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.
Pepitas And Pumpkin Seeds
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.
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.
How To Get Pepitas
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. Try adding some on top of soups and salads.
Thank you so much for explaining. I’m trying to make mole verde and wanted to know difference. This really helps and the first time I just used raw pumpkin seeds from my Hispanic grocery store but am going to look for pepitas! The flavor is just incredible and I was told to add sesame seeds along with it. Do you think sesame will add more flavor or leave out sesame?
You’re welcome, Robert! I’m not sure if it needs sesame seeds, but I’d love to hear how it turns out and what you think.
Christine…
The people bashing you for being wrong or misleading are what some of us call pinheads. Most of us also understood that pepitas are from the pumpkin family & not necessarily from the pumpkins we harvest for Jack-o-Lanterns. Your article was informative & accurate!
You are wrong. They are not the same thing.
Hi Melissa,
I didn’t say they were exactly the same thing. They are from a different species and one has the shell still on while the other doesn’t.
Your article is misleading where you state “technically they are the same thing”. You can not hull a “regular” pumpkin seed to find a pepita inside. Proofs are only found in some pumpkin varieties. They are not inside of all pumpkin seeds
How/where can I get pepitas grown in the USA or at least Mexico?
I’m sorry, Barbara, I’m not sure. You’d have to research the brands that are available to you. I know there’s lots of options online, but it may require lots of label reading and checking company websites.
Loved the article… great info to👍🏽🥰🇺🇸
Thank you, Lisa!
Love hearty eating
Very interesting and tempting. All of them sounds great and I’m ready to try.
Hi Christine
Can people eat raw seeds and nuts, or is roasting sort of like pasteurization? But what i really need to know is if i can safely buy and eat raw pumpkin seeds and raw pumpkin seed butter? As well as other seed and nut varieties.
Our Walmart carries roasted & salted (green color) pepitas in the produce section. Just discovered them!! Deelish!!
Wonderful! Good to know.
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.
The grocery store ALDI in Illinois sells them roasted with salt, delicious!
Thanks for sharing the info!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
are your seed products non GMO
Is there any nutritional difference between the two, though?
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!
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!