Spicy Sriracha Roasted Pepitas (15 min!)
These yummy roasted pepitas with sriracha are a quick and nourishing plant-based snack! They’ve got just the right amount of kick from the sriracha hot sauce and make a great salad topper too.
In the world of plants, nuts like cashews and almonds tend to get all the limelight, but seeds more than deserve to get their star turn because they are super affordable and SO incredibly nutrient dense!
Pumpkin seeds – or pepitas – are absolutely packed with nutrition. For example, did you know that a ¼ cup of pepitas contains almost a third of your daily requirement for zinc? Or that the same amount of pepitas also contains 10 grams of plant-based protein?
Did I get your attention?? Because the dietitian in me LIVES for dreaming up yummy plant-based recipes to help you eat more seeds, like my flavourful pumpkin seed butter…and these very addictive sriracha roasted pepitas!
And if you’re looking for more delicious recipes featuring all kinds of seeds, be sure to pick up a copy of my cookbook Eat More Plants at the library or your local bookshop!
Now, grab your ingredients to make these yummy roasted pepitas!
This recipe couldn’t be simpler…you probably already have all 4 ingredients, plus salt, in your pantry right now!
- Raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds): a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine, hull-less and deep green in colour, raw pepitas are a flavourful and nutrient-dense base for this recipe
- Sriracha hot sauce: the famous hot sauce is actually Thai in origin, but the most common brand in North America is made in the US by Huy Fong Foods, owned by David Tran, who named after the refugee ship that transported him out of Vietnam.
- Avocado oil: I like this neutral flavoured oil here, but you could also use extra virgin olive oil as these pumpkin seeds aren’t roasted at high temperature.
- Garlic powder: adds some umami depth to the flavour (if you love garlic, go ahead and double it!)
FAQ: What is the difference between pumpkin seeds and pepitas?
We tend to use these words interchangeably: the pepitas I bought for this recipe were sold as raw pumpkin seeds but in fact, pepitas are a special type of pumpkin seed that grow without shells (hulls). The word pepita is Spanish, and means little seed.
The pumpkin seeds we find in sugar pumpkins or squashes have an edible shell and will also work well in this recipe if you want to make your own pumpkin seeds!
How to make sriracha roasted pepitas
Feeling snacky? In just 15 minutes, you could be eating these flavourful and energizing roasted pumpkin seeds…here’s how to make them:
Step One: preheat the oven to 300F (150 C) and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step Two: toss pumpkin seeds with oil, sriracha, garlic powder, and salt right on the baking sheet!
Step Three: bake for 10-12 minutes until pepitas are a bit darker in colour, and the moisture is absorbed.
Step Four: try to let them cool for 5 minutes before you tear into them…I don’t want you burning your mouth!
Ways to enjoy these roasted pepitas
These sriracha roasted pepitas make an addictive and nourishing snack…but if you manage not to eat the whole batch immediately, they also make a great topper for soups, salads and grain bowls! Or try them on avocado toast, hummus or roasted vegetables…really anywhere you want another layer of flavour and crunch.
Tips, Tricks + Substitutions
- Let these roasted pepitas cool fully before storing in an airtight container. They will keep well for 5-7 days on the counter!
- Low FODMAP? Ditch the garlic powder and enjoy 2 tablespoons, which is a low FODMAP serving.
- You can experiment with any flavouring you want! Try substituting a different kind of hot sauce, like Valentina’s, or tamari for a non-spicy version. Give them a cheesy flavour with a bit of nutritional yeast…or go sweet with a bit of cinnamon and sugar!
More yummy pumpkin seed recipes
- How to Make Pumpkin Seeds at Home
- Creamy Sunflower, Pumpkin, Hemp Seed Butter
- Trader Joe’s Trail Mix (Copycat Recipe)
- Tart Cherry, Hemp and Cashew Cacao Bark
- Pumpkin Hummus Toasts with Za’atar
Spicy Sriracha Roasted Pepitas (15 minutes!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup pepitas, or homemade pumpkin seeds!
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, omit for low FODMAP
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss pumpkin seeds with oil, sriracha, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl…or right on the baking sheet!
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until pepitas are a bit darker in colour, aromatic and the moisture is absorbed.
- Let cool before eating. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.
