Pumpkin Seed Recipes

AlamyYou've scooped out your pumpkin for a Halloween Jack-o-Lantern, now it's time for pumpkin seed recipes, including spicy and sweet toasted pumpkin seeds and ways to use them in salads, pesto, pie and brittle. Added bonus: Pumpkin seeds are one Halloween food you can feel really good about eating. They're loaded with healthy (monounsaturated) fats and are a good source of protein, iron, magnesium, zinc and a host of other nutrients.

Basic Toasted Pumpkin Seed Recipes

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Wash pumpkin seeds, remove any strings and dry. Toss pumpkin seeds with olive oil to coat and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until crisp. Toss with coarse salt.

Spiced Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Wash and dry pumpkin seeds as above. Toss with olive oil, a little chili powder, a touch of paprika, pepper, and salt and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until crisp. Toss with coarse salt.

Sweet Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Wash and dry pumpkin seeds as above. Toss seeds with a combination of melted butter and vegetable oil, a couple of tablespoons of sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, a little allspice and a little ground clove. Roast at 350 until crisp, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

10 More Ideas for Using Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Lime: These are delicious sprinkled on soups and salads, or eaten as a snack.

Cilantro and Pumpkin Seed Pesto: This quick pesto is great with grilled chicken or fish, black beans or enchiladas.

Quinoa Salad with Sugar Snap Peas: Roasted pumpkin seeds add crunch to this easy, protein-rich vegetarian salad.

Fingerling Potatoes with Pumpkin Seed Romesco: A garlicky romesco sauce (made with pumpkin seeds instead of almonds) is drizzled on roasted potatoes in this recipe.

Snack Mix: This gluten-free snack mix is made with rice or corn cereal (such as Chex), pumpkin seeds and Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Mole: Authentic mole can take hours to prepare, but this version, which gets a rich, nutty flavor from almonds and pumpkin seeds, comes together in about an hour and a half.

Italian Braised Brussels Sprouts: Garlic, cheese and pumpkin seeds dress up Brussels sprouts.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle: This crunchy brittle would be a nice treat to serve at a Halloween party.

Bourbon Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin seeds are a pretty -- and tasty -- garnish for pumpkin pie.

Basic toasted pumpkin seed recipes by Sandy Gluck. Sandy hosts Martha Stewart Radio's Everyday Food weekdays at 11 a.m. EST on on Sirius XM.