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Pumpkin Seed Salsa (Salsa de Pepita)

Name: Pumpkin Seed Salsa (Salsa de Pepita)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 Habanero chile; 5 leaves Fresh epazote; 200 ml Chicken stock; 1 cdita Salt; 150 g Hulled pumpkin seeds; 2 Tomato; 2 cloves Garlic; 0.5 White onion

30 min (15 prep + 15 cook) Easy 6 servings Yucatán

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 29, 2026 · Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Creamy Yucatecan salsa of toasted pumpkin seeds with habanero and epazote, the base of pipián.

About this recipe

Pumpkin seed salsa is a creamy, mild preparation from Yucatán and south-east Mexico, made with toasted and ground pumpkin seeds (pepitas), habanero chile, roasted tomato and epazote, resulting in a thick, mildly spicy and spreadable salsa reminiscent of a light mole. The pumpkin seeds provide a natural creaminess without dairy and a nutty, earthy flavour that makes this salsa a jewel of Yucatecan Mayan cooking.

History & Origin

Pumpkin seeds are one of the oldest and most versatile ingredients in Mesoamerican cooking, used for over 5,000 years in the Maya region. In Maya cosmology, the pumpkin (k'uum) was a sacred plant associated with fertility and abundance, and its seeds were used in ceremonies, as currency and as the base of salsas and moles. Pumpkin seed salsa is the direct ancestor of pipián - the great seed-based mole - and was prepared in an identical way to how it is made today in Yucatecan kitchens: toasting the seeds on a dry comal until they puff slightly, grinding with chile and broth into a paste, and cooking over low heat. This pre-Hispanic technique has been preserved intact and represents one of the purest examples of culinary continuity in Mexico.

Estimated cost

$3.00

Total cost

$0.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

Calories

3.5g

Protein

Carbohydrates

Fat

1.5g

Fiber

160mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry comal over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until they begin to puff and lightly brown, 5-6 minutes. Do not let them burn.
💡 Pumpkin seeds burn quickly - do not step away from the comal.
2
Roast the tomato, garlic and onion on a comal over high heat until charred in patches. Set aside.
3
Briefly roast the habanero chile, 30 seconds per side, just until it changes colour. For a milder salsa, remove the seeds first.
4
In a blender, grind the toasted pumpkin seeds with the chicken stock until you have a smooth paste.
💡 The stock hydrates the seeds and makes the salsa creamier.
5
Add the tomato, garlic, onion, habanero and epazote. Blend until you have a smooth, creamy salsa.
6
Warm the salsa in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, adjust salt and serve hot as a salsa or cold as a dip.