How to roast pumpkin seeds for a crunchy snack

Are you giving your children the same snacks day after day? Well, if you’re looking to offer them something a little different, and within keeping of Halloween that’s fast approaching, I encourage you to read on and learn how to roast pumpkin seeds for a crunchy snack idea.

Pumpkin would have to be one of my favourite fruits! Yes, it is actually a fruit and not a vegetable. I was drawn to a large kent pumpkin whilst browsing an organic market and couldn’t wait to get it home. My mind was buzzing with all the pumpkin recipes I could try when I suddenly gave myself the challenge of roasting the seeds as a snack for Possum. I’d not done it before but was keen to try it and encourage her to try something new!

Recommended age: 3 years+
(Assistance is required)

Possum (aged 3.5 years) was initially turned off by the ‘guts’ of the pumpkin. Sure, it can make for a slimy sensory play activity when mashed, however, I gave her the task of removing the seeds in whatever way she felt comfortable. Initially Possum started off using a spoon but soon move onto using her fingers to remove the slippery, slimy seeds. What a great task that benefits fine motor skills!

Once all the pumpkin seeds were removed we placed them in a strainer and rinsed them well under cold water. This removed all the strands of pumpkin still attached to the seeds.

We then placed our clean pumpkin seeds onto some baking paper and lightly sprayed them with some olive oil and sprinkled them with some sea salt for added flavour and crunch. You might like to add extra flavouring to your pumpkin seeds, like sprinkling on some chilli powder or cayenne pepper.

Cooking is so wonderful for expanding children’s vocabulary and understanding of words. The words spray, sprinkle, scatter and spread were just some of the words we used and Possum enjoyed learning about.

We placed the tray of pumpkin seeds in a hot oven at 200C (392F) for about 10 – 15 minutes, or until they started to change colour and look crunchy and delicious.

Please be careful. The pumpkin seeds remained hot for quite awhile after I removed them from the oven. As tempting as it is to want to eat them straight away, give them some time to cool down. 😉

Once they had cooled completely and Possum and I had eaten more than we should have, I placed them in a glass jar and stored them in the pantry as a delicious and quick snack. Roasted pumpkin seeds will last 2-3 months when stored in a sealed container in the pantry, however, I can’t imagine them lasting that long. Roasted pumpkin seeds are seriously so delicious and a snack idea that your kids will ask for time and time again.