Pumpkin Puree & Crispy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds From Scratch

So I have a thang for basically everything Regina Spektor. Why am I telling you this? Because. Beecaaauseeee. Her songs make me cry, and homegirl LOVES a good cry. If you’re a man and reading this you probably WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND. Unless you’re a real man. Then you pickin’ up what I’m throwin’ down. But just when I decided, ohhh Julia, you’re due for a good cry, I throw on my go-to waterworks playlist, RS, and first song that pops up is “Samson”.

I’m like ” OH BOY. You ready for this tissue? Give me yo best kleenex.”

And then the song began to play, and then I decided to ACTUALLY listen to the lyrics. And they go as followed:

“Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
He ate a slice of wonder bread, and went right back to bed”

Girl. Why you crying? Samson has NO hair. AND WTF is wonder bread still doing around? Regina WHY DO YOU MISS THIS MAN? A) sounds like he is reppin’ a Donald Trump whispy (can’t you just shave it all of and call it a day?) b) this man is literally eating puffed preservatives with maybe a sprinkling of actual wheat. AND AND that’s his go to midnight snack? For real? That’s like waking up in the middle of the night and attempting to stuff a stack of saltines in your mouth. Dry AF. Clearly this man isn’t normal. Move on, homegirl move on.

And just like that, I too moved on. To something better. Like this here Pumpkin Puree and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Scratch.

Pumpkin Puree Recipe Notes:

A 1.5 – 2lb pumpkin will replace the standard 15 oz can of puree. You’ll probably be left with a little more, honestly, just make a sauce out of it OR freeze if you know you won’t be needing it until thanksgiving (but i advise against this, pumpkin is just so good).

This is SO easy. So that’s it. And it is WAY better tasting than anything canned. Seriously. Your baked goods/soup/sauces will just taste so fresh and so clean, clean.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe Notes:

Soooo these take just a little bit of elbow grease, but I’m telling you, it’s worth it. There is NOTHING worse than a chewy seed. My teeth still crumble into soft cheese every time I think about chewing on bad seed.

Rinse, boil in saltwater, and then pat dry. AND THEN slow heat them in the oven first because these need to DRY. If you just throw the oven on to 400 degrees and then bake them until the outside is just brown, that won’t cut it. I’ve made this mistake before and then threw the seed imposters into a salad and it was like trying to eat a shelly scrambled egg. Not happening.

This recipe is just for plain roasted pumpkin seeds, but once you understand this part, feel free to go crazy and sprinkle them in spices after they dry in the oven, and before you roast.

Store in an airtight container until ready to use. I like to keep mine in the fridge (as I do with all of my nuts) for extra crunch.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Pumpkin Puree & Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Scratch

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  55 mins

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Ingredients

Pumpkin Puree:

• 1.5 -2 lb Pumpkin Pie (or Sugar) Pumpkin
• Oil for coating (less then a tsp)
• Water

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• Seeds from above pumpkin
• 1 tbsp salt
• Oil

Instructions

Pumpkin Puree

1. Preheat your oven to 375
2. Slice your pumpkin in half (from top to bottom). Remove seeds (set aside for roasting) and remove stringy "membrane", the brains 😉
3. Pierce a couple of holes with a sharp knife, on the outside of the pumpkin.
4. Rub outside with a teeny bit of oil and play face down onto a rimmed baking sheet.
5. Fill rimmed baking sheet with about a ½" of water to prevent pumpkin from completely drying out (will dry towards end a little).
6. Place on middle rack in oven and baking for about 45 minute or until soft when pressed on.
7. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle.
8. Discard the skin /scoop out the inside of the pumpkin, and place into a food processor (or potato masher will work fine as well).
9. Process until smooth.
10. Remove and place in airtight container and store in fridge until ready to use. Should make anywhere between 2-3 cups, which is more than what you would get from a 15 oz can!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

1. Rinse seeds so they are free of any pumpkin flesh
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add about 1 tbsp of salt. Add seeds and let boil for 8 minutes.
3. Drain seeds and pat dry using a dishtowel (paper towels will stick and become annoying to get off).
4. Next preheat oven to 300 degrees and spread pumpkin seeds onto a baking sheet.
5. Place in oven for about 35-40 minutes, flipping seeds every 20 minutes until seeds are dry.
6. Remove from oven, toss seeds in a little bit of oil (and spice of choice), Turn oven onto 400 degrees and place seeds back on baking sheet.
7. Set in oven for about 20 minutes, turning seeds half way through, and roasted until a light golden brown.
8. Remove from oven and bring to room temperature. Store in airtight container in fridge (recommended).

3.5.3208