What’s the Difference Between Pepitas and Pumpkin Seeds
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A pumpkin seed is a pumpkin seed is a pumpkin seed, right? Well, kind of. We investigate whether pepita is just a cooler way of saying pumpkin seed or if it’s something different.
Are pepitas just pumpkin seeds? Or are they something entirely different? Let’s answer this pressing culinary question.
Technically, yes pepitas and pumpkin seeds are the same thing. But pepitas (which mean “little seeds of squash” in Spanish) don’t have a shell and are found in only select pumpkin varieties.
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Generally, the seeds you dig out of your jack-o’-lanterns are just plain old pumpkin seeds with shells and all. If you felt adventurous and tried to shuck them you’d find a small seed, or pepita, inside. But why would you do that when there are better things to do to them, like roasting and eating.
If you want pepitas and you don’t want to have to shell them, you can try growing some of the pumpkin varieties that have shell-less seeds. They have cool names like Lady Godiva Pumpkin, Austria Oil Seed Pumpkin, Gleisdorfer Naked Seeded Pumpkin and Kakai Hulless Pumpkin. But if you’re like me, I can never ever get anything to grow. So this isn’t an option.
Thank goodness lots of grocery stores sell pepitas. They even sell them on Amazon! These babies you can eat by the handful without doing any work. You can purchase already roasted pepitas or you can buy raw and roast them yourself. Once roasted they’re a delicious snack or crunchy topping for all kinds of recipes. Here’s a very delicious salad that uses them along with an easy delicious pumpkin dressing.
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I tryed the roasyed and salted pepitas. They were delicious!! This will be my new nut snack. I bought the ones mmae by good fields seeds. Thanks
You’re welcome, Vanessa. Thanks for letting us know!
Thanks for the great explanation! I feel a lot smarter now thanks to you! I love Pepitas, and you’re right, you can really suck those babies down!
Is there any nutritional difference between the two, though?
are your seed products non GMO
If I buy sunflower seeds the ones that are ready to eat and pumpkin seeds are they the same ?
Ellissa, No, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are not the same thing. Sunflower seeds come from the center of a big yellow flower called a sunflower. Pumpkin seeds come from inside of a pumpkin. Hope that helps!
Sprouts Farmers Market labels there pepitas as pumpkin seeds.
I want shelled pumpkin seeds, not pepitas.
It’s complicated, this pepita versus pumpkin seed thing, I know.
Hi there! I was curious about this and have to say “pepitas” means seed in Spanish, but only for some fruits. In Spain we call the ones from squash or sunflowers “Pipas”. You can buy them with the shell or not in supermarkets over here, I don’t know if it’s Mexican only but at least we don’t call them pepitas in Spain. Pepitas are the ones in melon, watermelons, apples, etc. Just to clarify 😉
Miriam, that’s so interesting! Thanks for filling us in!
Thank you so much for this clarification. I plan to use them to garnish a curried carrot soup, so now I know not to use the big pumpkin seeds with the shells!
Miriam, in Spain do you have pepita-spitting contests as we have watermelon-seed-spitting contests here? Haven’t done that since I was a kid.
The grocery store ALDI in Illinois sells them roasted with salt, delicious!
Thanks for sharing the info!
Dear Christine,
Is the nutritional value of pumpkin seed and pepitas the same?
I suspect they’re the same, Ivan, but my own research hasn’t been able to find anything reliable. I’m sorry.