Cheesy Vegetarian

Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds

If you’re planning to carve a pumpkin in time for Halloween this year, don’t throw away the seeds! Roasted pumpkin seeds make a great snack, and these ones are coated in tasty spices and crisped up in the air fryer (or in the oven, if you prefer!).

It seems a shame to throw away perfectly useable stuff (my house may have a minor clutter problem), so if there’s a way to use something that would usually go into the bin, I’m all for it. Plus it’s a nice easy recipe to make with the kids!

A spoon scooping up toasted air fryer pumpkin seeds.

Seeds that are picked from a fresh pumpkin have a slightly tough shell around them. It’s totally up to you whether you want to leave this shell on, or remove it from each seed.

The shell contains tons of fibre and is totally edible, but it does make the seeds a little harder to digest, so you may choose to remove the shells if you have any stomach issues. I didn’t bother removing the shells (as a general rule I will skip any step that isn’t 100% necessary), but either way works!

Spice Ideas for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I flavoured my pumpkin seeds with my all-time favourite spice, smoked paprika, as well as a little chilli powder and some salt.

Of course, you can use whatever combination of spices you like! Here are a few ideas:

Make Tex-Mex pumpkin seeds using either a shop-bought taco spice mix, or your own favourite blend.
Go for an Indian vibe with garam masala or your favourite curry powder.
Use garlic powder and dried herbs for a less spicy option.
You could even experiment with sweet roasted pumpkin seeds, using cinnamon or nutmeg.
Even just a bit of salt and pepper would be great!

Can I Use Shop-Bought Pumpkin Seeds?

Yes! This recipe also works really well with shop-bought pumpkin seeds (pepitas), in case you don’t want to go to the effort of picking them out of a fresh pumpkin. Shop-bought seeds often have the shell of the seed removed, which is why they usually look a sort of grey-green colour.

Here’s what shop-bought seeds look like after being cooked up in the air fryer:

Shop-bought pumpkin seeds cooked in an air fryer and served in a bowl.

How to Use Air Fried Pumpkin Seeds

After you’ve cooked them, these toasted pumpkin seeds will last for a good week or two in an air-tight tub, so you can use them up gradually (or snaffle them all in one go, no judgement here).

Here are a few ways I like to serve these pumpkin seeds:

sprinkled over a Caesar salad (it adds a nice crunch, similar to a crouton)
stirred through scrambled eggs
on their own as a crunchy snack!
sprinkled onto avocado toast
served on a jacket potato

…or any other way you can think of!

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for air fryer pumpkin seeds laid out with text overlay.

pumpkin seeds. If you’re using shop-bought seeds, just skip the first few steps of the recipe.
oil (to help them get nice and crispy)
your choice of spices – I used smoked paprika, chilli powder and salt.

Becca’s Top Tip

Air frying is nice and quick as it doesn’t require any pre-heating, but an air fryer is essentially just a mini oven – so if you don’t have one, you can also cook pumpkin seeds in the oven. Just spread them on a baking tray, and roast for a few minutes at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).

Recipe Video

Equipment

The air fryer I use is the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which I really love. You can use the two baskets at the same time if you’re cooking a full meal, or use them separately, for small batches of pumpkin seeds!

Here’s the one I have on Amazon:

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

I love the two separate zones in this air fryer!

If you’re in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.

Printable Instructions

A small pot of air fryer toasted pumpkin seeds.

Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds

These air fryer pumpkin seeds are a great crunchy snack, and can be made with shop-bought seeds or ones from a freshly carved pumpkin!

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 13

Servings people

Calories 120kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

~ 4 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

If you’re using pumpkin seeds from a fresh pumpkin, begin by removing as much of the orange pulp from the seeds as possible.
Wash any remaining pulp from the seeds using a colander, then spread the seeds out to dry on some paper towels.
Add the seeds to a bowl with the oil and spices, and mix well to combine.
Spread the spiced seeds out in a single layer in an air fryer basket, and cook for 5-8 minutes at 190°C (375°F). Give them a shake every few minutes, and remove them from the air fryer when they look nice and crispy, as they can burn easily.
Allow them to cool, and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

How should I store toasted pumpkin seeds?

Once cooled, you should store your air fryer pumpkin seeds in an airtight container at room temperature. I would happily eat them for a week or two (if they last that long), but they do start to lose their crunch after a while. They’re best eaten in the first few days.

Is this recipe vegan?

Yes, these roasted pumpkin seeds are totally vegan.

Other Pumpkin Seed Recipes

Vegetarian Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds

Peach and mozzarella salad with homemade croutons, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds.

Peach and Mozzarella Salad with Rocket

Portion of chickpea casserole in a bowl with garlic bread and salad.

