Candied Pepitas

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Sweet, crunchy, spiced, and straight-up addicting, these are Candied Pepitas! Who knew candying nuts and seeds was so simple?

I do believe that I have created one of my new favorite snacks, Candied Pepitas! I know I’m going a little pepita crazy, but for good reason! Pepitas have become my crack. Therefore, I’m addicted. And by addicted, I mean I had some leftover from my granola. Last year I went crazy over all sorts of pumpkin recipes, but this year, I seem to be on the pepita train. I thought candying my extras was the obvious, most delicious choice.

But First, What are Pepitas?

Pepitas are essentially pumpkin seeds! More specifically the pepitas I used for this recipe have their white husks removed so they are green in color. But don’t worry, you don’t need to husk each pumpkin seed one by one. You can simply buy them from the bulk section are your local grocery store!

Ingredients for Candied Pepitas

Sugar? Spices? Candy? Come to momma. Here is everything you need to make Candied Pepitas:

• Egg White and Water – this mixture coats the pepitas and ensures the dry ingredients have something to stick to!
• Sugar and Light Brown Sugar – I use both to create the perfect candying blend.
• Salt – salt is essential in this recipe to balance out all the sweet going on.
• Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger – these are optional but highly recommended, especially for the fall and winter months! Feel free to use pumpkin pie spice instead of all the separate ones. Or, just switch it up and use what you got.

How to Make Candied Pepitas

Believe it or not, candying nuts/seeds is rather quite simple. Stir ingredients with sugars, spices, egg whites, and bake. That’s it. For full details on how to make Candied Pepitas, see the recipe card down below.

1. Start by frothing an egg white together with a splash of water.
2. Stir in your pepitas to coat well in the egg mixture.
3. Now comes the fun part. Add in all the good stuff that is going to make these irresistible. Sugars, spices, etc. 
4. Once they’re all good and coated, spread onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and throw it into a 300-degree oven.
5. Every 10 minutes or so, you’re going to want to toss these so they all cook and candy evenly. This was after 35 minutes. They’re dark and golden and yummy!
6. Cool, break apart, and store in an airtight container until you’re ready to eat!

Variations

Now that you have the basic recipe for Candied Pepitas, consider making them your own! Here are a couple of variations that you could try.

• Sea Salt: after baking, while the pepitas are still warm and sticky, sprinkle on some sea salt for a salty-sweet treat.
• More Nuts/Seeds: try mixing other nuts or seeds in with your pepitas. Almonds, pecans, and sun flower seeds all sound amazing!
• Spices: for a little kick, add a dash of cayenne pepper to the spices. 

More Snack Recipes to Try!

• No-Bake Nut and Seed Bars
• Bakery-Style Pumpkin Muffins
• Loaded Pepita Granola
• Chocolate Granola Recipe with Almonds

Candied Pepitas are delicious as a snack, on top of a salad, or wrap up as a gift!

The printable recipe card is below, enjoy 🙂

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5 from 3 votes

Candied Pepitas

Sweet, crunchy, spiced, and straight-up addicting, these are Candied Pepitas! Who knew candying nuts and seeds was so simple?

servings 3 cups, roughly

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 egg white
• ▢ splash cold water about 1 tablespoon water
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups raw pepitas
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon optional
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg optional
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon cloves optional
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ginger optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk egg white and water until frothy.
  
• Pour in pepitas and stir until well coated.
  
• Pour in remaining ingredients and stir until all pepitas are evenly coated and clumps of brown sugar are dissolved.
  
• Pour onto prepared baking sheet and spread in one even layer. Bake 30-35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Pepitas will look puffy and frothy each time you pull them out of the oven to stir. This is normal.
  
• After baking time, stir one final time and cool to room temperature. Break apart into large or small pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Makes a great snack, gift or salad topper.
  

Notes

*

Nutrition

Calories: 575kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1194mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 70g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 5mg

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: candied pepitas