The Recipe Critic

Turkey Cupcakes

November 21, 2021

These turkey cupcakes are cute, festive, and oh so delicious! Your kids will love making these and they are perfect for the Thanksgiving season!

If you have a love for cupcakes like I do then you should definitely make these Apple Pie, these Angel Food, and these delicious Tres Leches Cupcakes. They are all SOO GOOD!

A chocolate cupcake decorated to look like a turkey.

Turkey Cupcakes

I love anything that is super festive that I can do to make a holiday extra special. Christmas is an easy holiday to do that for but Thanksgiving is a little bit trickier! That’s why these turkey cupcakes are perfect! Not only are they made from a classic chocolate cupcake with delicious frosting but they are so cute and VERY festive! I mean a cute little turkey to eat at Thanksgiving… It doesn’t get much better than that!

My kids always see me in the kitchen and are always asking how they can help. This recipe is perfect because not only do you end up with a cute and decorative cupcake but making them is fun and simple! I show my kids what to do and then they can get creative and make them their own! They have so much fun! Once they are finished, they can gobble them right up (I couldn’t resist!) or you can use them to decorate your Thanksgiving table with! It’s a win-win!

Ingredients for Turkey Cupcakes

To keep this simple, I like to bake up the cupcakes beforehand! Then, all we have to do is decorate and eat! See the recipe card below for a list of exact ingredient measurements.

  • Chocolate cupcakes: You can make these from a mix or make these amazing homemade chocolate cupcakes!
  • Chocolate frosting: I like to use homemade chocolate buttercream frosting! But if you want these to go super quick then using store bought is totally fine too!
  • Mini Oreos: The mini ones are the perfect size for the turkey’s head!
  • Candy eyeballs: Get the ones that are very small. They fit the best!
  • Candy corn: I used some candy corn to make the cute feathers. It’s the perfect way to use any leftover from Halloween!
  • Gummy worms: It’s not a turkey without its wattle!

Let’s Put Together Some Turkey’s!

Once you whip up your cupcakes, these turkey cupcakes only take a few minutes to put these together! Have so much fun! It’s the perfect Thanksgiving craft that you can eat!

  1. Make the cupcakes: Use your favorite recipe or a box mix to bake your choice of cupcakes. I used my recipe for chocolate cupcakes! Then, frost the tops of them with chocolate frosting (I used my classic chocolate buttercream frosting) using a frosting spatula or a knife.
  2. Assemble the face: Assemble the turkey’s face by using the leftover chocolate frosting as “glue” to add the eyeballs to the mini oreo. Break off or cut the end of a candy corn for the beak and then cut the end of a red gummy worm off to use as the wattle. I made the gummy worm thinner by cutting off the back half and just using the top part for the wattle.
  3. Spread frosting as glue: Spread a small smear of frosting on the back of the oreo and press onto the center of the cupcake. Just a little bit forward from the direct center.
  4. Make the feathers: Use candy corn to create the tail feathers. I used six in the back row and five in the second row. And voila! You’ve got yourself a festive turkey cupcake! Repeat the steps for the remaining cupcakes.
4 pictures showing steps on how to decorate a cupcake.

Easy Variations

These turkey cupcakes can be easily changed up to have a bit more variety on your table! Here are a few ideas!

  • Change the frosting: If you aren’t a fan of chocolate frosting on top then try it with some Cream Cheese Frosting instead! It’s just as delicious!
  • Try a different cupcake batter: Who says you have to make these out of chocolate? Try making the cupcakes with these Vanilla Cupcakes or these Red Velvet Cupcakes! Really, any cupcake will work!
  • Change up the cupcake liners: If you want to get extra festive, then you could change out the cupcake liner! Get plain white ones, fall ones, black ones or whatever you want!
  • Oreos: If you decide to make these with vanilla frosting and cupcakes then switch out those oreos to the mini vanilla oreos so that they match better!
A few turkey cupcakes on the counter.

How to Store Leftovers

If you are making these turkey cupcakes ahead of time or you have some extra, here’s how you can store them so that they stay fresh!

  • Room temperature: If you plan on eating them in the next day or two, the best way to store them is on your counter! Then, place them in an airtight container and get them out when you are ready to eat. Storing them at room temperature keeps them soft and moist!
A chocolate cupcake with a fork cutting into it.

More Delicious Cupcake Recipes

Cupcakes are the best! They are an especially great treat to have on hand around the holidays because you can make them super festive and different every time! Plus, they are a winner because everyone loves them! Here are a few more cupcakes that I love to make that are always a hit, especially with a large crowd to feed! Enjoy!

Print

Easy Turkey Cupcakes

These turkey cupcakes are cute, festive, and oh so delicious! Your kids will love making these and they are perfect for the Thanksgiving season!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword turkey cupcakes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12 Cupcakes
Calories 163kcal
Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

  • 12 baked chocolate cupcakes
  • 12 ounces Chocolate frosting store-bought or homemade
  • 12 mini Oreos
  • 24 mini Candy eyeball very small
  • 132 regular Candy corn
  • 6 classic Gummy worms cut in half

Instructions

  • Use your favorite recipe or a box mix to bake your choice of cupcakes. I used my recipe for chocolate cupcakes! Frost the tops of them with chocolate frosting (I used my classic chocolate buttercream frosting) using a frosting spatula or a knife.
  • Assemble the turkey’s face by using the leftover chocolate frosting as “glue” to add the eyeballs to the mini oreo. Break off or cut the end of the candy corn for the beak, and cut the end of a red gummy worm off to use as the wattle. I made the gummy worm thinner by cutting off the back half and just using the top part for the wattle.
  • Spread a small smear of frosting on the back of the oreo and press onto the center of the cupcake, just a little bit forward from the direct center.
  • Use candy corn to create the tail feathers. I used six in the back row and five in the second row. And voila! You’ve got yourself a festive turkey cupcake! Repeat the steps for the remaining cupcakes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcake | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

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