Healthy Pumpkin Seed Recipes

Ever wondered how to cook kabocha squash without ruining your knife? Roasting it whole softens its armor and creates nutty, complex flavor inside. Topped with a savory butter sauce and sweet pumpkin seeds, this Thanksgiving vegetable recipe creates a superstar.

Salty cottage cheese and a sweet fresh pear make this snack satisfying.

This roast pumpkin with a mushroom-and-bread stuffing is a beautiful vegetarian entree for the holidays. Use a small pumpkin if you can find one, but a winter squash like kabocha or buttercup also works. For a special garnish, save the seeds from the pumpkin, toss them with spices and roast them. If you use a squash, opt for store-bought pepitas; the squash seeds are too woody to eat.

Garlic bread meets pumpkin seeds in this baked pumpkin seed recipe--and they really hit it off!

This dish gets its name from the Mexican cowboys (charros) who cooked these soupy beans over campfires as they traveled the open range. The kale slaw is a bright foil for this earthy dish. Enjoy a bowl as is or scoop it up with warm tortillas. Look for Mexican-style chorizo near other sausage in well-stocked supermarkets or Latin American markets.

Be sure to save the pumpkin seeds from your Halloween jack-o'-lantern so you can make this crunchy, healthy snack.

Fresh mushrooms and curry powder provide layers of flavor to this risotto, which gets creaminess from pumpkin and from slow-simmering the arborio rice in the traditional risotto method.

Cilantro and pepitas make an interesting alternative to basil and pine nuts in a simple pesto. Stir this cilantro pesto into a grain bowl or serve with chicken or fish.

Smoked paprika and garlic powder punch up the flavor in this easy roasted pumpkin seeds recipe.

Most gremolata recipes call for parsley, garlic and lemon but this version uses fresh cilantro and roasted, salted pumpkin seeds. The added curry paste gives it a bit of a kick and makes it the perfect topping for any number of cooked vegetables.

Nutritional yeast gives roasted pumpkin seeds a cheesy flavor without any dairy.

Cilantro and pumpkin seeds stand in for traditional pesto ingredients in this easy salad recipe. Look for peaches in July and August, when they are at their peak. Serve the salad along with grilled chicken or fish for a healthy dinner that's ready in less than 30 minutes.

Punch up your pumpkin seeds with a sprinkling of Old Bay. Try these easy roasted pumpkin seeds in a salad or just eat them as a snack.

This chicken recipe is all about the sauce. Hot peppers, pumpkin seeds, and a combination of coriander and cinnamon make up a mole that is loaded with flavor.

Salty, spicy and garlicky, these roasted pumpkin seeds are the perfect snack for any time of day. Increase the quantity of ground chile if you want 'em extra hot.

A nut-free take on trail mix, this snack is both sweet and savory.

Toasted pumpkin seeds are flavored with a touch of sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper for a sweet and savory autumn treat.

Za'atar (or zaatar)--a Middle-Eastern spice blend that's a mix of thyme, sumac, salt, sesame seeds and sometimes other herbs--livens up roasted pumpkin seeds.

This healthful snack takes advantage of the pumpkin seeds you scoop out of your jack-o'-lantern or cooking pumpkin. We had the best results when we first roasted the seeds until lightly toasted and then tossed them with egg white, which makes the seasonings stick, and cinnamon sugar.

Eat these sweet, chocolaty pumpkin seeds as a snack or sprinkle them over ice cream, pumpkin pie and other desserts.

This low-carb bread is chock-full of seeds and flours that make the loaf mimic classic bread while managing to keep carb counts low. This bread is a vessel for both sweet and savory toppings, but the nutty flavors of the ingredients shine with just a simple schmear of butter.

Serve this nutty, spicy pesto with Vegetarian Enchiladas, Blueberry-Beef Burgers, black beans, grilled chicken or fish.

These sweet and spicy toasted pumpkin seeds are great for snacking and also delicious sprinkled over roasted or mashed winter squash, such as butternut.