Air fryer pumpkin seeds

Crispy air fried pumpkin seeds on orange plate.

5 from 4 votes

Get perfectly crispy pumpkin seeds in the air fryer. Great for snacking!

(This recipe can be used for any winter squash of your choice. I especially love it with delicata squash! Just remember smaller seeds cook in less time.)

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: air fryer recipe, roasted pumpkin seeds, toasted

Servings: people

Calories: 99kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin seeds or seeds from one medium-sized pumpkin
Water for soaking & boiling
Generous pinch of salt
1 teaspoon avocado oil or other neutral-flavored oil
Dash of seasoning salt

Instructions

Remove the seeds from a pumpkin. Pull away the pulp & discard.
Put the pumpkin seeds in a bowl with water. Swish them around to remove any lingering pulp. (If you like, you can soak the seeds up to a half hour, but it's not strictly necessary.) Then drain with a fine mesh sieve.
Cover the pumpkin seeds with water in a small to medium sized pot. Stir in a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Then drain.
Dump the seeds into the air fryer basket. Tip the basket, so that all of the seeds fall to one side. Drizzle with oil, toss to combine, sprinkle with salt, and then shake to evenly distribute the seeds across the basket.
(If you'd prefer, you can oil & salt the seeds in a separate bowl before transferring to the basket.)
Air fry at 360 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Stop to shake half way through.
(When stopping to shake the basket or test seeds for doneness, give the air fryer a chance to stop blowing air before opening. Otherwise the seeds may fly out.)

Notes

Seasoning salt options

You can use any seasoning salt you like. Cajun seasoning salt like Slap Ya Mama adds a nice kick of spice. Lawry's, Old Bay, garlic salt, or onion salt are also popular options. For a sweet take, use cinnamon sugar.

Alternative squash options

You can use these same instructions on any winter squash. However, smaller squash also have smaller seeds. So they cook faster.

For smaller squash like acorn or delicata, seeds will likely roast in about 5 minutes. Check frequently until they reach your preferred level of doneness.

How to store leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. They'll last about a week.

Nutrition