How to make homemade pumpkin seed milk! It’s a dairy-free milk alternative that’s easy to make and super versatile to use in smoothies, coffee, oatmeal and more.
Move over oat milk and almond milk because there’s a new dairy-free milk alternative on the block made from pumpkin seeds!
Pumpkin seed milk is a thick and creamy milk alternative made solely from pumpkin seeds and a couple other simple ingredients I’m betting you have in your pantry.
It doesn’t require any soaking of the seeds or straining of the milk, you just simply blend the pumpkin seeds in a high-speed blender to get this delicious seed milk that can be used in a variety of ways.
In terms of texture I would say it’s just as thick and creamy if not more thick and creamy than oat milk and coconut milk.
I added pumpkin spice to this recipe to give it a hint of fall flavor and warmness from cozy spices. Fall is on the horizon and I’ll take any excuse I can to whip out my pumpkin spice!
Also known as “pepita” (the Spanish word for pumpkin seed), pumpkin seeds are a pantry staple of mine because they are so easy to sprinkle on anything you’re eating for more nutrition. I’m excited to have another way to use them in this super easy homemade seed milk recipe!
Nutrition Benefits of Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are small but mighty when it comes to nutrition. They’re a good source of:
- Plant-based protein
- Fiber
- Magnesium — a mineral most of us don’t get enough of
- Vitamin K
- Zinc
- Iron
- Potassium
- Copper
- Manganese
- Healthy fats
- Antioxidants
Check out this post for a deep dive into all the nutritional benefits they contain and read more about pumpkin seeds’ potential mental health benefits here.
Ingredients for Homemade Pumpkin Seed Milk
- raw pumpkin seeds – be sure they are raw and not roasted & salted
- filtered water
- vanilla extract
- maple syrup – alternatively you can sweetened with 1-2 dates, or honey. I do recommend sweetening it as it helps to balance out the bitterness of all those pumpkin seeds!
- pumpkin pie spice — cinnamon would also work if you don’t have pumpkin pie spice
- salt
equipment / utensils
- high-speed blender like a Vitamix
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Seed Milk
Making homemade pumpkin seed milk is super easy. Compared to other nut milks where soaking and straining might be involved, you don’t have to do any of that with pumpkin seed milk.
Simply add the pumpkin seeds to a high-speed blender with filtered water, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
It will be a light shade of green and this is totally normal because of the pumpkin seeds! I recommend refrigerating before use as it tastes best cold.
How Does Pumpkin Seed Milk Taste?
The first time I made this recipe I really wasn’t sure how it would taste or if I would like it. I love pumpkin seeds on salads, grain bowls, and oatmeal but pulsed into a milk? I wasn’t sure!
This seed milk has a really creamy mouthfeel and does in fact taste like pumpkin seeds. The added sweetener and salt really help to balance out the bitterness of the pumpkin seeds and give it a balanced, mellow flavor.
Whereas you can’t really taste the almonds in almond milk, I think you can taste the pumpkin seeds in this pumpkin seed milk when taking a sip. Or if you were trying it not knowing it was made from pumpkin seeds, you would definitely be able to figure it out based on the taste.
When I used it as the liquid for my smoothie that had banana, pineapple and spinach, I really couldn’t taste the milk at all but liked knowing I was getting all of that extra nutrition from it!
Storing Pumpkin Seed Milk
Store pumpkin seed milk in a sealed glass jar in the fridge for up to a week. Separation is natural, so just give it a good shake before you want to use it.
In terms of pumpkin seeds, I also recommend storing them in the fridge for maximum freshness. The oils in pumpkin seeds can go rancid after a while so just like nuts, storing pumpkin seeds in the fridge helps to keep them fresh.
How to Use Pumpkin Seed Milk
You can use pumpkin seed milk just like you would use regular milk or nut or oat milk. Here are a few different ways I recommend using it:
- in smoothies
- in chia seed pudding
- in overnight oats or regular oatmeal
- with granola or cereal
- in your coffee
- in recipes that call for milk or almond milk
- in recipes that call for coconut milk because it’s just as thick and creamy if not more
Benefits of Pumpkin Seed Milk
- It’s a dairy-free milk alternative.
- It’s super high in magnesium which helps with our nervous system, muscle relaxation and contraction and more.
- It’s super creamy making it perfect for smoothies and to use as a coffee creamer.
- It’s a good source of plant-based protein and fiber which not many other milk alternatives can claim.
- It contains iron which is a mineral that’s important for women, especially active women who are at greater risk of deficiency.
- It’s easy to make at home.
- It might help you relax and get sleepy for bed.
Bedtime Benefits of Pumpkin Seed Milk
Trouble unwinding and getting sleepy for bed? Pumpkin seed milk might be able to help.
Not only is it super high in magnesium which helps us to relax and has been linked to increased sleep quality, but it also contains tryptophan (small amounts) and zinc which plays a beneficial role in helping us sleep as well.
Pumpkin seeds contain about 14% of the recommended daily intake of zinc (per 1 oz. serving). Zinc helps to convert tryptophan (same thing that’s in turkey that makes us sleepy) into serotonin which then gets converted into melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.
So if you’re looking for a way to naturally get your body into sleep mood consider some of these bedtime snacks that include pumpkin seed (PS) milk:
- piece of whole-wheat toast with nut butter, banana and a small glass of PS milk
- low-sugar granola with PS milk
- overnight oats made with PS milk & topped with banana
Pumpkin Spice Pumpkin Seed Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 3 cups filtered water
- 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp.+ pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender.
- Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to a week and enjoy!
If you’re not already, be sure to follow me @onceuponapumpkin for more seasonal recipes including all things pumpkin in the fall! And if you make this recipe, please tag me or comment here how you liked it.
Pumpkin & Pumpkin Seed Recipes You’re Sure to Love:
- Better than Starbucks Pumpkin Bread (GF & DF)
- Pumpkin Chickpea Blondies (GF & DF)
- Pumpkin Spice Oat Milk Latte (DF)
- Pumpkin Apple Baked Oatmeal (GF & DF)
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I wanted to make the pumpkin seed milk and was wondering if I could use almond milk instead of water?
I’ve never tried that but I think it would work. Let me know how it goes!
Super easy to make and tastes amazing!! Thank you for sharing the recipe 🙂
Thank you! So glad you liked it! 🙂