It’s the middle of fall and I think that calls for my traditional family snack! Making our yearly batch of pumpkin seeds is always so festive and fun. I love fall flavors, and this hits the spot. My family normally makes our pumpkin seeds around Halloween, but if you find a pumpkin, try it now!
Why should you eat pumpkin seeds? Because… they have been found to be full of many valuable health benefits. Take a look!
Health Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds
- Packed with nutrients and proteins
- High in antioxidants, magnesium, zinc, and fatty acids- this can improve your heart health
- Healthy fats and beneficial fibers- this is good for controlling blood sugar levels, maintaining a healthy weight, and lowering cholesterol levels.
It is so easy to just sit and eat pumpkin seeds until the whole bowl just happens to be finished (at least for me it is). So how many pumpkin seeds are a healthy amount to eat? You definitely do not need to eat too many to get the benefits. It is best to eat about a handful of seeds (several times per week if wanted).
Pumpkin Seeds
A special and simple family go-to. Easy and slow process to make these delicious seeds.
Ingredients
- A pumpkin (This recipe comes out best by using a real pumpkin and digging out the seeds yourself. However, feel free to try this with pre-packaged plain pumpkin seeds.)
- Olive Oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Cut open the top of the pumpkin and remove the seeds.
- Rinse the seeds thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel. Continue to let them sit out for 15-20 minutes.
- Put the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Stir until the seeds are coated.
- Lay out on a sheet pan. Bake in the oven at 225° for 4-5 hours or until the outer shell is slightly browned and crisp. (Low and slow is the key.)
- Enjoy!
These pumpkin seeds will please!