Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seed Brittle

I came up with this sweet and spicy brittle simply as a garnish for my Grapefruit, Feta and Avocado salad, but I ended up loving it so much that I felt it deserved its own post! It’s the perfect bite if I’m wanting something that’s just a little sweet and crunchy, (which is pretty much always, so I’ve gone through quite a bit of it.) It’s also incredibly easy to make. If you don’t have much experience with making candy, this recipe is a good place to start.

Here’s what you need:

I buy pepitas that are already roasted but unsalted. If you can only get your hands on raw pepitas, that’s fine. Just roast them in a 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes. If you can only find salted, just omit the salt from the recipe.

I love using coconut palm sugar in a recipe like this. It has a rich, toasty flavor and as it heats it develops these sort of subtle smoky notes. It results in all these interesting layers of flavors without having to add lots of different ingredients. And even though it is still sugar, it doesn’t have the super sweet, refined flavor that I would get if I were using granulated sugar.

Start by stirring together the coconut sugar, honey, butter, water, salt and spices in a medium sauce pan over medium to medium high heat. The butter will melt and the sugar will dissolve and it will begin to bubble for a few minutes until it reaches 300 degrees, (hard crack stage) on a candy thermometer. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, well you need to get one. I have yet to find a regular kitchen thermometer that goes to 300 degrees. You can easily find one anywhere that sells kitchen tools equipment.

Once the caramel reaches temperature, immediately turn off the heat and quickly stir in the pumpkin seeds.

Dump the candy out onto a sheet pan lined with either parchment or a silicone mat. Use a rubber spatula to spread out as thinly as possible.

Once the brittle has cooled completely, break it into shards. Keep it stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

This brittle makes a great gift for the spice lovers in your life! It’s also great chopped up and sprinkled over ice cream, like my Rich and Toasty Coconut Ice Cream or some hot oatmeal or even tossed in salads like my Sweet and Smoky Kale Salad or Sweet and Savory Grilled Peach Salad!

For more like this, try my Quick and Delicious Candied Pecans or Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce!