Get affordable Halloween pumpkins at ALDI — and, don’t forget to make some roasted pumpkin seeds with yours!
ALDI is simply the best place to pick up affordable Halloween pumpkins every October! Note that sometimes you do have to dig through the bins for the bigger and more beautiful pumpkins, and they tend to get picked over by the end of each weekend. Try visiting your local ALDI earlier on a weekday morning for the best selection.
Affordable Halloween pumpkins at ALDI
Prices vary across the country, but our beautifully large pumpkins here ran $2.89 apiece in the Chicago area in 2020. Some areas have apparently seen sales as low as $1.99, so check to see what Halloween pumpkins are running at your own local ALDI store this year.
I went the EASY route this October with a cat pumpkin decorating kit… yes, also from ALDI! Middle School Guy absconded with the paint out of the kit before I could paint her black, but I think she’s pretty cute anyway.
Middle School Guy also went easy this year, choosing to use a poster marker Sharpie to draw a character from Among Us. This means that I learned about Among Us, so I guess that our pumpkins this year were somewhat educational? (College Kid said “Oh, the Among Us guy!” So I’m probably the last to know about this game…)
How to make pumpkin seeds
After you carve your ALDI pumpkins this year, be sure to save and roast the seeds for a seasonally festive fall treat! Middle School Guy especially looks forward to these every year.
These are fun to make with kids, since you can let them help scoop out the pumpkin and separate the seeds from the pumpkin goo. (Although you may wish to save the giant knife for older cooks, such as Middle School Guy here.)
Roast your pumpkin seeds
Ingredients
Seeds from one large pumpkin, rinsed
Olive oil, to coat
Seasonings of choice, to taste — we used sea salt, smoked paprika, and garlic powder here
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
Cut the top off of your pumpkin, and pull out all of the seeds and pulp. Discard the pulp (or save it to make something else!), and rinse the seeds.
Pat the seeds dry, then toss with olive oil and spices to taste. (Here, we used a combination of sea salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.)
Spread the seasoned pumpkin seeds out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 300 degrees for 45 minutes or until browned and crispy, stirring halfway through.
Let cool just slightly, and enjoy warm! If you have any left over, which is unlikely, store in a tightly sealed container.
Note: You’ll want to use enough oil and seasonings to coat the seeds nicely, but the exact amount will depend on the amount you’re roasting. Roasting the pumpkin seeds low and slow helps them stay crispy without burning.
Every year, I’m surprised by the size and loveliness of the affordable pumpkins at ALDI — so much cheaper than at my local major grocery chain, but of excellent quality! I might actually go back and get a couple more… and no, it’s not only because I’m sad that our roasted pumpkin seeds disappeared so quickly.
Roasted pumpkin seeds, printable recipe
How to make roasted pumpkin seeds
Ingredients
- Seeds from one large pumpkin rinsed
- Olive oil to coat
- Seasonings of choice to taste — we used sea salt, smoked paprika, and garlic powder here
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Cut the top off of your pumpkin, and pull out all of the seeds and pulp. Discard the pulp (or save it to make something else!), and rinse the seeds.
- Pat the seeds dry, then toss with olive oil and spices to taste. (Here, we used a combination of sea salt, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.)
- Spread the seasoned pumpkin seeds out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 300 degrees for 45 minutes or until browned and crispy, stirring halfway through.
- Let cool just slightly, and enjoy warm!
