Like most holidays, food is a large part of the Halloween season. All the fall flavors come back to store shelves, making kids and adults excited for the festivities ahead. Pumpkin-flavored foods and beverages are all the rage during the month of October, but a very important food is sometimes forgotten in the Halloween food pyramid: pumpkin seeds. Every time we dig the pulp out of our jack-o-lanterns, we find dozens of pumpkin seeds that people often discard along with the rest of the pumpkin guts. If you want a tasty, salty treat after carving pumpkins, look no further than the pumpkin seeds you just pulled out of your pumpkin. Some of us enjoy the raw and gooey seeds straight out of the pumpkin (guilty as charged), but not many people dig that. Instead, you can bake the pumpkin seeds in the oven with various seasonings for a tasty treat. Here are three different kinds of pumpkin seeds you can cook in your oven on jack-o’-lantern carving night:
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds:
This recipe may not please everyone’s taste buds, but for those who can endure flaming hot food, this is for you. Mix 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes with 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder.
Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Seeds:
Mix 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to get indulgent, cinnamon-sugar pumpkin seeds.
Everything Bagel Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds:
Trader Joe’s is right down the street from Fairfield University. A hidden gem in this beloved store is Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend. Using this seasoning will magically turn whatever you are eating into the taste of an everything bagel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of this seasoning over a tray of pumpkin seeds before cooking to get a delicious snack. Best part: you can use the leftover seasoning on toast and avocados, or better yet: avocado toast.
Just be sure to preheat the oven to 300 degrees, sprinkle these recipes onto your pumpkin seeds, then pop them into the oven for 45 minutes or until they’re crispy!
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