Air Fryer Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

This air fryer pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds recipe combination, is the easiest recipe that you will ever find. The best part is that you don’t have to clean, boil or wait for seasonal pumpkins to get the seeds. I am using store-bought raw, unseasoned, whole seeds. You can find them at your local grocery store or online, simple bags of raw seeds.

Make your own homemade trail mix which is a mix of nuts, dried fruit, and and quite frankly whatever you want to add to it. It’s a great snack, loaded with good fats and a good source of protein.

Much healthier than a bag of chips!

And there I was, thinking that the easiest recipe ever is my Air Fryer Pumpkin! This recipe is without a doubt, even more embarrassingly easy. Convenient when you can’t find fresh pumpkins at the grocery store and much less work than carving a pumpkin.

I am very big on textured foods so I’m always on the lookout for a crunchy snack. You can find pumpkin seeds combined with sunflower seeds, all you have to do, is add the whole lot to the air fryer basket to roast. I told you it was easy 🙂

This air fryer pumpkin seeds recipe, and in this case sunflower seeds too, is a quick and healthy alternative to a tasty snack. The cooking time is roughly 10 minutes and honestly the best way to a nutritious snack. 

I am perhaps the only person in my family who loves pumpkin hence, there are not many pumpkin recipes on my blog. Truth is, I always have pumpkin because I grew up on it, and I have very clear memories of my mother admiring her gorgeous large pumpkins in her garden. Cleaning and cutting them was never a chore, it was something we did in the midst of our conversations!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Affordable:  Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are the cheapest option at the grocery store between all the over priced nuts and dried fruit, which are found in the same section of the supermarket. 

Convenient:  I’ve been buying and eating pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds long before the air fryer. Its just a whole lot more convenient to roast them in the air fryer as opposed to waiting for the oven to preheat. 

Versatile:  Add roasted pumpkin seeds or pepitas to your granola bowl at breakfast, add them into your salads, couscous, rice, baked goods, and snack on them when the urge to snack is there. Make a trail mix!

Healthy Snack:  These are not only delicious, these seeds have many health benefits. 

Crispy Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds

If you are using fresh pumpkin seeds, you need to rinse, clean and pay dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. In this recipe, we have dry, raw seeds so we move onto the next step. Find the full recipe card below this post.

Step 1.  Preheat The Air Fryer

The cooking process for this easy recipe is the same method as preheating the oven, you want to add your food to a preheated air fryer basket. Preheat the setting (or run the air fryer) for 5 minutes/180C.

Step 2.  Season

Meanwhile, pour all the seeds onto a large piece of parchment paper (you can also use a large bowl to do this) and season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil or avocado oil, choose any one.  A simple salt with fresh black pepper goes a long way, however, feel free to use garlic powder, paprika, vegetable seasoning and so forth. 

Step 3.  Air Fry Pumpkin Seeds

Gently lift and transfer the parchment paper to the air fryer basket and air fry on 180°C/356°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through, and you can check if they need perhaps a minute or two more or less.  

How Brown Do Seeds Get In The Air Fryer

You can air fry seeds on 400F/200C but only for a couple of minutes like 3 to 5 minutes. Personally I don’t like such high heat for seeds, the possibility of smoking is higher that’s why I stick to 180°C/356°F and add the time if I want them more brown. The time difference is a matter of 1 to 3 minutes. Take a look at these images below, unedited so you can see the difference.

Crunchy Pumpkin Seeds

Let these crunchy air fryer pumpkin seeds cool down before you taste and adjust the seasoning. 

Storage:  Store the air fryer seeds in an airtight container. They do not need to be refrigerated. 

Serving: A great way to serve roasted pumpkin seeds is to first make sure that they are seasoned seeds. Additional toppings can range from chili powder, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, sesame seeds (also great toasted!) melted butter to a drizzle of olive oil. 

How To Oven Roast Raw Pumpkin Seeds

Consider that fresh pumpkin seeds need to be cleaned by removing the pumpkin flesh and rinsed first. Pat them dry and add the ingredients below. The oil is important, or the spices don’t stick.

• Preheat the oven to 160° C/ 320°C
• Season them with salt, pepper and olive oil. 
• Roast in a single layer for approxiamately 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

Which Are Better? Air Fryer Or Oven Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

There is little to no difference in the taste. The only difference is the time. It takes around 30 minutes in the oven and 10 minutes in the air fryer. I have dried pumpkin seeds in a dehydrator and that’s a very long drying process, that consumes electricity for hours although on an exceptionally low heat.

Pumpkin Recipes

• Roasted Air Fryer Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Dip 
• Oven Roasted Butternut
• Couscous And Butternut

Air Fryer Recipes

• Easy Air Fryer Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
• Seasoned Air Fryer Pork Belly Bites
• Easy Air Fryer Pork Belly
• Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

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