Maple Cinnamon Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Crisp candied pumpkin seeds in a maple, cinnamon and vanilla shell, roasted low and slow so the syrup sets into a shatter-thin glaze instead of a sticky one.
- Prep
- 8 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- 25 min
- Serves
- 6
Maple Cinnamon Candied Pumpkin Seeds is a vegan snack recipe made with raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), pure maple syrup, coconut sugar. It takes 33 minutes of hands-on time, plus 25 minutes resting, serves 6, and each serving has 244 calories, 10 g of protein and 2 g of fiber.
Maple syrup alone stays tacky on pepitas, so this version adds a spoonful of coconut sugar: as the seeds cool, the sugar recrystallizes and the coating turns brittle rather than chewy. A low 300°F oven gives the syrup time to drive off its water before the cinnamon scorches, and stirring every 8 minutes keeps the seeds from welding into one sheet. The final trick is breaking the cluster apart while it's still warm — once it's cold it sets hard.
A seasoning profile (sweet maple-cinnamon candied coating instead of savory smoky garlic) take on our Smoky Garlic Savory Roasted Pumpkin Seeds with Nutritional Yeast.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups194 graw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), hulled
- 3 tbsp60 gpure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp24 gcoconut sugar
- 1 tbsp14 grefined coconut oil
- 1¼ tsp3.3 gground cinnamon
- ½ tsp2.1 gvanilla extract
- ½ tsp3 gfine sea salt
- 1 pinch0.2 gfreshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- ¼ tsp1.5 gflaky salt, for finishing (optional)
Kit: rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, small saucepan, mixing bowl, silicone spatula
Tips
- If your seeds came straight from a pumpkin, rinse off the pulp and dry them thoroughly on a towel first — wet seeds steam and the coating never sets. Whole in-shell seeds also need a longer roast, closer to 35 minutes.
- The coconut sugar is doing structural work, not just sweetening. Leaving it out gives you maple-glazed seeds that stay slightly chewy.
- Undercooking is the usual cause of sticky candied seeds. If they haven't hardened after 20 minutes of cooling, return them to the 300°F oven for another 5 minutes.
Swap ideas
- Use sunflower seeds in place of pepitas
- Smaller and faster — check them at 18 minutes, and expect a sweeter, less grassy flavor.
- Swap the cinnamon for 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- Adds clove and ginger for a rounder, more autumnal spice profile.
- Use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar
- Sets just as crisply with a slightly sharper caramel note and a lighter color.
- Add 1/4 tsp cayenne to the syrup
- Turns them sweet-hot, which works well scattered over roasted squash or a salad.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
244kcal per serving
Everything else · 6 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 4.7 g 24%
- Sugars
- 10.1 g
- Sodium
- 260 mg 11%
- Potassium
- 329 mg 7%
- Calcium
- 49 mg 4%
- Iron
- 2.9 mg 16%
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg 1%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried, Syrups, maple, COCONUT SUGAR (The Kroger Co., Branded; ingredients: organic coconut sugar), Oil, coconut, Spices, cinnamon, ground, Vanilla extract, Salt, table
Method
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. A low oven is what lets the syrup dry out before the cinnamon turns bitter, so resist the urge to go hotter.
Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat, then stir in the maple syrup, coconut sugar, cinnamon, fine sea salt and nutmeg. Warm for about 1 minute, just until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy — do not let it boil.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla; it will hiss. Adding it off-heat keeps the flavor from cooking away.
Put the pumpkin seeds in a bowl, pour over the warm syrup and toss with a spatula for a full minute, until every seed is slick and no dry patches remain at the bottom of the bowl.
Scrape the seeds onto the parchment and spread them into a single layer, pushing them out to the edges. Scrape any syrup left in the bowl over the top.
Roast for 22–26 minutes total, stirring and re-spreading every 8 minutes. They are done when the coating stops looking wet, the seeds smell toasty and the edges of the cluster are deep golden. They will still feel soft and tacky in the oven — that's normal.
Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then break the sheet into pieces with the spatula while it's still warm and pliable, separating the seeds as much as you can. Sprinkle with flaky salt if using.
Let cool completely on the pan, about 20 minutes, until the coating is dry and snaps between your fingers. Snap apart any remaining clusters before storing.
Storage: Cool completely, then store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Humidity is the enemy — if they soften, re-crisp on a sheet pan at 300°F for 5 minutes and cool again. Do not refrigerate; condensation makes the coating sticky.
Questions
- How much protein is in maple cinnamon candied pumpkin seeds?
- Each of the 6 servings has 10 g of protein, 2 g of fiber and 244 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is maple cinnamon candied pumpkin seeds vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does maple cinnamon candied pumpkin seeds take to make?
- 8 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, so 33 minutes of hands-on time, plus 25 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make maple cinnamon candied pumpkin seeds ahead?
- Cool completely, then store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Humidity is the enemy — if they soften, re-crisp on a sheet pan at 300°F for 5 minutes and cool again. Do not refrigerate; condensation makes the coating sticky.
- What can I substitute in maple cinnamon candied pumpkin seeds?
- Use sunflower seeds in place of pepitas — smaller and faster — check them at 18 minutes, and expect a sweeter, less grassy flavor.. Swap the cinnamon for 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice — adds clove and ginger for a rounder, more autumnal spice profile.. Use brown sugar instead of coconut sugar — sets just as crisply with a slightly sharper caramel note and a lighter color.. Add 1/4 tsp cayenne to the syrup — turns them sweet-hot, which works well scattered over roasted squash or a salad..
- Does maple cinnamon candied pumpkin seeds contain gluten or nuts?
- None of the ingredients are a source of gluten, tree nuts or peanuts. That is a statement about the ingredient list, not a guarantee about the brands you buy — always read the labels if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published September 21, 2026 ·American
