These Five Spice Maple Pumpkin Seeds are simple to make and incredibly addictive thanks to a touch of 5-spice powder that pairs so well with the maple. They’re the perfect fall inspired healthy snack that’s gluten free and dairy free too.
Sweet, salty, and wonderfully spiced, these pumpkin seeds will make for the perfect snack on Turkey Day! Five spice powder lends a unique depth to these spiced pumpkin seeds. If you’re familiar with the Vietnamese soup – Pho, the spices are very similar.
Star anise is what makes five spice so interesting – there’s a slight fennel/anise flavor. If you’re not a black licorice or anise fan, don’t worry we’re not either, and we both love five spice. In any case, you can substitute extra cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for alternate versions.
Let’s talk about how to make these Five Spice Maple Pumpkin Seeds!
In a medium sized bowl, combine your pumpkin seeds with the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined.
Spread them as evenly as possible on a parchment lined baking sheet. They take about 15 minutes to bake, but keep a close eye on them at the end of the baking time because they go from toasty goodness to burnt blackness when your back is turned.
When the pumpkin seeds are lightly browned, turn the oven off and let the pumpkin seeds ‘dry out’ in the oven until it’s cool, about 1 hour. This really helps them stay crispy for longer. If you happen to overshoot your baking time a little, by all means pull them out of the oven – you don’t want them to burn!
You might also like my Curried Cashews, they’re also super easy and so flavorfu!
When I had the idea for this snack, I envisioned myself on a fall hike up to Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park – sitting on a log by the water and munching on Five Spice Maple Pumpkin Seeds. Sounds pretty good right? I’m hoping to make that a reality this week if we get some good weather!
What’s your favorite snack?
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Five Spice Maple Pumpkin Seeds
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Five Spice Maple Pumpkin Seeds are simple to make and incredibly addictive thanks to a touch of 5-spice powder that pairs so well with the maple. They’re the perfect fall inspired healthy snack that’s gluten free and dairy free too.
Ingredients
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
3 Tablespoons maple syrup, Grade B
1 Teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon (I used Vietnamese cinnamon)
2 Teaspoons sea salt, finely ground
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 °F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together all the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
Spread them as evenly as possible over the baking sheet.
Bake for about 15 minutes until the pumpkin seeds are golden, (watch them carefully). Turn the oven off and let the pumpkin seeds cool in the oven for 1 hour. This helps them dry out to crispy goodness.
Store in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Snack
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Where do I find the pumpkin seeds. Will local health food store have them or Trader joes.
Usually you can find pumpkin seeds at health food stores, look for them in the refrigerated bulk foods section for the best freshness. I’m not sure if Trader Joes would have them since we don’t have a store anywhere near here, but more of their nuts and seeds come already flavored don’t they? I hope this helps, and be sure to let me know if you have anymore questions!
Great idea! A perfect gluten free, nut free snack.
Kari, what is the five spice powder? Will allspice do? Thank you
Five spice powder is a mixture of five spices that are used in Chinese cooking and the flavor is quite different from allspice. You can use allspice if you prefer the flavor, but I’d start with half the amount because it’s a really strong flavor. You can also substitute additional cinnamon if you can’t find five spice powder. I buy mine at a local health food store because it’s much fresher and I don’t have to buy very much at a time.
Ooh, I’ve got some pumpkin seeds sitting in my fridge right now. I’m going to search around for this powder, because this sounds awesome!
You can find it at local health food stores if your regular grocery stores aren’t well stocked. And that way you can buy smaller amounts and your spices stay fresh!