The insides of pumpkins are, in general, kind of gross.  They’re slimy and seedy and sticky and sweaty. And orange.  But if you persevere through the guts and roast the seeds with spices, salt and lime juice, you’ll get a delicious and healthy snack: Chili Lime Pumpkin Seeds.

The only tricky part of this recipe is separating the pumpkin guts from the seeds.  This is a great task for children since it’s time consuming and free of sharp edges.  If you’re kid-free like me, the best suggestion I have is to keep two bowls handy while you scrape out the pumpkin.  Use a sharp-edged spoon to scrape the inside of the gourd.  Shake as many of the seeds as you can into one bowl and the juicy innards into another. (See how many gross adjectives I used there? I’m getting ready for Halloween!)

These little guys are really spicy and addicting!  They’d be perfect at a cocktail party or a tailgate, or even in a big green salad instead of croutons.  We enjoyed ours with some cold Real Ale during movie night.

Chili Lime Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, separated from flesh
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus enough to grease the cookie sheet
1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 fresh lime

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil.  In a bowl, mix pumpkin seeds with 1 teaspoon olive oil and spices until the seeds are evenly coated.  Use a wooden spoon to spread seeds into a single layer on cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently, until seeds are crispy and dry.  Remove from oven and squeeze 1/2 a lime over the top of the seeds. Stir with a wooden spoon to distribute lime juice evenly and loosen any seeds that are stuck to the cookie sheet.  Allow to cool before eating (if you can resist them).

Click here for a printable copy of this recipe.