TL;DR: Pepitas and pumpkin seeds come from the same family of plants, but they're usually different parts of the seed. Pepitas are the dark green, hulled inner kernels — most commonly from a special pumpkin variety (Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca) bred for hull-less seeds. Pumpkin seeds, when sold whole, are the larger flat white-shell seeds you scoop straight out of a pumpkin, hull and all. In Australian shops the words are often used interchangeably for the hulled green version, because that's what most people actually buy. Nutritionally similar: high in zinc, magnesium, and plant protein. Pepitas are easier to eat (no hard shell), travel well, and toast beautifully. Whole pumpkin seeds are a free by-product of roasting a pumpkin — same nutrition, more effort.
You ask for pumpkin seeds at one shop and get a bag of the small flat green kernels. You ask at another and get a bag of larger white seeds still in their shell. Then you read a recipe that calls for "pepitas" and have no idea which one to buy. The shop assistant says "they're the same thing" with the confidence of someone who is half right.
The answer is: pepitas and pumpkin seeds are technically the same seed, but the version you buy in a shop is usually the hulled green kernel, sold under both names. Whole shell-on pumpkin seeds are a free by-product if you're cooking a pumpkin from scratch, and they're worth saving once you know how.
Also known as pumpkin seeds, pepitas are the flat, dark-green, hull-less inner kernels of certain pumpkin and squash species — most commonly Cucurbita pepo, the same family that includes zucchini, courgette, and the orange Halloween pumpkin. The word "pepita" is Spanish for "little seed of squash," and in Mexico it's been a snack and ingredient for thousands of years.
The pepitas you see in Australian shops are almost always from a specific variety bred for what's called "naked seeds" — the seeds grow without a hard outer shell, so you can eat them straight from the pumpkin. The most common variety is Styrian (also called oilseed pumpkin), grown commercially in Austria, China, India, and a small but growing Australian region.
Our pepitas at the Moonee Ponds counter are roasted and ready-to-eat, $4.97 for 250g or $17.67 for the kilo. They're sourced from the Styrian-style commercial growing regions.
Yes and no — the answer depends on which pumpkin and which seed you're talking about.
Strictly, "pumpkin seeds" is the broader term and includes both: 1. The flat white-shell seeds you scoop out of a regular kitchen pumpkin (Kent, butternut, Queensland blue). These have a hard outer shell with a green kernel inside. 2. The dark green hulled kernels grown specifically for snacking and oil pressing, with no hard outer shell. These are called pepitas in retail.
In Australian shops, the bag labelled "pumpkin seeds" almost always means option 2 — the green pepitas. The terms are used interchangeably about 90% of the time. If a recipe calls for "pumpkin seeds" without specifying, the green hulled version is what's intended.
The exception is the once-a-year question: should I save the seeds from this pumpkin I'm roasting? Those are option 1 — the whole white-shell seeds. They're edible, they're nutritious, and they're free, but they take a bit of work because of the shell. We'll come back to those further down.
The kernel is the kernel, so the nutritional differences are minor. Both contain roughly the same per-100g profile of zinc (around 7–10mg, more than a third of your daily requirement in a small handful), magnesium (around 500mg), plant protein (around 30g), and healthy unsaturated fats. The white shell on whole pumpkin seeds adds fibre but is harder to digest and chew.
The biggest practical nutritional question people ask is about zinc, because pepitas are one of the few non-meat sources that delivers meaningful amounts. A small handful (about 30g) gives you around 2–3mg of zinc — useful if you're vegetarian, vegan, or just don't eat much red meat. That's around 20–30% of an adult's daily requirement, which is a lot for what's effectively a sprinkle on a salad.
The other useful number is magnesium. A 30g serve of pepitas delivers around 150mg of magnesium — roughly half a daily requirement. For people who've been told to "eat more leafy greens" for magnesium, a teaspoon of pepitas on porridge or yogurt is usually a higher-density delivery.
The lazy uses, in the order most Australian households actually adopt them:
Sprinkle on salads, porridge, or yogurt. A teaspoon on top of any soft meal adds crunch, colour, and zinc. The pepitas don't need pre-toasting if they're already roasted (most shop-bought pepitas are). For raw pepitas, a quick 5-minute toast in a dry pan brings the flavour out.
Stir into trail mix or granola. Standard ratio: equal parts pepitas, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries or sultanas, and rolled oats. Add a tablespoon of maple syrup, toast at 160°C for 15 minutes, stir twice. Cool. That's a homemade granola for the week at about half the cost of supermarket muesli.
Blend into pesto. Replace the pine nuts in a basil pesto with pepitas. Cheaper, locally available, similar nutrient density, slightly more body. We do this every summer when basil is cheap at our local Vic Market grower.
Bake into bread or muffins. A handful (about 50g) of pepitas folded into the final mix of a seeded sourdough or a banana muffin batter. They bake into the crumb without going soggy and add a colour-fleck most people read as "wholesome" before they've even tasted it.
Crush onto fish or chicken. Pulse pepitas in a spice grinder with salt, pepper, and a little lemon zest. Use as a crust on a fillet of fish or chicken breast before pan-frying. Adds protein, fat, and a subtle nuttiness.
Snack straight from the jar. The default and the easiest. A small handful at 3pm hits the snack craving better than a packet of crackers because the protein and fat keep you full longer.
