So you’ve moved right along from picking apples at an orchard to picking pumpkins at a local patch. Late October is prime time for pumpkin carving – and that means plenty of pumpkin seeds! Don’t toss ’em – instead, you can make them savory, spicy, or even sweet. And yes, you can totally pair pumpkin seeds with wine.
Roasting pumpkin seeds is supremely easy. All it takes is evenly coating the seeds in a fat of your choose (i.e. butter or oil) and mixing them together with your choice of seasoning. Roast at 350 degrees, or until they’ve reached the desired golden-brown color. The recipes below are really just guidelines for preparing your own pumpkin seeds – spice things up as much or as little as you want, it’s all preference.
Classic Salted Seeds
If you’re like me, you love the classic salted pumpkin seeds. Nothing special, but always reliable. Light, salty, nutty, these go hand in hand with a
Pair with: Terres Secrètes Esprit des Lieux Mâcon-Verzé Chardonnay 2018
Savory Pumpkin Seeds
Salty, garlicky, classic. Your basic roasted pumpkin seed recipe.
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp butter ((or a neutral oil to keep 'em vegan))
- salt
- garlic powder
Carve your pumpkin! Clean seeds and let them air-dry, preferably overnight. If you're in a hurry, just dab them with paper towels.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat pumpkin seeds evenly with melted butter or using a neutral flavored oil.
Add salt and garlic powder to taste. I like to have a nice, even coating but some of your salt-fiends out there might really want to load them up. Do you.
Let seeds roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until they turn a golden brown.
Savory Spiced Seeds
Bring the heat with some spicy seeds that make this Halloween classic a little more interesting. Bold, savory flavor make these a match for an equally bold, yet smooth red.
Pair with: Thorn The Prisoner Merlot 2015
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
A "hot" take on traditional roasted & salted pumpkin seeds.
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds ((clean and dry))
- 1 tbsp melted butter ((or neutral oil))
- 1 tsp cayenne ((add more to taste))
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat seeds in melted butter or neutral oil per your preference.
Combine seasonings and spices in a bowl and mix.
Dust seeds with spice mixture for an even coating.
Roast seeds in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown color is achieved.
Sweet Cinnamon Seeds
Unexpected, though necessary for when the sweet tooth hits but you’re sick of Halloween candy. These guys are best with a slightly sweet(er) red.
Pair with: (festively named) Boneshaker Zinfandel from Lodi, CA
Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
Brown sugar and cinnamon take these pumpkin seeds from standard to sweet.
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp melted butter ((or neutral oil))
- 1.5 tsp brown sugar ((I like this with date sugar, too))
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1.5 tsp nutmeg
Coat.
Roast.
(see above recipes for more detail)
Sydney is a 29-year old American living between France and Italy. She has a WSET Level 2 certification in wine, along with a degree in environmental engineering and an MBA. She loves exploring local farmer’s markets, haunting her favorite wine bar, and discovering new restaurants.
