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Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

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This crave-worthy Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe makes the best toasted pumpkin seeds EVER! Everyone will love this easy snack or appetizer with bacon!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Bacon

Although my kids enjoy carving pumpkins, the real reason they want to do it is to get the pumpkin seeds. We save the seeds from the pumpkins and roast them. Some of our favorite roasted pumpkin seeds include Cajun seasoned, ranch, garlic salt and of course, just plain salt.

This year I decided to take it to a whole new level by adding another favorite: BACON. These bacon roasted pumpkin seeds were fantastic.

Pumpkin Carving Tips For Getting the Seeds Out

Carve Pumpkins With Ice Cream Scoop

1. Cut the bottom or the top off of a pumpkin. I recently read that it is easier to cut the bottom of a pumpkin so I gave it a try.

2. Use a sharp kitchen knife or a serrated knife meant for cutting pumpkins.

3. Scrape out the inside and the seeds. This year I discovered a new way to clean out a pumpkin. When I looked in my kitchen drawer for our pumpkin carving tools, I couldn’t find any of them. But I did notice my plastic ice cream scoops and wondered if they would work for cleaning out the pumpkin. So I gave them a try and they worked really, really well! The edges of the plastic scoop help scrape the insides to remove the membranes, and the dip in the scoop allows you to lift out the flesh, pulp and seeds.

4. Put the seeds, with the pulp still sticking to them, into a large colander. Put the colander in and empty sink under running water. While rinsing the seeds, separate the pulp from the seeds and remove it.

Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Instructions

Bacon Pieces on Pumpkin Seeds

Scoop pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin. I had about one cup of seeds from one large pumpkin.

Rinse the pumpkin seeds, removing the pulp and drain the water.

To get the best results, either soak the pumpkin seeds in salt water overnight or boil them in salt water for 10 minutes. I chose to boil the seeds so that I could get to the roasting part sooner.

Put the pumpkin seeds in a large pot. Add water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes

Drain the seeds and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Cut four slices of bacon into small pieces and place them in the pan with the pumpkin seeds.

Bacon Pumpkin Seeds on pan

Bake the pumpkin seeds for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees, stirring and turning the seeds every 5 minutes, until golden and crunchy.

Bacon Toasted Pumpkin Seeds in pan

Crumble the cooked bacon into smaller bits for easier snacking and so that the ratio of bacon bits to pumpkin seeds is more equal.

Close Up of Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

These Bacon Toasted Pumpkin Seeds disappeared in the blink-of-an-eye! I had to set some aside for Brian because I wanted him to be able to try them too. The kids kept trying to eat them and I kept chasing them away.

Brian was glad that I saved some for him and after his first couple of seeds told me that they were really good. So, from now until pumpkin season is over, we will be making multiple batches of Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds!

Updated from original post on October 2015

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds With Bacon

Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

This crave-worthy Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds recipe makes the best toasted pumpkin seeds EVER! Everyone will love this easy snack or appetizer with bacon!

Ingredients

  • 1 large pumpkin, about 1 cup of seeds
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin.
  2. Rinse the pumpkin seeds, removing the pulp.
  3. Pour the seeds into a large pot, add water and one tablespoon of salt.
  4. Bring water to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Drain and spread the seeds on a rimmed baking sheet.
  6. Cut the four slices of bacon into small pieces and place them in the pan with the bacon.
  7. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
  8. Bake the pumpkin seeds for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees, stirring and turning the seeds every 5 minutes, until golden and crunchy.
  9. Crumble the cooked bacon into smaller bits for easier snacking, if necessary. Store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 g
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 2477mgProtein: 2g

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© The Gunny Sack
Cuisine: American / Category: Snack

Before you go, be sure to check out these BACON RECIPES:

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Comments

  1. Alex says

    I just made these – I have to refrain from eating ALL of them. I made a few modifications:
    1. Soaked the seeds, overnight, in water with smoked salt.
    2. Added about a tablespoon of bacon grease because when I took them out for the first stir, they
    were sticking to the pan. If you are worried about too much bacon grease (these aren’t meant to be
    low calorie, then poor them out on a few sheets of paper towel before they cool.
    3. Baked them for a few minutes longer because I like them a bit darker.

