Every fall, pumpkins take center stage. We carve them for Halloween, turn them into pies, add pumpkin flavor to coffee, decorate our homes with them, and use them in countless seasonal recipes. But tucked inside every pumpkin is something that deserves its own celebration: the pumpkin seed.
National Pumpkin Seed Day, observed on the first Wednesday of October, celebrates these small, crunchy seeds and reminds us not to overlook one of the best parts of the pumpkin.
Whether you call them pumpkin seeds or pepitas, they can be roasted, seasoned, sprinkled over salads, mixed into granola, added to baked goods, or simply eaten by the handful. They are versatile, satisfying, and packed with valuable nutrients.
National Pumpkin Seed Day is also perfectly timed for the fall season. As pumpkins begin appearing on porches, in grocery stores, and at pumpkin patches across the country, it is a great opportunity to save those seeds instead of throwing them away.
What Are Pumpkin Seeds?
Pumpkin seeds are the edible seeds found inside pumpkins and certain other varieties of squash.
When you open a traditional carving pumpkin, you’ll usually find flat, oval-shaped seeds covered by a pale outer shell. Once cleaned and roasted, the entire seed can be eaten.
You may also have seen small green seeds labeled pepitas at the grocery store. The word pepita comes from Spanish and refers to pumpkin or squash seeds. The green pepitas commonly sold in stores are typically shell-free seeds from pumpkin varieties that produce little or no hard outer hull.
Both make delicious snacks and ingredients.
Why Pumpkin Seeds Deserve Their Own Day
Pumpkins are one of the most recognizable symbols of autumn, but their seeds can easily become an afterthought.
After carving a jack-o’-lantern, many people scoop out the pumpkin’s insides and throw everything away. National Pumpkin Seed Day gives us a reason to do something different.
Save the seeds.
With a little cleaning, seasoning, and roasting, something that might have gone into the garbage can become a crunchy fall snack.
It’s a simple example of using more of the food we already have.
Pumpkin Seeds Are Packed With Nutrients
Don’t let their size fool you. Pumpkin seeds contain an impressive collection of nutrients.
They provide protein, healthy fats, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, manganese, and other nutrients. Their combination of protein and fat can also make them a satisfying addition to meals and snacks.
Pumpkin seeds can easily be incorporated into a balanced diet. Instead of thinking of them only as something you roast after carving a Halloween pumpkin, consider keeping them around throughout the year.
They can add crunch, flavor, and nutrition without requiring complicated preparation.
As with many foods, portion size and preparation matter. Plain or lightly seasoned pumpkin seeds will generally contain less sodium than heavily salted varieties.
The Classic Fall Tradition: Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
One of the best ways to celebrate National Pumpkin Seed Day is also one of the simplest: roast your own seeds.
If you’re carving pumpkins this October, don’t toss the seeds.
Separate them from the pumpkin pulp and strings, rinse them thoroughly, and allow them to dry. Toss the seeds with a small amount of oil and your favorite seasonings, spread them across a baking sheet, and roast until they’re crisp and lightly golden.
The wonderful thing about homemade roasted pumpkin seeds is that you can customize them almost endlessly.
Classic Salted Pumpkin Seeds
Sometimes simple is best.
Try:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
The result is a crunchy, salty snack that allows the natural roasted flavor of the seeds to stand out.
Garlic Parmesan Pumpkin Seeds
Want something savory?
Toss your seeds with olive oil, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and a little black pepper.
They make an excellent alternative to chips or other crunchy snacks.
Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds don’t have to be savory.
Combine them with cinnamon, a little sugar, and melted butter or oil for a sweet fall treat.
The smell alone will make your kitchen feel like autumn.
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
If you like heat, try seasoning your seeds with chili powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, or your favorite spicy seasoning blend.
You can control the heat level and create something as mild or fiery as you want.
Pumpkin Seeds Aren’t Just for Snacking
Eating roasted pumpkin seeds by the handful may be the most obvious way to enjoy them, but there are plenty of other possibilities.
Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over a salad for extra crunch. Add them to oatmeal or yogurt. Mix them into homemade granola or trail mix. Use them as a topping for soups, especially creamy fall soups such as butternut squash or pumpkin soup.
