Meet the Product: Raw or Toasted Pumpkin Seed Butter? How to Choose

October 12, 2026

Both of our pumpkin seed butters are made from organic European Styrian pumpkin seeds, sourced from the renowned region in Austria, and both list 28.1g of protein per 100g. The difference between the jars is heat, and heat changes more about a seed than you might expect. This guide explains what happens, how the two taste, and which to reach for.

What heat does to a seed

Roasting changes the aroma of a seed long before it changes anything you can see. A 2021 study in Frontiers in Nutrition roasted pumpkin seeds for ten minutes at 120, 160 and 200°C and measured the volatile compounds that result. Pyrazines, the family of aromas associated with a roasted, nutty smell, rose steeply with temperature: one of them, 2-methylpyrazine, went from 0.38% at 120°C to 17.68% at 200°C (as a share of the aroma compounds measured). Furan compounds appeared only in roasted seeds. The same study found that the fatty acid profile of the seeds did not change noticeably with roasting temperature, so the difference between raw and toasted is chiefly one of aroma and flavour.

Cooks in Mexico, where pumpkin seeds (pepitas) are the base of pipián and green mole sauces, toast them in a dry pan until they puff, pop and smell nutty. The advice there is to stop at golden, because seeds toasted darker than that taste bitter. Time and temperature matter.

Raw

The raw butter is cold-milled. The flavour is fresh, green and grassy-nutty, closer to the taste of the seed itself. Because it does not have the toasted note, it blends into savoury food without dominating it. It is a good fit for stir-fries, dressings and soups.

A simple sauce: whisk a spoonful with lemon or lime juice, a splash of water and a pinch of salt until it pours. It works over roasted vegetables, grain bowls or noodles.

Toasted

The toasted butter is made from toasted seeds, traditionally stone-ground, for a roasted, nutty richness and a creamy texture. It is a natural partner for toast, oatmeal and apple slices or carrot sticks, where its deeper flavour stands up to sweetness and crunch. Its label lists 15g of fibre per 100g.

Same seeds, same origin

Styrian pumpkin seeds come from an oil pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca, whose seeds lack the usual woody husk. Because the seed coat is thin and membranous, the seeds can be eaten whole, and the kernels are olive to dark green. That is why both butters are such a deep green, whether the seeds are raw or toasted. Styria is also where the famous dark green pumpkin seed oil comes from, so these seeds have a long culinary pedigree.

Side by side

If you are deciding between them, the quickest test is to taste a level teaspoon of each, one after the other, with a glass of water between. Raw tastes of the seed; toasted tastes of the seed after it has been in a hot pan.

Flavour: raw is fresh and green; toasted is roasted and deeper.
Texture: toasted is traditionally stone-ground and creamy; raw is cold-milled.
Best for: raw in savoury dishes; toasted for spreading and dipping.
Protein: 28.1g per 100g in both.

Which should you choose?

Stir-fries, soups and dressings: raw, so the pumpkin seed taste stays clean.
Toast, porridge and snacks: toasted, for the roasted warmth.
Not sure: toasted is the easier first jar for most people because it tastes the way toasted seeds taste. Raw is the more adaptable cooking ingredient.
Cooking at home: a spoonful of either stirred into a finished soup adds body and flavour. Add it off the heat.

Pairings that work

Raw: lime or lemon, chilli, coriander, garlic and ginger. Pumpkin seed sauces in Mexican cooking pair the seeds with tomatillos, chillies, garlic and cumin, and the raw butter takes to the same company.
Toasted: apple, banana, oats, cinnamon and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, where the roasted note plays the part of a nut butter.

Looking after both jars

Neither jar contains a stabiliser, so the seeds' own oil will separate and rise to the top over time. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says this is natural in peanut butter and not a health risk, and the same principle applies to pumpkin seed butter. Stir it back in, or store the jar upside down so that the oil redistributes itself. Keep jars cool and tightly closed, and use within 3 months of opening.