it is not going to hurt to skip the soaking. It really is up to you.
Cinnamon Coconut Roasted Pumpkin Seed Recipe
Ingredients
Seeds from pumpkin (we cut up two medium pumpkins and ended up with about 2.5 cups of seeds)
Fresh cinnamon (Vietnamese is my fave. Read why here.)
Sea salt
Instructions
1. After you remove the seeds from the pumpkins, you have two choices: (1) remove as much of the slimy membranes as possible from around the seeds, or (2) just throw it all on a pan and stick it in the oven. Since I like to soak mine in salt water, I prefer to remove the membrane. It’s not that hard. Just remove the bigger pieces and then throw the seeds in a bowl and fill with water. Stir the seeds around with your hand a little and most of the membrane will sink to the bottom of the bowl. You can then skim off the seeds and throw them in a colander and rinse. If tehre are little bits of membrane left, it’s no biggie. I just like to get most of it out.
Or, if you’ve not soaking them, just spread the seeds (membranes and all) out on a sheet pan and skip on to step 4.
2. If you’re soaking them, dissolve 1 tbsp. sea salt into 2 cups of water and place your seeds in there. Cover and leave out to soak for 24 hours. I like to put mine in my oven where it stays a tad warmer.
3. After the 24 hours is up, rinse the seeds and then put them on a sheet pan or your dehydrator trays.
4. If you’re using a dehydrator, follow the manufacturers instructions for dehydrating seeds. If you’re like me and have to rely on the oven, pre-heat your oven to the lowest temperature possible and then add put the seeds in.
5. Dehydrate in the oven until the seeds are crispy. This takes about 4 hours at 160-170 degrees in my oven.
6. When the seeds are crispy, remove from the oven and toss them in a couple tablespoons of melted coconut oil (the Green Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions has a great flavor), fresh ground cinnamon, and sea salt. Feel free to add any other spices you might want in at this point. If you wanted to add a little sweetness, you could throw in some sweetener of your choice at this time.
7. When all of the seeds are coated, spread them out on the sheet pan and throw them back in the oven for about another hour (I keep my oven at 170). You want most of the oil to be absorbed into the seed and they should be a golden brown color.
8. Remove from heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container. And, please, try not to eat them all in one sitting!
Delicious Obsessions was founded by Jessica Espinoza in 2010. Jessica is passionate about real food, natural living, and more. She helps people see how to eat nourishing food, without breaking the bank. Her motto is "baby steps" -- making small, lasting changes, one at a time, is the best way to ensure long-term success. This website contains "affiliate links" where appropriate, on which, I may earn a small commission or referral fee on your purchase. This has no effect on your price. The monies earned help maintain and support this website's hosting, maintenance, and the development of free content. The content shared on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Statements/products discussed have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your own health care practitioner before making changes to your current diet or before beginning any herbal or vitamin supplement regimen or exercise program.
Sounds good! Do you consider these a low-carb snack?
Coincidentally, I was just researching magnesium rich foods this morning b/c I’ve been getting foot cramps for about a year. Pumpkin seeds are loaded! Squash and pumpkin seeds provide 535 mg of magnesium (134% DV) per 100 gram serving, or 738mg (185% DV) per cup.
I am just learning how incredibly important magnesium is. I have started supplementing with mag, because I know I am deficient. I would venture to say that most everyone in America is deficient. Magnesium is needed for so many functions of the body. Sadly, you only absorb about 1/2 of the mag that you eat, which is why supplementing is often a good idea. Have you ever read the Magnesium Miracle book? I just read it recently and it is amazing! It is a super fast read: http://www.amazon.com/The-Magnesium-Miracle-Carolyn-Dean/dp/034549458X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352315380&sr=8-1&keywords=magnesium+miracle. I highly recommend it!
I do — I try not to overdo it with any form of nut or seed, because they can be kind of hard to digest, plus it’s easy to eat too many! But, they have been a nice little treat. Something different
Hope you enjoy!
I definitely want to try this…but have always been told (not for any particular reason that I know of) that we should peel them first…which I never have time to do, hence why I never have roasted them before. But…you seem to eat the peel once roasted without any issues – so I’m assuming it is not a problem to eat the peel?
Andrea – I personally don’t have any issues eating the seeds with the outer skin still on (digestively speaking). Honestly, I’m not going to sit and peel all those seeds — that would take forever!
I figure that I only make these once a year and it is such a small amount that I choose to save some work and leave the skins on.