5 Pumpkin Seed Recipes Perfect for Fall

Is your soccer posse carving pumpkins this season? You might want to save the seeds. Those pesky little seeds inside your pumpkins are full of magnesium, fiber and antioxidants. Just one cup of pumpkin seeds provides you with 92 percent of your daily magnesium requirement, an element that relaxes muscles, calms nerves and even helps with insomnia. (Studies show we’re all a little mag deficient these days.)

So if you’re planning a pumpkin carving sesh with your team, trade in the fun-sized candy for a bowl of delicious, nutritious, gourmet seeds.

Here is how to make the pumpkin cleanse worth your while:

1- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2- After digging out the pulp from your pumpkin, separate the seeds from those stringy innards.

3- Wash the seeds and pat them dry. (From one small pumpkin you can usually salvage a cup of seeds.)

4- Spray oil on a baking sheet and on the sheet spread out the seeds in a single layer.

5- Roast these guys in the oven for 30 minutes to dry them out.

To get creative try these combos of spices:

The Sugar and Spice: Toss the seeds with cinnamon, brown sugar and a table spoon of olive oil. Spread them out on the oiled sheet again, and roast for about 20 more minutes for sweet crispy snack.

The Nirvana: Sprinkle garam masala, and toss with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20 minutes and add currants to the mix when ready to serve.

Esta fiesta: Throw in smoked paprika or taco mix to the oil/salt/seed mix to spice up your seeds. When the seeds are out of the oven, mix in some almonds for an added protein boost.

Say cheese: To the salt, olive oil and seeds, add a table spoon of grated parmesan and sprinkle with dried oregano.

Honey BBQ: Two table spoons of honey, mixed in with the tablespoon of oil and salt along with 1 tsp of chipotle chile powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper (plus or minus a sprinkle of ground cumin) will give your seeds the Bam! factor.