Deliciously Sweet and Salty Rosemary Pumpkin Seeds

Whether you are cooking with pumpkins or carving a Jack-O-Lantern, it’s likely that you’ll find yourself with some extra pumpkin seeds on hand this fall. Don’t throw them out! With just a little prep they are a tasty, healthy snack. I should warn you, though, you better make a LOT of these sweet and salty rosemary pumpkin seeds. You will eat them all. You will burn your mouth tasting one out of the oven, then burn it again because you can’t believe these are so good. Yeah, yeah, they are just roasted pumpkin seeds. Try them. Just once. You’ll see.

Sometimes I put together recipes from the ingredients that are freshest and calling out to me. Sometimes I just use whatever I have around. And sometimes it comes from a craving. It wasn’t even fall when I first bought a fresh pumpkin. I just couldn’t wait to let my son get his little hands in the gunky insides and play around.

What a wonderful sensory experience for him! He even fed some of the guts to Meatball who did NOT mind AT ALL.

We had fun digging out the pumpkin, sitting near the herb garden where the rosemary is growing like a crazy fragrant octopus that is trying to strangle all the other herbs. The smell of rosemary was the jumping-off point here. I just love rosemary with a hint of sweetness, and thus this highly addictive recipe was born!

Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds

In addition to being scrumptious, pumpkin seeds are just plain good for you. They are full of fiber, minerals, and healthy fats which can help to improve bladder and prostate health, regulate blood sugar, reduce the risk of heart disease, and aid in digestion.

Now, without further ado, here is my absolute favorite way to eat these healthy little seeds.

Sweet and Salty Rosemary Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

This recipe calls for a little sugar but if, like me, you live a sugar-free lifestyle, you can use stevia as an alternative, natural sweetener. See how to grow and use stevia here.

Ingredients

Makes 1 cup

• 1 cup freshly harvested pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Make it!

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Rinse seeds under cold water until they are no longer sticky. Dry well and add them to a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Stir to coat and spread the seeds on baking sheets.

Roast for 15-20 minutes, removing after 10 minutes to shake the pan and move the seeds around a bit, flipping some of the crispier ones. Remove from oven when they are golden brown.

Allow them to cool before you start snacking.

 

Want to see what you can do with the rest of the pumpkin? Check out all of these ideas!