Carving a pumpkin for Halloween and left with a bunch of seeds? Air fryer pumpkin seeds are so easy to make!
Ready in minutes and roasted with a few simple spices and oil, this seasonal snack is crispy and delicious – and hard to stop eating once you start!
Recipe Tips
Before you make pumpkin seeds in the air fryer, have a read through these few recipe tips so that you get the best results!
- Try to clean off as much of the “guts” from the seeds as you can. This will make them easier to dry, coat in spices, and air fry later. If there are a few tiny pieces of guts still stuck on a couple of seeds, that’s okay.
- We use avocado oil for our pumpkin seeds and a few simple seasonings. You can definitely change up the seasonings to suit your tastes, e.g. you could add cayenne pepper for a hint of bite!
- The exact cooking time will depend on your air fryer (every air fryer cooks slightly differently), the size of the pumpkin seeds, and your personal preference. So just keep a close eye on the pumpkin seeds towards the end of cooking and remove them from the air fryer when you are happy with their crispiness.
We use this air fryer for our recipes and it has been great.
Step by Step Instructions
For the complete steps on how to roast pumpkin seeds in the air fryer, you can have a look at this section for the recipe instructions with process photos.
This way, you can see just how we made our pumpkin seeds and follow along!
If you just want to air fry pumpkin seeds and don’t like visuals, you can skip to the detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post!
First, remove the seeds from the pumpkin and place them into a bowl if you haven’t already.
If the seeds are still in the guts (the wet, gooey part inside the pumpkin) remove them and place them into a strainer or colander.
Rinse the seeds under running water in the strainer and clean them as best as you can – removing any excess “guts”.
If there are a few tiny pieces still stuck on a couple of seeds, that’s okay.
Spread out the cleaned seeds on a clean dishtowel and pat the seeds dry as best as you can.
You can also leave them to air dry for a couple of hours if you want them to be very dry (we don’t usually do this though).
At this time, preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Also, you might want to remove the bottom cooking tray/basket if yours has big holes and the seeds would fall through. If you do this, just be sure that your air fryer is totally clean!
Place the pumpkin seeds into a small mixing bowl. Add oil, salt, garlic powder (optional), and smoked paprika (optional) to the seeds.
Toss everything until the seeds are all coated in oil and spices.
Put the pumpkin seeds into the preheated air fryer – and spread them out evenly.
Cook the pumpkin seeds at 350 degrees for 9-15 minutes total until crispy and lightly browned.
Shake the basket every 3 minutes to help ensure even cooking. The exact cooking time will vary by air fryer, size of pumpkin seeds, and your personal preference.
Once done cooking, remove the crispy pumpkin seeds from the air fryer basket and place them into a bowl. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
Store air-fried pumpkin seeds in a sealed container in a cool and dry place where they’ll last for around a week – but you probably won’t have them for that long anyway.
Related Recipes
For more great air fryer snack ideas, check out these tasty creations you can make:
- Air Fried Spaghetti Squash Seeds
- Roasted Almonds in the Air Fryer
- Sweet Potato Chips in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Pita Chips
- Air Fryer Smores
Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
- seeds from 1 pumpkin, approximately 3/4 to 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
Instructions
- If the seeds are still in the guts (the wet, gooey part inside the pumpkin) remove them and place them into a strainer or colander.
- Rinse the seeds under running water in the strainer and clean them as best as you can – removing any excess "guts". If there are a few tiny pieces still stuck on a couple of seeds, that’s okay.
- Spread out the cleaned seeds on a clean dishtowel and pat the seeds dry as best as you can. You can also leave them to air dry for a couple of hours if you want them to be very dry (we don’t usually do this though).
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, you might want to remove the bottom cooking tray/basket if yours has big holes and the seeds would fall through. If you do this, just be sure that your air fryer is totally clean!
- Place the pumpkin seeds into a small mixing bowl. Add oil, salt, garlic powder (optional), and smoked paprika (optional) to the seeds. Toss everything until the seeds are all coated in oil and spices.
- Put the pumpkin seeds into the preheated air fryer – and spread them out evenly. Cook the pumpkin seeds at 350 degrees for 9-15 minutes total until crispy and lightly browned. Shake the basket every 3 minutes to help ensure even cooking. The exact cooking time will vary by air fryer, size of pumpkin seeds, and your personal preference.
- Once done cooking, remove the crispy pumpkin seeds from the air fryer basket and place them into a bowl. Enjoy!
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
