Recipes & Cooking Healthy Recipes Healthy Appetizers Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews It takes less than 10 minutes to make ultra-crunchy pumpkin seeds in the air fryer. By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on September 25, 2024 Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden Recipe tested by Colleen Weeden As a food expert, Colleen Weeden has written extensively for Better Homes & Gardens. From airfryer tips to advice on how to poach an egg, she shares her passion for food with practical, easy-to-follow tips. She has also contributed to Midwest Living magazine. Learn more about the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Katlyn Moncada Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 3 mins Total Time: 8 mins Servings: 8 Yield: 1/2 cup Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe If you're carving a pumpkin for Halloween, don't throw out the guts—whip up a batch of crispy pumpkin seeds in the air fryer. Rather than cooking them in the oven, turn to your air fryer for the most delicious and crunchy results. In less than 10 minutes, you can have sweet or savory pumpkin seeds in one of three incredible flavors: smoky salt and pepper, sweet and spicy, or cinnamon sugar. The 8 Best Air Fryers of 2024 for Crispy, Golden Brown Food, According to Testing Air-Fryer Pumpkin Seed Ingredients Before you start, decide on what flavor you would like your seeds to be—or mix and match! Here's what you'll need: Pumpkin seeds: You'll need cleaned, dried pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, for this air fryer pumpkin seeds recipe.Oil: A neutral oil, like vegetable oil, will ensure the flavoring you choose will shine on the pumpkin seeds.Seasonings: Our Test Kitchen prefers a seasoning mix of smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, but you can use any blend you like. We've included variations for cinnamon sugar and sweet and spicy flavors. How to Clean Pumpkin Seeds Cleaning pumpkin seeds isn't difficult—it's just a little messy! After carving your pumpkin and removing the guts, separate the seeds. Use your fingers to gently remove the seeds from the stringy pulp and place them in a colander. Rinse them with water to remove any excess pulp, then lay the seeds on a paper towel and pat them dry. Let them sit for at least an hour —the drier the seeds, the crispier the air-fried pumpkin seeds will be. How to Cook Pumpkin Seeds in the Air Fryer Roasting pumpkin seeds in the air fryer is as easy as tossing the ingredients into the basket. Before adding, toss the seeds with the oil and seasonings until they're evenly coated. In just three minutes, the air-fried pumpkin seeds will be done. Transfer the roasted pumpkin seeds to a paper towel-lined plate to cool—this will help absorb any excess oil. Tips for the Best Pumpkin Seeds Here are a few tips for using an air fryer to make pumpkin seeds. Place parchment paper at the bottom of the basket. Clean-up will be a breeze if you line the air fryer basket with parchment paper (or foil) before every use. Simply remove the liner when you’re finished cooking. This prevents cooking spray from damaging your air fryer and decreasing its lifespan. Avoid overcrowding the air fryer. If you place too many pumpkin seeds in the basket, they won't cook evenly. You want as much surface area exposed as possible to get the tastiest results. Shake the basket. Your pumpkin seeds will brown more easily and evenly if you give them a gentle toss a few times while cooking. How to Store Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds Store the air-fried pumpkin seeds in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Our Best Air-Fryer Appetizers Are Almost Too Tasty to Share Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Smoky Salt and Pepper Pumpkin Seeds 1/2 cup pepitas 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oil Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds 1/2 cup pepitas 2 teaspoons brown sugar, packed 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce 1 teaspoon vegetable oil Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds 1/2 cup pepitas 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions Season the Pumpkin Seeds Preheat the air fryer at 400°F. Combine the pumpkin seeds and your desired seasoning ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss to coat evenly. For smoky salt and pepper: Toss the pepitas with the salt, paprika, pepper, and oil.For sweet and spicy: Toss the pepitas with the brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, and oil.For cinnamon sugar: Toss the pepitas with the sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Cook the Pepitas Add the pepita mixture to the air fryer basket. Fry the seeds for 3 minutes until they're golden brown, shaking the basket once halfway through. Cool and Store Transfer the pumpkin seeds to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 65 Calories 5g Fat 1g Carbs 3g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 65 % Daily Value * Total Fat 5g 6% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Sodium 73mg 3% Total Carbohydrate 1g 0% Protein 3g 6% Iron 0.9mg 5% Potassium 64mg 1% Folate, total 20mcg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.