Lemony Chickpea Casserole

A hand scooping creamy cowboy caviar with a tortilla chip.

Creamy Cowboy Caviar (Vegan Bean Salad) with Avocado Dressing

The post Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Air Fryer Gnocchi (with Pesto and Mozzarella)

Ahh, gnocchi! Adorable little potato dumplings that taste like little pillowy clouds – soft and fluffy, like little hugs for your mouth. I adore gnocchi cooked with all sorts of flavours, and this easy air fryer recipe involves:

crispy gnocchi cooked in a creamy pesto sauce
roasted vegetables that are sweet and tender
gooey little pockets of mozzarella cheese
a layer of rich tomato sauce to bring it all together

Doesn’t it just sound irresistible?! It couldn’t be easier to make, and the classic Italian flavours are just incredible.

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables with mozzarella and pesto.

If you’re a regular reader here on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian, you might know that I’m not a fan of boiling gnocchi, and I usually cook it in a frying pan (see my instructions for frying gnocchi!). However, lately I’ve been experimenting with different methods – like baked gnocchi, and oven-roasted gnocchi. This time, I thought I’d use the air fryer!

Why Cook Gnocchi in an Air Fryer?

I use my air fryer several times a week, and I love it. An air fryer is essentially just a mini oven, so whatever you can cook in an oven, you can cook in an air fryer instead (and vice versa) – but it’s a lot quicker when there’s a smaller space to heat up.

Cooking this pesto gnocchi in an air fryer means you can turn it on, leave it to do its thing for a while, and return to perfectly cooked gnocchi. It’s a lot less labour intensive than cooking the gnocchi in a frying pan, and it’s quicker than using the oven. Best of both worlds!

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

gnocchi – any shop-bought gnocchi will work. I haven’t tested this recipe using homemade gnocchi, but I imagine that would work well too (though you’ll probably need to boil the gnocchi first).
vegetables – I used mushrooms, red onion and a yellow pepper. Any similar Italian-style veggies will work well.
pesto – I used a creamy basil pesto, but use whatever you like the sound of.
fresh mozzarella cheese
tomato sauce – choose your favourite tomato-based pasta sauce, or use your own homemade tomato sauce! It’s worth choosing a good quality sauce for this recipe.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t have an air fryer, you could cook this recipe in a regular oven instead, or in a frying pan on the stovetop.

Recipe Video

Equipment

My air fryer is the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which I really love, and I use it several times a week. I love how it has two separate baskets, so you can cook small or large meals easily. One of the baskets was enough to cook this air fryer gnocchi.

Here’s the one I have on Amazon:

Ninja Dual Air Fryer

I love the two separate zones in this air fryer!

If you’re in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.

A bowl of air fryer gnocchi on tomato sauce.

Printable Instructions

Air fryer gnocchi and vegetables on tomato sauce.

Air Fryer Gnocchi with Pesto and Mozzarella

Air fryer gnocchi, with creamy pesto sauce, gooey pockets of mozzarella, and roasted veggies. This vegetarian meal is so easy!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 22

Total Time 32

Servings people

Calories 663kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp pesto (I used a creamy basil pesto)
2 Tbsp water
120 g mushrooms (~ 6 medium mushrooms)
1 bell pepper (I used yellow)
1 red onion
500 g (~1 lb) gnocchi
250 g (~ 9 oz) fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into pieces
340 g (~ 1 cup) good quality tomato pasta sauce

Instructions

Add the pesto and a splash of water to a mixing bowl, and mix well to thin out the pesto a little. This will help it to coat the gnocchi nicely.
Chop the mushrooms, pepper and red onion into bitesized pieces, and add them to the bowl, along with the gnocchi. Mix well to coat everything in the sauce.
Transfer the mixture to your air fryer, and cook at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes. Stir the gnocchi, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
When the gnocchi and vegetables are nicely crisped up, add the torn up mozzarella cheese to the air fryer, and cook for 2 more minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Heat up the tomato sauce – I warmed it in a bowl in the microwave, but you could use a pan on the stovetop instead, if you prefer. Serve the crispy air fried gnocchi on top of the hot tomato sauce.

Video

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this recipe in advance?

You could easily mix up the gnocchi / vegetables / pesto in advance, then store the mixture in the fridge until you’re ready to air fry, just before serving.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

I generally reheat any leftovers in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave, you could also reheat in the air fryer or in a frying pan, but bear in mind that the sauce will dry up a bit if using these methods, so you may need to mix in a little water to freshen it up.

How should I serve air fried gnocchi?

This recipe can be served on its own, without any additional side dishes. However, if you’d like to serve something on the side, a simple salad would be a great addition.