Spicy Roasted Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
I think people expect me to have, um… food… for them when they drop by my house. Weird.
Don’t they know I eat popcorn for dinner?
I’m learning.
I’m learning that I need to have at least a few staple items on hand for unexpected house guests: a jar of these spiced nuts, a cold bottle of vodka, fresh oranges and an old school juicer.
What a hostess I’m shaping up to be. Dang.
Nuts and spices need a little glue to be friends.
Egg whites. Winner.
These nuts bake up smokey and spicy with a hint of sweetness and lots of crunch. They’re pretty and satisfying.
And! Sealed in a glass jar with a bow, these nuts make a pretty great hostess gift… just sayin’.
Spicy Roasted Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste after baking
3/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 large egg white
plus generous pinches of each of these spices to sprinkle over the top of the nuts just before they go in the oven.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
Mix together salt, sugar and spices. Set aside.
Whip egg white in a medium bowl until loose and frothy. Add the raw nuts and toss to coat. Add the mixed spices. Toss to coat as evenly as possible.
Spread seasoned nuts in a single layer across the greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle nuts with a bit more seasoning. A generous pinch of each. You can totally eyeball it.
Place nuts in the oven and let bake for 7 minutes. Remove nuts from the oven to toss and flip. Return to the oven for another five minutes. Toss and flip them again and then bake for another 3 minutes. Nuts should be nicely browned. Carefully taste the nuts and add more salt to taste. Cool nuts completely before serving. Store in an airtight container for a week.
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I heart your pictures big time. The recipe sounded good before I checked out the pictures… but… i heart your pictures. thanks for sharing Joy.
Sounds like a great little salty/sweet treat to keep around the house. Or serve as munchies to go with an afternoon cocktail? I think I will have to try – though I may be tempted to throw in other ingredients too.
i am so glad that i came across your little blog. i love trying new recipes, and you have some of the most unique and tasty ones i have found!!!
“spiced nuts, a cold bottle of vodka, fresh oranges and an old school juicer”
Sounds good to me!
Hey, these are exactly what i’ve been looking for! Do they stay crunchy after being in the jar for awhile?
mmm, my mum used to make something like this when I was a kid – thanks for reminding me!
I always enjoy reading your blog. Thank you for sharing that I’m not the only one who eats popcorn (or worse, but always gluten free) for dinner!
I want to make these for Christmas gifts! They look great.
I have a question about the pumpkin seeds for this recipe. Are they supposed to be whole seeds still in their shells or are they supposed to be just the meat without the shell?
Wow. This looks amazing. And I really, REALLY wanted to try this out.. until I read a pretty disgusting story about pumpkin seeds, clogged intestines, and projectile.. you know… on jezebel.com. So needless to say, I will bookmark this and try it next year, when i’m not so traumatized. =)
So these will only keep for a week?? Can you freeze them to keep longer? This sounds so good and amazing and I want to make them tomorrow, I like the idea of giving as a gift for the holidays but probably not as much if it only lasts a week. ( not that it would last that long around my house anyway)
H
SO tasty! Thanks, Joy. Serving these at a pumpkin carving party tomorrow…if they last that long. Happy Halloween!
Just made these and I can tell already that they are dangerously addictive! I did not use as much cayenne as you called for and omitted the red pepper flakes, which made them just right for me, but my hubby and son would want all the spiciness – so next batch for them. Will def be on my Christmas party snack list and gift giving too, thanks for a great, easy recipe!
I feel like i am on a Joy the Baker food tour lately. Every time I cook it seems to be a JtB creation. These rock! And come out so perfectly crunchy. Triple yum. Thanks, Joy. And btw, what is your new bike? It looks like the Republic fixie that my friend and I were eyeing this past weekend. Ah bike love. Nothing better.
um…you should know that I absolutely love nuts and seeds. my friends make fun of me for it. I might have been a squirrel in my past life. Needless to say, I love this recipe, and you for conjuring it up. I just made it and I LOVE IT. All those little seeds will be gone soon and I’ll be making more. Thanks, Joy =)