I think I have a strange obsession with growing pumpkins. We grow tomatoes, cucumbers, flowers and some herbs but I’m really all about my pumpkins and I have no idea why. There’s just something about it that totally jazzes me.
When I saw this recipe for Spicy Pepitas in Valerie’s Home Cooking: More than 100 Delicious Recipes to Share with Friends and Family, I figured I’d try it out now and then I would it again in the fall with my own pumpkin seeds.
Valerie says that you can add them to pumpkin or squash soups or toss them on a salad. I haven’t tried either of those things yet, although I might try the salad idea this weekend. So far all I’ve done is snack on these seeds, like I mean a lot of snacking!
These Spicy Pepitas are so different than I thought they’d be, it’s not a hot spicy obviously but it’s more like chai tea spice. You just really need to try this recipe, so you can see for yourself just what a great little snack this is.
The recipe says it keeps for up to 10 days in an airtight container but I truly doubt it will last that long!
What are Spicy Pepitas?
Spicy Pepitas are essentially pumpkin seeds that have been roasted and seasoned with various spices. They are a popular snack, often consumed for their health benefits as they are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
They can also be used as a garnish on salads, soups, and other dishes to add a crunchy texture and a complex flavor.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter
- Raw shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Granulated sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground allspice
- Ground cloves
- Kosher salt
How to make Spicy Pepitas
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.
Melt the butter in a small skillet or sauté pan over medium. Remove from the heat, and add the pepitas; toss to coat.
Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt.
Spread the pepitas in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stirring once or twice during baking.
Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
Serve and watch them disappear by the handful!
TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
(Amazon affiliate links)- These are the tools I use when making this recipe!
- GreenPan Frying Pan-GreenPan has the best frying pans, healthy nonstick and oven safe.
- Nordic Ware Baking Pan– These pans are large enough to make stirring snacks like these seasoned pretzels so easy.
- Silicone Mixing Spoon–The perfect spoons to keep your nonstick pans scratch free.
Spicy Pepitas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2½ cups raw shelled pepitas pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet or sauté pan over medium. Remove from the heat, and add the pepitas; toss to coat. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt. Spread the pepitas in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice during baking. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