They can also be incorporated into breads, muffins, cookies, energy bites, and other baked goods.
Try sprinkling pepitas over avocado toast or adding them to tacos and grain bowls.
You can even blend pumpkin seeds into sauces, spreads, and pestos.
Once you begin experimenting, you’ll discover that pumpkin seeds can work with far more than pumpkin-themed recipes.
Make Your Own Fall Trail Mix
National Pumpkin Seed Day is a great excuse to create a homemade autumn trail mix.
Start with roasted pumpkin seeds and add some of your favorite ingredients, such as dried cranberries, raisins, almonds, walnuts, pretzels, cereal, sunflower seeds, dried apples, or a small amount of chocolate.
Put everything into an airtight container and you have an easy grab-and-go snack.
It can also be fun to let everyone in the family build their own mixture.
Put several ingredients into separate bowls and let each person create a personalized combination.
Don’t Throw Away Those Halloween Pumpkin Seeds
One of the easiest ways to celebrate this day happens during pumpkin carving.
When you’re cleaning out your pumpkin, place the seeds into a separate bowl rather than throwing them into the trash with the pulp.
Yes, separating pumpkin seeds from the stringy inside of a pumpkin can be messy.
That’s part of the fun.
For families with children, it can become part of the Halloween tradition. Kids can help separate and wash the seeds while adults handle the oven.
Then everyone can choose seasonings and taste the finished results.
You aren’t just making a snack. You’re creating a fall memory.
A Food With a Long History
Pumpkins and squash have deep roots in the Americas.
Indigenous peoples cultivated squash for thousands of years, using different parts of the plant as important food sources. Seeds were among the edible portions of squash and pumpkin plants.
Over generations, pumpkin and squash seeds became ingredients in numerous culinary traditions.
Today, pepitas remain especially important in Mexican cuisine, where they can be eaten as snacks or incorporated into sauces and other dishes.
So while National Pumpkin Seed Day is a modern observance, the food being celebrated has a history stretching back thousands of years.
Pumpkin Seeds and Reducing Food Waste
National Pumpkin Seed Day can also remind us to think about how much usable food we discard.
When we carve a pumpkin, it is easy to think only about the finished jack-o’-lantern.
But a pumpkin offers much more.
Depending on the type of pumpkin, the seeds can be roasted and the flesh may be suitable for cooking. Decorative carving pumpkins aren’t always the best choice for recipes compared with varieties specifically grown for eating, but there may still be opportunities to use more of what we buy.
The larger lesson extends beyond pumpkins.
Before throwing away part of a fruit or vegetable, consider whether it can safely be eaten or used in another recipe.
Small changes can help reduce unnecessary food waste.
Ways to Celebrate National Pumpkin Seed Day
There are plenty of simple ways to participate:
- Roast fresh pumpkin seeds.
- Experiment with a new seasoning combination.
- Add pepitas to your salad or breakfast.
- Make homemade pumpkin seed trail mix.
- Bake pumpkin seeds into bread or muffins.
- Visit a local pumpkin patch.
- Carve a pumpkin and save the seeds.
- Introduce someone to roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Create a sweet and spicy pumpkin seed recipe.
- Share your favorite pumpkin seed recipe with friends or family.
You don’t need an elaborate celebration. Sometimes the best national food days simply encourage us to appreciate foods we may otherwise overlook.
Celebrate the Entire Pumpkin
Pumpkins are practically everywhere during October.
We see pumpkin decorations on porches. We drink pumpkin-flavored beverages. We bake pumpkin pies. Children pick pumpkins from patches and transform them into jack-o’-lanterns.
Yet inside every pumpkin are dozens—sometimes hundreds—of little seeds waiting to become something delicious.
National Pumpkin Seed Day reminds us that sometimes the smallest part of something deserves a little attention.
So the next time you cut open a pumpkin, don’t automatically throw those seeds away.
Clean them.
Season them.
Roast them.
Then sit back with a bowl of warm, crunchy pumpkin seeds and enjoy one of autumn’s simplest treats.
Happy National Pumpkin Seed Day!
What’s your favorite way to season roasted pumpkin seeds—classic salt, sweet cinnamon sugar, spicy chili, garlic Parmesan, or something completely different?
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