Roasted Squash Seeds are an easy & delicious snack! You can use this recipe for butternut squash, acorn squash, or any other winter squash seeds you have on hand.
Why You’ll Love Them
They’re delicious. These seeds are lightly sweet and salty. When you serve them as an appetizer, it’s hard not to stop snacking on them!
They’re easy to customize. You can follow the base recipe below and add any extra spices you love. For a “Chex mix” type flavor, you can add a pinch of garlic powder and paprika, or try adding cinnamon or ground ginger for a comforting Fall treat.
They’re nourishing. Squash seeds contain magnesium and essential fatty acids, and they add a great crunch to salads and soups.
They help reduce waste. If you normally toss your squash seeds after cutting open a winter squash, this is a great way to turn them into a healthy snack, instead!
Ingredients You’ll Need
What do you need for roasted squash seeds?
- Squash seeds from a winter squash
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- Salt
You can add any additional spices that you like to this mix, such as chili powder, rosemary, nutmeg, or black pepper. Feel free to get creative!
The sweet & salty ratio is already perfect, so you can add a sweet or savory spice to this recipe with delicious results.
Tips for Winter Squash Seeds
You can use this recipe with the seeds from practically any squash, such as pumpkins, spaghetti squash, kabocha, or even delicata squash. Just keep in mind that you’ll get a different amount of seeds from each variety, and the seed size can affect the final outcome.
Here’s what you can expect from each squash:
- Pie Pumpkin: Large seeds, about 3/4 cup per squash
- Spaghetti Squash: Large seeds, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup per squash
- Acorn Squash: Medium seeds, about 1/3 cup per squash
- Butternut Squash: Small seeds, about 1/4 cup per squash
- Delicata Squash: Small seeds, about 1/4 cup per squash
The smaller the seeds, the crispier they will turn out. So, while a butternut squash doesn’t produce a lot of seeds, I think they will give you the best overall texture when it comes to a roasted snack.
Be sure to check out my Roasted Pumpkin Seeds tutorial, if you want to try an extra trick for roasting large seeds that are tender on the inside, and crispy on the outside.
How To Roast Squash Seeds
1. Clean the seeds.
Open the squash and use a spoon to scoop out the squash seeds. Remove as much pulp as possible, then place the seeds in a fine mesh strainer or colander, and rinse them well.
Transfer the seeds to a towel and pat them dry. It’s okay if they are not bone-dry for this recipe, but remove as much moisture as possible.
2. Bake.
Transfer the clean seeds to a small bowl, and add the olive oil, sugar, and salt. Stir well, until the seeds are well coated.
Pour the seeds onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and spread them out into a single layer. The seeds will tend to stick together, but try to spread them out as much as possible for the crispiest results.
Bake at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, until the seeds look darker. You may hear them start to pop off the pan around the 12 to 13 minute mark, sounding a lot like popcorn! (But they usually need a few more minutes of cooking in order to really crisp up.)
3. Cool & Enjoy!
Remove the pan from the oven and let the seeds cool completely on the pan. They will crisp up as they cool, and then you can break apart any clumps. They will stick together, thanks to the sugar mixture, almost like a homemade granola.
Serve the cooled seeds right away as a delicious snack. Or, you can transfer them to an airtight container and keep them chilled in the fridge. The seeds will start to become sticky if you leave them out at room temperature for too long, but they are not sticky if you keep them chilled.
Roasted squash seeds make an excellent topping for your favorite salad, and are also delicious on top of butternut squash soup or pumpkin soup.
Variations
• Savory Roasted Squash Seeds. Omit the coconut sugar in the recipe below, and roast the seeds with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, and the 1/8th teaspoon of salt.
• Spicy Squash Seeds. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the mix above. (A little goes a long way!)
• “Chex Mix” Seeds. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and paprika to the recipe below. The mix of savory and sweet seasonings can be hard to resist.
Looking for more squash recipes? Try Roasted Butternut Squash, Stuffed Spaghetti Squash, Stuffed Acorn Squash, or Curried Butternut Squash Soup.
Roasted Squash Seeds
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw squash seeds
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the seeds from sticking to the pan.
- Remove any squash pulp from the seeds and transfer them to a fine mesh sieve. Rinse them well with water.
- Transfer the seeds to a towel and pat dry, removing as much moisture as you can. Add the dried seeds to a small bowl, and toss with the olive oil, coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Pour the coated seeds on the prepared baking pan, and spread them out into a single layer. Roast for 18 to 20 minutes, until your kitchen begins to smell fragrant and they look a little more golden. The seeds won't be crunchy until they cool, so I recommend pulling them out of the oven by 20 minutes, regardless.
- Cool completely on the pan, then serve them as a snack or salad topping. If you're not going to use the seeds right away, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will start to become sticky if they sit out at room temperature for too long, but they stay crisp when you store them in the fridge. Leftovers can be stored for up to 1 week when chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: Have you ever cooked your squash seeds before? Let me know what your favorite seasoning is!
These roasted squash seeds are a great little snack that you can have whenever you want on the go and since they are paleo diet friendly and healthy you don’t need to watch yourself while indulging in these delights.
I just roasted a pumpkin to make pumpkin pie this week, and wasn’t sure what to do with the seeds, but I’m so glad I stumbled across this recipe. They are delicious! Love the combination of sweet and salt.
Great post!
Will this recipe work for other winter squashes as well?
Are there any squashes that have seeds not suitable for eating/roasting?
Thank you.
I can’t think of a squash that wouldn’t have good seeds. This has worked for me with acorn, butternut, and pumpkin squash so far!
I have always roasted pumpkin seeds but never acorn squash seeds. So delicious and not as fibrous as the pumpkin. I used Old Bay and olive oil and had a hard time not eating them all in one go. Would be great on top of salads.
These are absolutely addictive! I made them with the coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. I was intending to share them with my husband….but I ate them all myself. YUMMY! Crunchy and crazy good! Thanks for sharing the recipe — simple and easy to follow. I made them in my toaster over, which must run a bit hot. They got a bit more brown than they should have, but they were still fabulous. I’ll definitely be making these again. It’s just a shame that butternut squash doesn’t have more seeds!
Another good seasoning is cinnamon, cumin, sea salt, and a tbsp of maple syrup!
I don’t know what I did wrong but these burnt to a crisp by 10 minutes in. I think the sugar caused it? All that work for nothing. 🙁
So sorry to hear that! Sugar does tend to burn faster than savory recipes, but usually that doesn’t happen for me until the 25 to 30 minute mark in a 350ºF oven. You might want to get an extra oven thermometer to make sure your oven temperature is correct? I keep two in my oven, to make sure I know what the exact temp is inside– mine is usually off by at least 25 degrees from what the oven’s screen will tell me.