Nuts and seeds

Pumpkin seeds nutrition, small servings, real numbers.

The number most people want first: 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds holds 163 calories, alongside 8.5 g of protein. In USDA’s database this is “Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt”. Its real contribution is magnesium and phosphorus. Use the selector that follows to match your own portion; the panel and the nutrient table track it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Numbers come from USDA FoodData Central records 170556, 170557 and are worked out locally, with no sign-up.

How many calories are in pumpkin seeds?

163 calories is the figure for 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds; 574 is the figure per 100 g. Below are the remaining portions USDA measured.

What pumpkin seeds offers in protein

Expect 8.5 g of protein from 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds, roughly 17 percent of a 50 g day. By calories pumpkin seeds is 21 percent protein, so it adds to your intake but will not anchor it.

Its energy is 71 percent fat, 9 percent carbohydrate and 19 percent protein, meaning it behaves as mostly a fat in a meal.

What cooking does to pumpkin seeds

To keep it fair, all figures are for 28 g.

Kitchen notes on pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are sold either encased in their tough white husks or as naked green kernels, often called pepitas. The hull-less varieties come from specific oil pumpkins. Choose plump kernels with a deep green hue and a sweet, nutty aroma. Avoid any that look yellowed, shrivelled, or smell dusty and rancid.

Toasting cooks the kernels from the inside, causing them to swell and pop. The raw moisture escapes, leaving a crisp texture. The most common error is leaving them unattended in a hot pan. Because of their high oil content, they turn from pale green to burnt and bitter very quickly.

These seeds add crunch to Mexican pipián sauces, where they are ground into a thick paste. In Central Europe, the dark oil pressed from them dresses root vegetables. Toss the roasted kernels through green salads, stir them into bread dough, or scatter them over warm autumn soups.

Pumpkin seeds: the full nutrient profile

Measured against FDA Daily Values, the strongest lines for 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds are magnesium at 37 percent of a day, phosphorus at 27 percent of a day, zinc at 20 percent of a day. Adjust the panel at the top and these rows recalculate.

Pumpkin seeds packs 6.5 g of fibre into 100 g, covering 23 percent of what the label rules call a day’s worth.

Where pumpkin seeds fits in a day

Against the standard 2,000 calorie reference, 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds takes up 8 percent of the energy and supplies 17 percent of the protein. For a figure that fits you, start with the TDEE calculator, then set grams with the macro calculator.

Using pumpkin seeds: three recipes

Three recipes from the Calorie Counter Team, each costed ingredient by ingredient against USDA records, so the per-serving figures are sums, not guesses.

Snack · British

Pumpkin Seed Butter

A smooth spread made from roasted pumpkin seeds and a small amount of oil.

20 min · serves 8

243kcal

11gprotein

22gfat

4gcarbs

Ingredients

• pumpkin seeds 300 g
• rapeseed oil 30 g
• salt 3 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds on a baking tray for 10 minutes until they turn pale brown.
3. Transfer the warm seeds to a food processor and blend for 5 minutes until a paste forms.
4. Add the rapeseed oil and salt to the processor.
5. Blend for another 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth.

Figures are per serving and come from 3 USDA FoodData Central entries; cooking will shift them slightly.

Dinner · Italian

Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta

A green pasta dish with a sauce made from blended pumpkin seeds, basil, and parmesan.

15 min · serves 2

914kcal

30gprotein

57gfat

76gcarbs

Ingredients

• dried penne pasta 180 g
• pumpkin seeds 80 g
• fresh basil leaves 30 g
• garlic clove 6 g
• parmesan cheese 40 g
• olive oil 60 g
• salt 3 g

Method

1. Boil the pasta in salted water for 10 minutes, then drain and reserve 50 millilitres of cooking water.
2. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3 minutes.
3. Blend the toasted seeds, basil, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, and salt in a food processor until rough.
4. Mix the pasta with the pesto and the reserved cooking water in a warm bowl.

Summed from 7 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Side · Irish

Pumpkin Seed Loaf

A dense, yeast-free bread loaf packed with whole pumpkin seeds and wholemeal flour.

45 min · serves 8

234kcal

12gprotein

10gfat

26gcarbs

Ingredients

• wholemeal wheat flour 250 g
• pumpkin seeds 150 g
• bicarbonate of soda 5 g
• salt 4 g
• buttermilk 280 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C and grease a 450-gram loaf tin.
2. Mix the wheat flour, pumpkin seeds, bicarbonate of soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Pour in the buttermilk and stir rapidly with a knife to form a soft dough.
4. Shape the dough into a loaf, place it in the tin, and cut a slash down the centre.
5. Bake for 35 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base.

5 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

A plate built around pumpkin seeds

One way to build a meal around pumpkin seeds, costed from the same records. Substitute freely; the method carries over.

Pumpkin seeds or something else?

Here is how pumpkin seeds sits among its neighbours per 100 g; the form column keeps raw and cooked apart.

Pumpkin seeds, asked and answered

How many calories does 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds have?

The USDA figure is 163 calories, or 574 per 100 g. It is taken from the record “Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt”, FDC 170557.

How much protein is in pumpkin seeds?

You get 8.5 g from 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds, equal to 17 percent of the daily reference amount; 100 g holds 30 g.

Does pumpkin seeds fit a calorie deficit?

It can fit any calorie target; no single food decides the outcome. What matters here is that 1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds costs 163 calories and returns 8.5 g of protein, so 21 percent of its energy is protein — useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

Which nutrients is pumpkin seeds highest in?

1 oz of roasted pumpkin seeds is strongest in magnesium at 37 percent, phosphorus at 27 percent, zinc at 20 percent. Other nutrients are present in smaller amounts and are listed in the profile table.

Can you eat the white shells?

Yes, the outer shells are edible, though they are very woody. To make them easier to chew, boil them in salted water before roasting them in a hot oven until they become crisp and dry.

Why do raw pumpkin seeds sometimes taste bitter?

Bitterness indicates that the delicate oils inside the seeds have spoiled. Exposure to warm air and light causes rancidity. Store your seeds in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve their mild, sweet flavour.

Sources

• Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, without salt — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170557
• Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170556
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9