Maple Bacon Pumpkin Seeds | Swanky Recipes (2024)

Americans love bacon no matter the time of year, that’s a fact. But, maple syrup is one of my favorite ingredients to use during the fall. Nothing compares to the warm inviting flavor of maple syrup. The saltiness of crisp cooked bacon and sweet notes of pure Wisconsin maple syrup makes for a perfect marriage in the flavor category this Halloween with my homemade sweet and salty pumpkin seed recipe. Without a doubt, this is the winning combination every time.

What kind of pumpkin seeds can I use in this recipe?

• Roasted pumpkin seeds from a bag: Use packaged pumpkin seeds such as plain roasted from the store. When shopping, look for pumpkin seeds in the snack or health food aisle of the grocery store. I get mine at Walgreens, next to peanuts.
• Fresh pumpkin seeds: See my notes in the next section about fresh seeds because they need to be prepared for this recipe. When shopping, look for pumpkin seeds in the snack or health food aisle of the grocery store. I get mine at Walgreens, next to peanuts and beef jerky.

NOTE: I’m using approximately 1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds.

1. Cook bacon in a skillet on the stovetop or in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes.
2. Combine maple bacon pumpkin seed ingredients; melted bacon grease from cooked bacon, pure maple syrup, maple flavoring (if using), pumpkin seeds, corn syrup, and granulated sugar. Mix to fully combine and coat.
3. Bake in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes, using a spatula to flip seeds halfway through baking.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Use a spatula to flip seeds halfway through baking.
5. To make the bacon salt, finely chop, crumble or add bacon and salt to a food processor until small crumbs result.
6. Remove pan from the oven. Next, allow the maple bacon pumpkin seeds to cool and harden slightly, occasionally tossing with a spatula. Pumpkin seeds will have mild candied texture.
7. Toss with the homemade bacon salt.

Preparing Pumpkin Seeds from Scratch Using a Fresh Pumpkin

While carving a pumpkin is a fun activity to do with the family, you’ll need to prepare fresh pumpkin seeds for roasting in a few steps.

Choosing a Pumpkin

1. Buying a pumpkin: Head to a pumpkin patch, grocery store, or find an outdoor curbside pumpkin display. You can use the seeds from either a carving pumpkin or a pie pumpkin, but avoid seeds from decorative white pumpkins. TIP: For 1 cup of seeds, purchase a 10- to a 14-pound pumpkin. Smaller seeds work best; larger seeds tend to pop in the oven and get tough.

Removing the Seeds

1. After you have the pumpkin picked out, lay newspaper down for a work area.Hold the pumpkin stem. Use a sharp knife to cut a large hole in the top of the pumpkin around the stem. For smaller pumpkins, the pumpkin can be sliced in half.
2. Next, use a long and sturdy spoon to scoop the guts and seeds out. You can also use your hand, but the inside of the pumpkin might be too cold from sitting outside at a pumpkin patch in the cold autumn month of October.
3. Rise the seeds under running water until all the guts and strings are washed off. Drain and pat raw seeds with a paper towel until dry.

Drying the Pumpkin Seeds

1. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread pumpkin seeds in an even layer on the baking sheet. Allow the seeds to dry out in the oven for 1 hour.TIP: Washed and dried pumpkin seeds can dry at room temperature for 24-48 hours in place of oven drying. NOTE: This step needs to be completed before continuing to my maple bacon pumpkin seed recipe.

Pumpkin Seed Recipe Tips & Questions:

Storing: How to store pumpkin seeds? After roasting, I store pumpkin seeds in an air-tight container until I’m ready to use it in a recipe. Kept dry, traditional roasted pumpkin seeds last for 3 months at room temperature and nearly 12 months stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

How come my seeds are burning? Your oven temperature is too hot. Some ovens burn too hot, reduce the temperature even more and bake longer. Typically, sugar burns in oven temperatures above 350°F but my recipe doesn’t go above 275°F so it shouldn’t be a problem unless your oven has a hot spot.

Can I use sugar-free maple syrup? Yes, use sugar-free maple syrup in place of traditional maple syrup.

Will this recipe work with other seeds and nuts? Generally, yes. Use my recipe as a guide for roasting other seeds and nuts like pecans, walnuts, and almonds. Baking time may vary and I like to keep an eye on the caramelization as it’s roasting in the oven.

Want more maple bacon recipes? Try my Maple Bacon Cupcakes, Maple Bacon Crack,

Using Pumpkin in Recipes:

Can I use my fresh carving pumpkin in a recipe? Yes, but it’s not the same kind of pumpkin we use for cooking. NOTE: Jack-o-lanterns and field pumpkins (carving pumpkins) are different than pie pumpkins. Traditionally, the big pumpkins sold at patches are carving pumpkins and not for baking. I use them for autumn and winter decoration during holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I don’t recommend use for baking. Of course, they are completely edible but bland tasting. It’s ideal to use these big pumpkin patch pumpkins for carving and to use the seeds in my Maple Bacon Pumpkin Seeds recipe.

What kind of pumpkins are for pie and other desserts? First, shop for pumpkins labeled “sugar pumpkin” or “pie pumpkins“. These pumpkins are smaller and denser than carving pumpkins. For this reason, they are more flavorful and slightly sweeter. Use sugar pumpkins and pie pumpkins for pumpkin desserts like pies, cakes, sweetbreads, cheesecakes, muffins, cupcakes, and savory recipes like pasta and soups.

Best Pumpkin Seeds Recipes

Do you have any more pumpkin seed recipes? Yes, my all-time favorite is this Ranch Pumpkin Seeds recipe. Additionally, these Maple Honey Pumpkin Seeds are delicious. Also, try my 10 Pumpkin Seeds Recipes for pumpkin seed recipes that include Spicy Jalapeno Pumpkin Seeds, Everything (seasoning) Pumpkin Seeds, Honey Sriracha Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, warm Vanilla Nutmeg Pumpkin Seeds, classic Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Chocolate Pumpkin Seeds, Pumpkin Pie Spice Seeds. Finally, my Traditional Pumpkin Seed recipe is a classic roasted recipe that uses olive oil, salt, and pepper.