For anyone looking for a faster method of roasting pumpkin seeds, this one is for you! The most time consuming portion will be brining the seeds: likely several hours, or overnight.

Here’s a little background in connection with an earlier post. I had originally purchased a tiny one-pound-plus sugar pumpkin for its decorative Halloween qualities. Although labeled as edible, I hadn’t given much thought to actually eating it. However, the uncut pumpkin held up so well I decided to give it a try and as previously mentioned, the results were excellent. It also offered up a cup or so of seeds—hardly enough to warrant cranking up the oven.
I was delighted to discover the microwave works perfectly. I regularly use it for toasting nuts, so why not seeds? Just watch carefully as they will burn. Use this as a template for larger quantities.
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons sea salt and water to cover by 1”
olive oil
Directions
- Pick through seeds to remove extraneous fiber. Dissolve salt in water, cover with brine and soak overnight.
- Drain well and transfer seeds to a microwaveable plate line with paper toweling. Cook in microwave, turning seeds every minute or two. Remove toweling when seeds are dry and continue to roast until crisp and begin to take on color, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Toss lightly with olive oil to coat and serve.