Okay, so Halloween may be over now, but that doesn’t mean that pumpkins have disappeared. In fact, from all the pumpkin recipes that I’ve made over this past month, I’ve worked up quite the appetite for all things pumpkin. Using just one ingredient- Raw, de-hulled pumpkin seeds- and 20 minutes of your time, you can blend up this delicious homemade pumpkin seed butter. I’ve even included the health benefits of pumpkin seeds, some pumpkin seed butter uses for you in this post, for some recipe inspiration! Originally I’d wanted to try and use all the leftover pumpkin seeds I have from my pumpkin recipes. However, these fresh seeds still have the fibrous white ‘hull’ around them, and it would take WAY to long to try and de-hull them all. Instead, I’ll keep them for other recipes and introduce you to this homemade pumpkin seed butter recipe instead. Yay! Also, it’s worth mentioning that buying pumpkin seeds in bulk make this recipe incredibly cost-effective in comparison to buying a jar from a shop. Plus, the homemade stuff is just always better- fact! (Okay, maybe not a fact, but I stand by my opinion that homemade pumpkin seed butter is the way to go!) Pumpkin seeds are quite well utilised anyway, in snack mixes, roasted in the oven, sprinkled over dishes etc. And this isn’t surprising considering that they are a little nutritional powerhouse!
Health benefits of pumpkin seeds
In only one tablespoon, Pumpkin seeds contain 1g Protein and around 38kcal. – Which is one of the reasons I include them in my 5-seed Vegan protein blend! Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of magnesium, iron & zinc as well as antioxidant and many other nutrients They are high in antioxidants – combating damage caused by free radicals with anti-inflammatory properties. Pumpkin seeds are not only excellent for heart & bone health, but they can also lower blood pressure and regulate blood sugar levels, due to the magnesium. Pumpkin seeds also have various anti-cancer properties- particularly stomach, lung and breast cancer. Due to the tryptophan ( an amino acid), Pumpkin seeds have even been shown to improve sleep.
And that’s to name a few of their many benefits! Now, for the homemade pumpkin seed butter recipe, flavored pumpkin seed butter combinations and it’s uses…
How to make homemade pumpkin seed butter
To begin, roast the raw pumpkin seeds in the oven at 165ºC (fan-assisted) for 10 minutes and then leave till cool-to-touch. Pour your seeds into a food processor or blender and blend till smooth. This is best done in intervals so the seeds (and machine) don’t overheat. As a general rule, the longer they are blended, the runnier the consistency of the nut/seed butter. Pumpkin seeds are relatively hard, and so for a super smooth homemade pumpkin seed butter, It took me around 20 minutes of blending. I let the machine rest for a while ever 2-3 minutes. Once the homemade pumpkin seed butter is ready, transfer it to an airtight glass container and keep this in a cupboard for a few weeks or the fridge for 2-3 months. It can also be frozen, for longer. I haven’t tested this out exactly, but I would think that it would be okay for up to six months.
Some flavored pumpkin seed combinations you could try include
Whenever I make large batches of seed butter, I tend to avoid additional ingredients, and they will affect the shelf-life. If I want to flavor any, I will make sure only to flavor a small portion of it, so none goes to waste. If you want some flavored pumpkin seed butter inspiration:
A simple, sweet modification would be to add some homemade Vanilla extract or Vanilla Powder. I’m always a fan of adding cinnamon to any nut/seed butter. For a simple, sweet version add your favorite natural syrup of choice. Pumpkin seed butter combined with a ratio of 2:1 pumpkin seed to desiccated coconut gives a lovely coconut pumpkin seed butter mix.
How to use pumpkin seed butter
Pumpkin seed butter is a good replacement to other nut/seed butter recipes, in many cases. For example, pumpkin seed butter works well as a spread on toast, mixed into smoothies and healthy parfaits, drizzled over oats etc. As with all Nut & seed butters, It would also work to create some funky, green alternatives to homemade Vegan peanut butter cups. Plus, pumpkin seed butter would also work as an alternative spread on fruits for a nutritious, quick snack. For some savory inspiration, pumpkin seed butter can also be incorporated into a homemade pesto! What are your favorite ways to use pumpkin seed butter? – let me know in the comments! As always, if you give this recipe a go then let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie.
