Did you know that pepitas = pumpkin seeds?  Really?  It was JUST me who was in the dark about this?  Fine.  Let it be.  But DON'T let those little guys go to waste, because they're full of nutritional benefits as well as super tasty when you know how to make them right!

That's where I come in.  This recipe is a family favorite that I grew up on.  It's perfect for making a snack out of those leftovers from your carving pumpkins!  I know you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

Poppin' Pepitas

Directions

Ingredients

  1. Preheat oven to 275ºF.  Grease a baking sheet with extra coconut oil.
  2. Mix pepitas and coconut oil together in a small bowl until the seeds are well-coated.  
  3. Sprinkle all spices over the seeds as evenly as possible, and mix again to ensure they're evenly coated.
  4. Spread the seeds evenly out across the baking sheet, and place in the oven for 10 minutes to bake.
  5. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to scrape the seeds from the baking sheet and mix around.  Place them back in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
  6. Take the seeds back out of the oven and loosen them from the sheet immediately, but allow them to sit and cool before putting them in a place to store for snack time (or eat right away!)  They should be crunchy and dry.  If they aren't to the texture you'd like, place back in the oven for 5-minute increments until completed.

2 cups pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil, plus extra for baking sheet

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper, based on desired spice level

1/2 tsp black pepper