    Wish I had another three or four pumpkins to make more of these delicious morsels.

    Reply

  5. Kathie says

    I made these yesterday and they were fantastic!! I skipped the original salt sprinkle because I was worried they’d be too salty with the bacon, but ended up doing a little sprinkle after they came out if the oven. Perfect.
    But then…
    I tossed those warm crackling bacon seeds with some brown sugar-and tbe angels sang. Try it 🙂

    Reply

    • Judith goettling says

      Then work with the recipe and fix it for yourself. Everything changes with moisture in the seeds, bacon, & the humidity where you live. Even the altitude! So kinda experiment?? I’m so not trying to be critical or anything.. Just trying to help:))

      Reply

    • Tonia says

      Yes, you can just bake them if you want. My main reason for doing that is because my mom always did. But it helps to get the salt inside the shell and makes the pumpkin seeds crispier. I’ve also read that it makes them easier to digest. Enjoy! ~Tonia

      Reply

  11. Jim Bender says

    I’m just now getting ready to clean 3 pumpkins. I was going to use crumbled bacon that comes in a package from Costco. Any thoughts?

    Reply

    • Tonia says

      Hi Jim,
      Since the crumbled bacon is already cooked, you might have to add additional oil and you might not get as much of a bacon flavor but you should be able to use it. Best of luck!
      ~Tonia

      Reply

  13. Bliss says

    I’ve got some bacon loving boys around here, but not so much pumpkin seed lovers. So when I saw one of them eating out of the bag of pumpkin seeds I picked up at Costco I was surprised and then I saw your idea. I pinned this snack for sure – best of both worlds for him now!

    Reply

      • Sandra says

        I’m glad this question was asked because I am (was) confused also. Written instructions r different from what video shows. Inst #6 says to “cut bacon in small pieces and add to pan with bacon”. Then, inst #9 says, “crumble the cooked bacon and add it to pumpkin seeds.”
        I think, between ur answer above, the written instructions and the video, I can do this! Looks yummy! Thanks for sharing.

        Reply

        • Tonia says

          Hi Sandra,
          The bacon needs to be cut into pieces and baked with the pumpkin seeds to give them a delicious flavor. But you can’t cut the bacon into tiny pieces for roasting or it will burn during the 30 minute cook time. So, once it has completed cooking, you can crumble it into smaller bits so that the large bacon pieces don’t overwhelm the small pumpkin seeds. And so that it is divided out more evenly among the pumpkin seeds.
          Happy Autumn!
          ~Tonia

          Reply

  16. LaDonna says

    Not that their will be any leftover seeds but just in case should this be refrigerated after because of the meat? CANT WAIT TO Try!!!

    Reply

    • Sabrina says

      This is my question, too… I’m assuming yes, so I think I will make one batch for quick eating and another that doesn’t have to be refrigerated. I would refrigerate bacon that I baked/cooked and not leave it out, so I would assume this is the “right” thing to do.

      Reply

      • Leigh says

        Am I missing something? I don’t see any mention of salad dressing. Also, do you put oil on the pumpkin seeds too or just use the bacon grease?

        Reply

        • Tonia says

          Hi Leigh,
          The comment above is referring to the first paragraph of the post where I say:
          “We save the seeds from the pumpkins and roast them. Some of our favorite roasted pumpkin seeds include Cajun seasoned, ranch, garlic salt and of course, just plain salt.”
          Yes, I only used the bacon grease.
          Enjoy,
          ~Tonia

          Reply

  18. Sara @ Bitz & Giggles says

    Well, when we carve pumpkins this year I’m trying my plastic ice cream scoop! Great idea! These seeds look yummy and I love the addition of bacon!

    Reply

    • Tonia says

      I couldn’t believe that I’d never thought of it before! Especially for kids who want to try to clean their own pumpkin!

      Reply

  24. Krista @ Joyful Healthy Eats says

    Bacon roasted pumpkin seeds! this is genius! Bacon makes everything bacon, I can just imagine the flavor from those seeds! YUM!

    Reply

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