A 250g bag at our counter goes for two to three weeks in a household that adopts the porridge-sprinkle habit. The kilo goes for six to eight weeks at the same rate.
Save them. They're free, they're nutritious, and they take less work than people think.
The standard method:
The shell is the only real difference from pepitas. Some people find it pleasant — it adds extra crunch and fibre. Some people find it annoying and spit the shells out, eating only the inner kernel. Both are fine. If you don't like the shells, the rule for next time is: buy pepitas at the shop. Don't try to hull whole pumpkin seeds at home — it's slow, fiddly work that commercial machines do in seconds.
A typical Kent pumpkin gives about 60g of whole seeds, enough for a few servings. Add it to the year's intake and you've saved $5 worth of pepitas without thinking about it.
People often ask which seed is "best." The honest answer is they do different jobs.
Pepitas are the highest in zinc and one of the highest in plant protein. They're roughly twice as protein-dense as sunflower seeds and slightly less calorie-dense than they look (the fat content is mostly the good kind). They have a soft, slightly nutty taste that goes well with both sweet and savoury dishes.
Sunflower seeds are cheaper, milder, and have a higher vitamin E content. They're the right call for budget granola or when you want a seed flavour that disappears into the background. They're not as zinc-dense as pepitas.
Sesame seeds are the most flavour-dense — toasted sesame on a stir-fry tastes like the dish. They're calcium-rich, which the others aren't. Use them where you want flavour to assert itself.
A practical pantry has all three. Sunflower for the everyday sprinkle, pepitas for the salad crunch and the protein, sesame for the cooking. A 100g rotation of all three would cost about $7 from our bulk bin and last most kitchens a month.
For most uses, slightly. Light roasting brings out the nutty flavour and softens the texture. Most shop-bought pepitas are sold pre-roasted, which is why they're warm-coloured and slightly crunchy rather than the dull-green of raw seeds.
For baking, raw pepitas are fine — they'll toast in the oven during the bake. For sprinkling on salads or yogurt, roasted are better because they have more flavour and crunch. For pesto and other cold uses, roasted are also better because they integrate more smoothly into the finished sauce.
The downside of roasting: it slightly reduces some of the heat-sensitive vitamins (vitamin E, mostly) and slightly oxidises the fats. The difference is small for occasional eaters and only matters if you're consuming large quantities daily. For most home use, roasted is the right default.
Pepitas keep for about six months in a sealed jar at room temperature, longer in the fridge or freezer (up to a year). They contain enough fat that they can eventually go rancid, but they're more stable than walnuts or flax. If they smell sharp or paint-like, they've turned — chuck them. If they smell like nothing or faintly toasty, they're fine.
The biggest mistake people make is buying a big bag and leaving it in the original plastic packaging on the bench in summer. The combination of heat, light, and air shortens shelf life from six months to about three. Decant into a glass jar with a tight lid, keep on the cool side of the kitchen, and you'll get the full life from the bag.
The easiest test for whether pepitas earn their place in your pantry is the morning porridge test: sprinkle a teaspoon on top for two weeks. If you keep doing it without thinking, the habit's a keeper and the kilo bag is the right buy. If you forget by day five, stick to the 250g.
Our pepitas are $4.97 for 250g, $9.26 for 500g, and $17.67 for the kilo. Free shipping over $75 in Melbourne, $125 across Australia. BYO jar at the Moonee Ponds counter if you're local.
If you also bake or make granola, the kilo is the right purchase from the start — most baking recipes call for 50–100g a batch, and you'll burn through 250g in a fortnight.
Are pepitas the same as pumpkin seeds? Mostly yes. Pepitas are the dark green hulled inner kernels of certain pumpkin and squash varieties, most often Cucurbita pepo. "Pumpkin seeds" can refer either to those green hulled kernels (the version sold in shops) or to the larger flat white-shell whole seeds you scoop from a roasted pumpkin. In Australian retail, the two terms are used interchangeably for the hulled green version.
Should I eat pepitas raw or roasted? Both are fine. Most shop-bought pepitas are pre-roasted, which brings out the nutty flavour and softens the texture for snacking and salads. Raw pepitas are better for baking, where they'll toast in the oven during the bake. For cold uses like pesto, roasted are easier to integrate. Light roasting reduces some heat-sensitive vitamins by a small amount but improves flavour and crunch.
Are pepitas a good source of zinc? Yes. A 30g serve of pepitas (roughly a small handful) delivers about 2–3mg of zinc — around 20–30% of an adult's daily requirement. They're one of the highest-zinc plant foods, useful for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone wanting to reduce red meat. They also deliver around 150mg of magnesium per 30g, plus 8g of plant protein.
How long do pepitas last? About six months in a sealed jar at room temperature, longer in the fridge or freezer (up to a year). They contain enough fat to eventually go rancid, but they're more stable than walnuts or flaxseeds. If they smell sharp or paint-like, they've gone off. Store in glass with a tight lid, keep them cool and out of direct light.
Can I eat the white shell on whole pumpkin seeds? Yes. When you roast pumpkin seeds straight from a pumpkin, the white outer shell crisps up and becomes pleasant to eat — crunchy, fibrous, and slightly salty if seasoned. Some people prefer to spit out the shell and eat only the inner kernel, which is fine. If you don't like the shells, buy pepitas at the shop instead — they're the same kernel without the shell, hulled commercially before roasting.
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