These oil-free candied pumpkin seeds are sweet without much sugar, salty enough for balance, and rich in both healthy fats & protein. They're ready in under 30 minutes, so whether you're looking for a sweet topping for your ice cream, a crumble for your oatmeal, or just a tasty snack in the afternoon, this is your new go-to recipe.
For other candied nuts and seeds, try my candied macadamia nuts and candied pecans.
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✔️ Why This Recipe is Great
Candied Pepitas Without Oil: The addition of a liquid sweetener plus a low cooking temperature for slightly longer keeps you from needing to use any oil, which can be tough for some people to tolerate early in the elimination diet.
Low Sugar: With only 2 teaspoons of low histamine sweetener, the entire recipe comes out to around 8g of sugar total, or less than 2g of sugar per serving. Unless you're super sensitive to sweeteners, this amount won't spike your blood sugar & the fat, fiber, and protein in the seeds will keep you fuller and happier than a grain-based dessert.
Oven vs. Toaster Oven: This candied pepitas recipe can easily be done in a toaster oven rather than a full-sized oven, and in that case you don't need to pre-heat the oven.
🫗 Ingredients
Raw Organic Pumpkin Seeds: while theoretically you could use lightly roasted seeds, I highly recommend the raw version (soaked & dried to lessen phytates) so that they toast up while caramelizing rather than getting overdone, or worse, completely burnt.
Tapioca Syrup or Honey: as the liquid sweetener in this recipe, tapioca syrup doesn't add so much sweetness, but helps to keep the sugar on the seeds and replace the oil. Another good vegan alternative to tapioca syrup is date syrup, though non-vegans can also use honey.
Coconut Sugar: it may seem redundant to have two types of sugar in a recipe, but the coconut sugar is the real sweetener that clings to the seeds, while allulose separates the pepitas from each other (you could probably us eonly allulose if you want to lighten the glycemic load further, but I've never tried it.
See recipe card for exact ingredients and quantities.
🍬 How to Make Candied Pepitas (Step-by-Step)
Step 1) Preheat the oven to 285°F for 10 minutes (this step is not necessary if using a toaster oven). Measure out your pumpkin seeds, and then put them into a small bowl. Measure out your coconut sugar and salt (if using) into a separate small bowl and stir them together until well-combined (image 1). If using allulose, keep that separate still.
Step 2) Drizzle the syrup or honey over the seeds, and then sprinkle on the sweetener mixture & salt. Stir everything together until each seed has at least a bit of syrup and sugar sticking to it (image 2).
Step 3) Sprinkle on the allulose if using, and shake all together until the pepitas aren't sticking to each other as much (images 3 & 4). Mix everything together again until each piece has a thin layer of sticky sweetness on the outside, and then drop your pepitas into a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (image 5).
Step 4) Bake your candy pepitas at 285°F (140°C) for 20 minutes, checking on them at 15 minutes in case differences in oven temp finish them off early. You'll know they're done from the toasty, caramelized aroma and light brown shade (images 6 & 7).
Step 5) Once the coating on the outsides has solidified, but before any of the pepitas begins to burn, remove the baking sheet from the oven and take off the parchment paper, setting it on a cool surface so that the seed won't continue to cook. They'll look sticky, but they'll harden however they look when you take them out of the oven, so if you want separated clusters, don't wait more than a minute before shaking the seeds apart.
Step 6) Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, or the freezer for several months.
🧂 Variations
- Lower-Sugar Pepita Clusters: Reduce or omit the coconut sugar and rely on allulose or a small amount of date or tapioca syrup for gentle sweetness.
- Salted Candied Pepitas: Skip extra sweetener and finish with a light sprinkle of sea salt for a sweet-savory, low histamine snack.
- Extra-Crunchy Clusters: Bake the pepitas a few minutes longer, stirring often, to create deeper caramelization and crunch.
- Lightly Sweet Pepitas: Use only tapioca syrup and omit coconut sugar for a subtler sweetness that many find easier to tolerate.
- Vanilla-Hint Pepitas: Add a tiny pinch of alcohol-free vanilla powder while the seeds are still warm for extra aroma without raising histamine.
- Simple Roasted Pepitas: Omit all sweeteners and roast with just sea salt for a plain, low histamine alternative.
🥣 Freezing or Storage
The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, and stores well on the counter for several days or in the freezer for a few months. Just be sure to keep your homemade candied pumpkin seeds in an airtight container, otherwise they'll soften and lose their crunch within a few days.
👨🏻🍳 Expert Notes & Tips
Using Roasted Seeds or Nuts: It's important that you use unroasted & unsalted organic pepitas, otherwise the candying process will over-roast them. To each their own, but I highly recommend raw seeds or nuts.
Over-Roasting: If you want to test the seeds for doneness before the 20 minutes are up, either due to uneven oven temps or uneven seed size, be sure to carefully use a fork to lift one off the tray and give it at least a full minute out of the oven before you take a bite. Otherwise they will both be way too hot to enjoy and will appear less done than they genuinely are.
Flavorings: If you decide to make this with a different nut or seed, you can enhance the experience by sprinkling one of the many low histamine spices on top. One such example is tossing candied pecans in a pinch of ground cardamom and rose syrup, or even tossing candied pili nuts in dried ground lemongrass and ginger.
🥗 What to Enjoy With Candied Pumpkin Seeds
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are generally considered low histamine when fresh and properly stored, making them a good option for low histamine snacks.
Yes, this recipe is naturally vegan when made with date syrup or tapioca syrup and plant-based sweeteners.
They usually need a bit more cooking time or cooling—candied seeds firm up as they cool.
You can omit the coconut sugar and use allulose or a small amount of tapioca syrup for sweetness.
Have you tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Easy Candied Pumpkin Seeds (3 Ingredients)
Equipment
- oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw organic pepitas pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon date syrup or tapioca syrup
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt optional
- 1 Tablespoon allulose optional; for sweeter pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 285°F for 10 minutes (this step is not necessary if using a toaster oven).
- Measure out your pumpkin seeds, and then put them into a small bowl. Measure out your coconut sugar and salt (if using) into a separate small bowl and stir them together until well-combined. If using allulose, keep that separate still.
- Drizzle the syrup or honey over the seeds, and then sprinkle on the sweetener mixture & salt. Stir everything together until each nut has at least a bit of syrup and sugar sticking to it.
- Sprinkle on the allulose if using, and shake all together until the pepitas aren't sticking to each other as much. Mix everything together again until each nut has a thin layer of sticky sweetness on the outside, and then drop your nuts into a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake your candy pepitas at 285°F (140°C) for 20 minutes, checking on them at 15 minutes in case differences in oven temp finish them off early. You'll know they're done from the toasty, caramelized aroma and light brown shade.
- Once the coating on the outsides has solidified, but before any of the pepitas begins to burn, remove the baking sheet from the oven and take off the parchment paper, setting it on a cool surface so that the seed won't continue to cook. They'll look sticky, but they'll harden however they look when you take them out of the oven, so if you want separated clusters, don't wait more than a minute before shaking the nuts apart.
- Allow them to cool for 5 minutes before enjoying, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, or the freezer for several months.
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