Pumpkin seeds substitutes

The nearest thing on the shelf, usually cheaper, and stocked right beside the pepitas. Toast them in a dry pan until golden and fragrant before using.

Best for

salads, granola, seeded breads, trail mix, grain bowls, keto baking, nut-free school-safe recipes

Very close as a topping and, like pepitas, nut-free, so a school-safe recipe stays school-safe. They are paler and slightly sweeter and grassier, where pepitas are greener and more mineral and earthy, and they are marginally crisper. In a ground sauce they thicken almost as well but taste distinctly milder and lighter in color, so a pipian verde made with sunflower seeds comes out pale khaki rather than deep green and tastes thinner and less savory.

Genuinely traditional rather than a workaround: ground sesame is the thickener in several classic Mexican moles and pipianes, so this is a swap with real provenance. Toast them hard in a dry pan before grinding.

Best for

pipian rojo, mole and adobo sauces, Mexican and Middle Eastern dishes, bread toppings, dressings

Excellent thickening because sesame is oily and grinds to a paste readily, which is why it works so well in a sauce. But the flavor is much stronger and nuttier with a faint bitterness, so it dominates rather than supports, and a green pipian made with sesame tastes more like a light mole. As a topping they are also tiny, so you get a crunchy coating rather than distinct bites, which is why the quantity halves. Sesame is a declared major allergen in the United States.

Also a genuine Mexican technique, since ground almonds thicken a number of classic sauces. Blanched rather than skin-on almonds keep the sauce pale and smooth.

Best for

pipian and mole style sauces, granola, crumble and streusel toppings, salads, romesco style sauces

As a thickener almonds are reliable and give a smooth, faintly sweet, creamy sauce, which is pleasant but tastes richer and rounder than the earthy savory edge that pepitas bring. As a topping they are much harder and drier with a snapping crunch rather than the soft chew of a pepita, and they are obviously not an option in a nut-free recipe. Grind them while warm from toasting, which helps them break down rather than turn to paste.

A standard thickener in Mexican cooking, particularly in encacahuatado and some pipianes, and cheap and easy to buy. Use raw or dry roasted unsalted peanuts, not the salted bar kind.

Best for

pipian and peanut-based sauces, toppings on savory dishes, salads and slaws, noodle dishes

Great body and richness in a sauce, and the texture crushes nicely. The problem is dominance: peanut is one of the loudest flavors in any pantry, and it will take over a green sauce entirely, so what you make will taste like a peanut sauce with tomatillo and chili rather than a pipian verde. If you go this route, lean into it and add more coriander and tomatillo to push back. Not suitable where allergies are a factor.

The best approximation for a ground pepita sauce, and a small trick worth knowing. The sunflower seeds bring bulk and thickening, and the tahini brings the oily savory depth they lack.

Best for

pipian verde, mole verde, sikil pak style dips, any sauce thickened with ground seeds

Closer than either ingredient alone, because sunflower seeds alone taste too light and sesame alone tastes too strong. It will still be paler than a real pipian and slightly less earthy, so add a spoonful of chopped coriander stalk and a roasted serrano to push the flavor back towards green and savory. Blend for longer than feels necessary, since the sauce should be silky rather than gritty.

The nut-free and seed-free option for anyone dealing with multiple allergies. Toast rolled oats dry in a pan, or panko in a little oil, until golden.

Best for

granola and crumble toppings, salads, soup and grain bowl toppings, allergy-restricted baking

Cheap, allergy-friendly and genuinely crunchy, and in a granola or crumble nobody will complain. What is missing is fat and any nutty savor, so add an extra teaspoon of oil to a granola to compensate, and expect the topping to taste plain. Both also lose their crunch quickly once wet, so scatter them over dressed salads at the last second rather than tossing them through, and do not use them in a sauce, where they turn pasty and starchy rather than silky.