The flat green kernels inside a pumpkin seed's white hull, sold hulled as pepitas. They puff and pop when toasted and hold their crunch well.
What it does in a recipe: A nut-free source of crunch, fat and green colour that toasts fast and grinds into a smooth green paste. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Pepitas, Pumpkin kernels
4substitutes
1close matches
Nuts & seedscategory
Quick answer
Sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds = 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
All substitutes, best first
4 ways to replace pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Closest match
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds = 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
The closest match in oil content and behaviour, and equally free of nut protein, so it holds the nut-free property that usually motivates the choice.
Trade-offSmaller and paler, so they blend into a mixture rather than standing out, and they lose the green colour entirely.
Allergen checkBoth seeds are genuinely nut-free and suitable for a school-safe kitchen, which is a useful fact worth relying on. The one caveat is packing: seeds are often run on nut lines, so where the allergy is severe, choose a certified nut-free facility.
Pine nuts
Reliable
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds = 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
A similar softness and fat content, and they blend to a comparably smooth paste in a sauce or a mole.
Trade-offSweeter, paler and considerably more expensive, and the green colour is gone.
Allergen checkPine nuts are a seed botanically but a recognised allergen in their own right and are routinely handled on tree nut lines, so they are not nut-free and should not be substituted into a nut-free bake. Check packaging and treat a severe allergy medically.
Chopped pistachios
Reliable
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds = 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
The only common nut that brings the same green colour, with a comparable fat content and a similar soft crunch.
Trade-offSweeter and more perfumed, and much more expensive. It also introduces a tree nut where there was none.
Allergen checkPistachios are a tree nut, so this reverses the main advantage of using pepitas. Where pumpkin seeds were chosen to keep a dish nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead. Read shared-equipment statements, and treat a diagnosed nut allergy as a matter for a clinician.
Hemp hearts
In a pinch
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds = 1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
Nut-free and similarly oily, so they contribute richness, though they are far too small and soft to give any crunch.
Trade-offNo texture whatsoever. They work as a nutritional and flavour stand-in and not at all as a topping.
Raw / no-cookSaucesVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-freeAlcohol-free
Worth knowing
Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are genuinely free of tree nut and peanut protein, which makes them the correct answer when a recipe needs to be nut-free for a school or an allergic household. Buy them from a brand that certifies a nut-free facility if the allergy is severe.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.