Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cinnamon
on Oct 09, 2017, Updated Oct 30, 2024
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Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a healthy, naturally sweetened way to enjoy those little gems that you just dug out of your jack-o-lantern.
If you plan on cooking a few pumpkins using the perfect method I showed you yesterday, you’ll have the seeds to enjoy too. Between scooping out the seeds for roasting and the flesh for cooking, I used practically the whole pumpkin. What little skin and pulp was left made for a tasty chicken treat. I think it’s fun when everything has a purpose and very little waste is created!
I love roasted pumpkin seeds because I think they taste a bit like popcorn, and you all know how much I love popcorn. I normally just roast them in a little olive oil and garlic salt, but this time around I wanted to try something sweet. I figured honey was a nice healthy option and so honey roasted pumpkin seeds were born. We had a hard time waiting for them to cool on the pan before digging in. May kept passing the hot roasted seeds between her fingers in an effort to evade the heat while trying to wait long enough to stick them in her mouth. I was right there with her! With a heavy hand of cinnamon, these might even pass for dessert.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally sweetened with honey for a healthier snack.
- Simple and quick to make with minimal ingredients.
- Adds a fun twist to traditional roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Perfect way to use leftover seeds from pumpkin carving.
Recipe Ingredients
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How To Make Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cinnamon
Step #1. Preheat the oven to 275°F and dry the washed pumpkin seeds.
Step #2. Melt the butter, oil, and honey together, then pour over seeds and mix in cinnamon.
Step #3. Spread seeds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Step #4. Remove from oven, stir as they cool to prevent clumping, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! This recipe works well with other seeds like sunflower or squash seeds. Just ensure they’re clean and adjust baking time as needed since smaller seeds may roast faster.
To get crispy seeds, make sure they’re thoroughly dried before roasting. If they still seem chewy, try increasing the baking time slightly or roasting at a lower temperature for longer.
Yes! Substitute honey with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt, garlic powder, or smoked paprika for a savory twist. Adjust roasting time as needed.
Expert Tips
- Here’s how I prep my fresh pumpkin seeds for cooking: I put everything I scraped from the pumpkin into a bowl. I use my hands to kind of squeeze the seeds from the strings they are sticking to. I do this to get rid of the biggest chunks of pumpkin. Then I fill up the bowl of pumpkin seeds with water and let them sit for a minute. I use my hands to strain out a little more pumpkin. Lastly, I drain the pumpkin seeds into a colander and spray them with water. Between using my hands and all the water, I end up with very little pumpkin pulp left behind. A little left doesn’t matter anyways; it kind of disappears when you bake it. Not sure how official that all is, but it works.
- Nuts and seeds burn easily and sugar and honey burn easily. You are working with both of those, so keep an eye on things. Stir often, adjust temperatures as needed, and don’t walk away from their short cooking time. Or. Else.
- Super cheap honey often tastes bitter to me and that’s no good. I like to get local honey and in a pinch Costco’s organic honey is a good option too.
How To Serve and Store Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cinnamon
Enjoy these as a snack or add to granola for a crunchy mix. Sprinkle on salads like my cabbage salad or apple salad for a sweet, nutty topping. You can use as a garnish for pumpkin or squash soup. Add to yogurt or oatmeal bowls for a crunchy touch.
To store, keep seeds in an uncovered container at room temperature for up to two weeks to maintain crispness. If desired, freeze in a sealed container for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for best results.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Consider
Muffin Recipes
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin
40 Fall Pumpkin Recipes
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
From Scratch Recipes
How to Cook Pumpkin in the Instant Pot
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Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Cinnamon
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. If your pumpkin seeds are wet from washing, dry them a bit on a clean dish towel or on paper towels. Place the pumpkin seeds in a medium bowl.
- In a small microwave safe bowl, add the butter, oil or coconut oil, and honey. Microwave until the butter melts and the honey is runny. Pour the honey mixture over the pumpkin seeds and stir. Add the cinnamon and stir again.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper so that the paper hangs over both ends. Dump the pumpkin seeds into the middle of the paper and place it in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the seeds and honey are a deep golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes.
- When the seeds are roasted, remove from the oven and stir again. Stir a few times as they cool to keep them from sticking in one big lump. Enjoy the seeds once they are cool enough to eat. Store uncovered for up to one week.
Notes
- Here’s how I prep my fresh pumpkin seeds for cooking: I put everything I scraped from the pumpkin into a bowl. I use my hands to kind of squeeze the seeds from the strings they are sticking to. I do this to get rid of the biggest chunks of pumpkin. Then I fill up the bowl of pumpkin seeds with water and let them sit for a minute. I use my hands to strain out a little more pumpkin. Lastly, I drain the pumpkin seeds into a colander and spray them with water. Between using my hands and all the water, I end up with very little pumpkin pulp left behind. A little left doesn’t matter anyways; it kind of disappears when you bake it. Not sure how official that all is, but it works.
- Nuts and seeds, especially when coated with a sugar (in this case honey), tend to burn quickly and easily. Keep a close eye on these. Stir often and if they appear to be getting too brown too fast, turn down the oven temperature a bit.
- Super cheap honey often tastes bitter to me and that’s no good. I like to get local honey and in a pinch Costco’s organic honey is a good option too.
Followed your recipe to a T! They are amazing… not burned as I time it for 10 minutes each time, then check and she and another ten minutes until done. Mine took 40 minutes in total. Maybe it was because I was opening the oven every ten minutes. First year I didn’t burn them but they are sticky lol
Thank you for all of the details! I’m so glad that you loved them and could share the success here!
Followed instructions exactly. Seeds were burnt to a inedible crisp by the 20 minute mark. Just awful. The only reason this got one star at all is because the kitchen smelled amazing while baking.
How disappointing! They really do burn so fast and I’m sure the types of pans we used, our ovens, and even what parchment paper we used played a roll in that. Hope you’ll give it a try again next year at a lower temperature.
These were easy and delicious. I will make them again.
Great recipe! I linked to you on my blog.
I used maple syrup instead of honey and it got done a little bit faster but they were amazing!
I’ve never tried roasting my pumpkin seeds with honey before, but they look amazing! I’ll have to give that a try this year. Also, I also love pumpkin seeds because they remind me of popcorn (which I love!) 😀
Trying! Perfect time of year!
I don’t know if its just my oven in my apartment but this recipe burned really bad. The mixture is good though and i found it worked much better being slow roasted on the lower middle rack at 250 for 20-25 minuets.
Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t have honey. Could I use agave?
I’ve never bought or cooked with agave, so I’m not much help. If you think it might work or have subbed it for honey before then I might try it though… I’m all about trying new things!