Roasted pepitas are my absolute favorite healthy snacks and are perfect on their own or combined with other dishes. These roasted pepitas take less than 30 minutes to get ready and last for months when stored properly.
Roasted pepitas are tasty, rich in flavor, crunchy, and make a healthy snack that won’t tank your daily calorie goals.
After trying out this recipe, I expect you’ll want to have a batch of roasted pepitas on hand all the time to liven up your dishes.
What Are Pepitas?
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds and they are the edible seeds found within pumpkin flesh. The name pepita comes from Mexico.
Pepitas are usually flat and light green in color with a white outer husk. Some cultivars of pumpkin seeds may also be huskless.
Pepitas Nutrition
Pepitas are nutrient-rich and have high-fat content, protein, dietary fiber, and many other micronutrients.
A 100g (3.5 oz) serving of shelled, roasted pepitas is 536 calories approx. and contains:-
- Carbohydrates – 14.71 g
- Fat – 49.05 g
- Protein – 29.84 g
- Calcium – 52 mg
- Iron – 8.07 mg
- Sodium – 256 mg
- Zinc – 7.6 mg
- Potassium – 788 mg
- Manganese – 4.49 mg
- Magnesium – 550 mg
- Phosphorus – 1174 mg
There are also trace amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, and K.
Can You Roast Pepitas?
Roasted pepitas are nutritious and make a great snack. Roast away and keep in your fridge for up to 2 months.
I share all the ways you can eat roasted pepitas below.
Are Roasted Pepitas Healthy?
This depends on what you toss them in before roasting. It also depends on the amount you consume.
2 – 3 tablespoons per day are fine and within reason. More than that and the calorie count starts to go up there.
If you want to eat more, then something else in your diet will need to be adjusted. Just keep your daily calorie limit in mind.
Raw vs Roasted Pepitas
Pepitas can be eaten raw or roasted. However, raw pepitas contain phytic acid, which can inhibit the production of digestive enzymes.
Phytic acid can also make nutrients like iron and zinc less bioavailable in the body.
Personally, I don’t particularly care for the taste of raw pepitas. Roasting adds a little something-something that elevates the taste significantly.
Roasted Pepitas Recipe Ingredients
- Raw pepitas like Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Pumpkin Seeds and Nut Cravings Raw Pumpkin Seeds
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ground black pepper
- Sriracha seasoning – I love McCormick Sriracha Seasoning. Other spices you can substitute for this are mentioned in the notes below.
How to Roast Pepitas
There’s not much to do when roasting pepitas. Toss the raw pepitas in the extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, and seasoning.
Layer the baking pan with some foil and spread the pepitas throughout the pan. Don’t crowd the pan.
Preheat the oven to 300ºF then place the baking pan in the oven. Check after 10 minutes and toss around. Close the oven and leave for 5 minutes more.
Take the pan out of the oven and let the roasted pepitas cool then enjoy!
9 Ways to Eat Pepitas
There are so many ways to eat roasted pepitas and below are the most versatile ways to eat them:
- Toss 1 – 2 tablespoons in a salad (great replacement for croutons). This is how I eat mine in my favorite cabbage and carrot salad.
- Add 1 – 2 tablespoons to your daily smoothie.
- Use them in your homemade granola recipe.
- A handful as a midday snack.
- Sprinkled over pumpkin soup or other kinds of soup.
- Add a few tablespoons to a grain bowl or oatmeal.
- Use instead of pine nuts in a pesto recipe.
- Use as an ingredient in baking – bread, cookies, biscotti, and more.
- Grind into pumpkin seed butter.
How Long Do Roasted Pepitas Last?
Kept in the pantry, roasted pepitas can last for up to a week. Stored in the fridge, they can last 1 – 2 months.
How to Store Roasted Pepitas?
Roasted pepitas should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge.
I store mine in a container like OXO Good Grips Pop Container.
Roasted Pepitas Calories
You can check the roasted pepitas calories in the nutrition part of the recipe card below. It also breaks down the percentage of each nutrient.
Tools Used in This Recipe
Where to Buy Roasted Pepitas?
If you don’t feel like making roasted pepitas, you can easily get a store-bought brand. Below are my top 5 recommendations for roasted pepitas:-
Good Sense Roasted & Salted Organic Pumpkin Seeds
Oh Nuts Roasted & Unsalted Pumpkin Seeds
Food to Live Organic Dry Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Eden Foods Organic Spicy Pumpkin Dry Roasted Seeds
Bergin Fruit and Nut Company Roasted Pepitas
You can find more of the recipes I try on my fitness journey at My Favorite Recipes archives.
How to Make Roasted Pepitas
Roasted pepitas are my absolute favorite healthy snacks and are perfect with so many dishes or on their own. These roasted pepitas take less than 30 minutes to get ready and are nutritious, crunchy, and delicious.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300ºF.
- Pour all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and toss thoroughly.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spread the seasoned pumpkin seeds in an even layer on the tray.
- Place the pan in the oven and roast for 12 – 15 minutes or until crisp. Check halfway through and toss the seeds around.
- Once done, remove from oven and place on the counter until cool.
- Serve immediately or pour into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Notes
- If you don’t care for spicy pepitas, replace Sriracha seasoning with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Other spices you can try out in this recipe include cumin, garlic powder, ground thyme, chipotle powder, coriander powder, cinnamon, and ginger powder.
- Nutrition calculation is based on eating 2 tablespoons at a time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 50Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 27mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
This is only approximate and will change depending on the ingredients used and amount consumed.
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