Yummy healthy dish for everyday snacking! Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds are as crunchy as they can get, and you can season it the way you like it. This nutritious munching snack is all you need now!
Pumpkin is a vegetable that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. I love making pumpkin spice cake, pumpkin tart, and roasted pumpkin vegetables. In fact, most of the time, I store fresh pumpkin puree for any dessert or dish I want to make.
While making the pumpkin puree, I make sure not to throw away those nutritious seeds.
These seeds are packed with antioxidants, which are great for our health.
So, what can you do with these seeds? You can roast them and season them as you like. They make for a great healthy snack!
Why Use An Air Fryer?
The air fryer works as a mini convection oven in a small version, which makes cooking faster. You can always roast them in your regular oven, but using an air fryer is much more convenient. They cook faster, and it’s mess-free too. Even the oil can be skipped if you want.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe?
- Healthy: The pumpkin seeds are packed with antioxidants and nutrients that are good for your heart. It’s definitely a great healthy snack made with little to no oil.
- Tasty: Who could have thought that even pumpkin seeds could taste delicious? But they indeed can. Crunchy and crispy, seasoned with cajun spice and tangy lemon juice. They are great for munching.
- Quick and easy: All you need is five ingredients, and you are good to go. Simply mix all ingredients and cook for 5-6 minutes. That’s all you have to do to make a healthy snack for everyone.
- Unique Snack: We all eat chips and other unhealthy snacks every day. Why not try and shift towards healthy eating starting with this unique snack.
Important Ingredients Used In The Recipe
- Pumpkin Seeds: I use freshly scraped pumpkin seeds as I always save them whenever I use pumpkin for any dish. Check the Faq section to learn how to use fresh pumpkin seeds.
- Cajun Spice: I love these crispy seeds with some spice. Cajun spice is a mix of a few Indian spices. If you like, you can use any other seasoning as well.
- Olive Oil: I have used extra virgin olive oil instead of refined oil to keep the snack healthy. It gives a nice flavor to the seeds.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a nice tang to the seeds. The sourness goes well with the Cajun spice mix to make it tangy.
- Corn Starch: To Make the seeds extra crunchy, corn starch is added. Once the seeds are coated in the corn flour and cooked, they remain crispy for long.
How To Make Pumpkin Seeds In Air Fryer
Preparation: Collect all ingredients with their correct quantities in separate bowls. Preheat the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 180C.
Mix All Ingredients: Take pumpkin seeds, cajun spice, lemon juice, corn starch, and olive oil in a bowl. Give this a good mix, so all seeds are coated with the spices and oil.
Cook: Transfer the coated seeds to the air fryer basket and cook for 5-6 minutes at 180C. Cook until they turn crispy.
Chef’s Tips For The Recipe
Do Not Overcook
Roasting the seeds for a long will burn the spices and the seeds, leading to a bitter taste. Cook for the recommended time only.
Line The Basket
You can line the basket with butter paper to avoid your seeds getting stuck at the bottom of the fryer.
How To Store Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds
Keep the roasted seeds in a glass jar or an air-tight box at room temperature. Consume them within two weeks.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Peel and slice a fresh pumpkin. Remove the seeds from the pulp and wash them carefully to remove any pulp attached to them. Place the seeds on a clean towel and pat them dry. Once they have dried completely, you can use it for roasting.
Definitely, you can purchase any packet of good-quality pumpkin seeds and roast them.
You can add any spice or seasoning of your choice. I prefer Cajun spice, and you can use simple salt and black pepper, oregano, chili flakes, thyme, rosemary, etc.
Yes, you can easily make Cajun spice at home. This spice is a mix of black and white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and paprika powder. Some also prefer adding cumin and mustard powder.
Unlike ovens, it is not compulsory to preheat an air fryer. However, I do prefer preheating it for all the dishes I make.
