These Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies are a fun holiday treat that kids will love! They’re made with refrigerated cookie dough, melted chocolate, and candy!
Fill up your Thanksgiving dessert table with more delicious treats like these Easy Pecan Pie Bars or slices of The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Ever!
Thanksgiving just got a whole lot cuter thanks to these Simple Turkey Cookies! Prep two dozen turkeys in just 35 minutes and then watch how excited all the kids are at the annual Thanksgiving meal!
Getting into the holiday spirit doesn’t get any easier than these turkey-themed cookies! Plus, your kids can even help make these exciting treats!
About These Thanksgiving Cookies
Taste: Sweet and salty peanut buttery cookies hold this fun turkey together! With the addition of candy like M&Ms and peanut butter cups, you’re not only in for a fun treat but a sweet, tasty one too!
Texture: Soft, chewy cookies meet both crunchy and soft candy for a treat that’s filled with lots of fun textures!
Candy To Make These Cute Turkey Cookies
- Face Base – The base for the turkey faces is unwrapped Reese’s miniature cups. I found these are the best size to fit all the face details!
- Eyes – Candy eyeballs! These are commonly found in the seasonal candy aisle with sprinkles or at craft stores.
- Beak – I used yellow or orange Reese’s Pieces since they’re the perfect color for the beaks!
- Snood – Red mini M&Ms are used for the snood on the turkeys! Giving these fun thanksgiving cookies the classic look of a turkey!
- Feathers – Candy corn works great for the feathers for their shape and color!
- “Glue” – Melted chocolate acts as the “glue” to hold all the edible decorations on the turkey!
Easy Turkey Cookies Recipe Tips And Tricks!
- Choose Your Cookie Dough! I chose to use this ready-to-bake peanut butter cookie dough to make these cookies! If you’d like you could even use your favorite homemade peanut butter cookies recipe. However, you could also use sugar cookie dough or chocolate cookie dough instead.
- Flatten The Cookies! Use a flat-bottomed glass or the palm of your hand to flatten the dough balls on the baking sheet before baking. This will ensure you have a flat workspace to assemble the turkey’s face!
- Paint The Chocolate On! I found that using a toothpick to “paint” the melted chocolate onto the candy pieces worked best! This gives you more control over where the chocolate goes and prevents excess melted chocolate from seeping out from under the candy.
- Allow The Turkeys To Set! You’ll want to allow the turkey cookies to set for 20 to 30 minutes to make sure the melted chocolate sets. That way none of the candy will fall off as everyone grabs one!
Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most thought-out meals of the year! From The Perfect Pumpkin Pie to everyone’s favorite side dish, Classic Cranberry Sauce!
And you know the big meal was good when you look forward to leftovers the next day! My favorite way to use them up is in a Thanksgiving Crescent Ring or in a batch of Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Sliders!
What’s The Best Way To Store These Peanut Butter Turkey Cookies?
For the best taste and texture, store these turkey cookies in an airtight container. Leftovers can then be enjoyed for up to three days.
Can I Use Unwrapped Mini Peanut Butter Cups?
No, the unwrapped minis are too small to fit everything that’s needed to create the turkey head.
What If I Don’t Have Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips To Melt?
Milk chocolate, white chocolate, or dark chocolate chips can be melted down and used instead. Candy melts are another great option to use too!
Can I Use A Fork And Do The Classic Criss-Cross Pattern On These Cookies First?
I wouldn’t recommend doing the criss-cross pattern. You want a flat cookie surface so the peanut butter cup and feathers stick to the cookie well. The criss-cross adds too much texture, making it tricky to stick the candy to.
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Peanut Butter Turkey Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (16oz.) package ready to bake peanut butter cookie dough sugar cookie or chocolate could also be used
- ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 24 Reese’s miniature cups
- 120 pieces candy corn
- 24 yellow or orange Reese’s pieces
- 24 red mini M&Ms
- 48 candy eyes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven based on the peanut butter cookie dough directions. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the cookie dough on the lined cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart.1 (16oz.) package ready to bake peanut butter cookie dough
- Use your palm or a flat bottomed glass to flatten the dough balls. Do not use a fork to create a criss-cross pattern as the package directions may instruct. Bake the cookies according to the package directions.
- Once the cookies have completely cooled, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave at 20-second intervals until smooth.⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Dip the bottom of an unwrapped Reese’s cup in the chocolate and place it in the center of the cookie in the lower third to create the turkey head.24 Reese’s miniature cups
- Create the tail of the turkey by dipping one side of five pieces of candy corn into the chocolate, then place them in a fan shape above the Reese’s cup.120 pieces candy corn
- Press one of the Reese’s pieces in the center of the Reese’s cup to create the beak. Press a mini M&M into the Reese’s cup next to the beak to create the wattle.24 yellow or orange Reese’s pieces, 24 red mini M&Ms
- Dip the bottom of two candy eyeballs in the chocolate and add to the Reese’s cup above the beak. Allow the chocolate to set for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.48 candy eyes
Notes
- You can use your favorite homemade peanut butter cookie in place of the store-bought dough. Just be sure you flatten the dough with your palm or the bottom of a glass rather than with a fork so you have a flat surface to work on.
- Ensure you are using Reese’s miniature cups and not the unwrapped minis. The unwrapped minis are too small and you will not fit everything needed to create the turkey head.
- When placing the Reese’s cup on the cookie you want to side with the larger circle (the side the foil is folded onto) facing up. This side is larger than the bottom of the cup and will have more room to add facial features.
- You can use a toothpick to ‘paint’ the melted chocolate onto the candy pieces rather than dipping them. This will give you more control of where the chocolate goes and will help minimize chocolate seeping out from under the candy.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Nutrition
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