What Temperature Should You Roast Pumpkin Seeds At?

September is nearly halfway through, which means that all things autumn are starting to weigh heavy on the mind. Starbucks already has its pumpkin spice drinks available. It is only a matter of time before Costco's pumpkin pies make an appearance and home cooks start whipping up all kinds of delectable autumn treats, like Thai-inspired coconut and pumpkin soup.

One classic and simple autumn snack is pumpkin seeds. Although pumpkin spice and the actual flesh of pumpkins usually take center stage, the seeds are just as useful in the kitchen. When roasting pumpkin seeds, 300 degrees Fahrenheit is the sweet spot for perfectly crispy and golden brown seeds.

Next time you are carving up some jack-o'-lanterns, save the seeds instead of tossing them! Roasting them is a lot easier than many would think. All that is required is a tray or pan, an oven, and, of course, the seeds. Plus, the seeds can be seasoned in so many ways to suit anyone's taste.

There is no hard and fast rule regarding temperature on roasting pumpkin seeds but generally speaking, setting your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit is one of the most common temperatures. The seeds need to be roasted for about 45 minutes, although depending on the size of the seeds, this time can potentially be brought down to 30 minutes.

It is absolutely possible to roast pumpkin seeds at a higher temperature. What this mostly does is make the roasting time shorter. Upping the temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit will shorten the roasting time to 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the seeds. An additional increase to 350 degrees Fahrenheit can bring the roasting time to 10 to 25 minutes, again depending on the size of the seeds.

Regardless of the temperature and time, one important thing to remember is to rotate the tray or pan the seeds are roasting on. Alternatively, you can just give the seeds an occasional stir. This just helps to ensure that all of the seeds are roasted as evenly as possible. Once the seeds are fully roasted, they can be drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with chili flakes, or any other combination of toppings.