You’ll have a blast making these soft, buttery, and sweet Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies. From the feathers, beak, and feet, they’re so cute and fun to decorate.
They make cutesy centerpieces the kids will go bonkers for as well as delicious food gifts for neighbors, teachers, coworkers, and friends.
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There is a wee bit of a learning curve, but with a little patience and a positive attitude, you’ll pick it up in no time. And before you know it, you’ll have created the most talked about treat at the Thanksgiving dessert table.
By the way, if you’re looking for other fun Thanksgiving desserts, see our adorable Thanksgiving turkey cupcakes. For more practice with royal icing, try these Halloween bat cookies or these adorable necktie cookies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe…
- When it comes to cutesy desserts, this one takes the cake cookie. They’re festive, colorful, and a little goofy. So they’re sure to stand out and become the highlight of the dessert table.
- But they aren’t just for decoration. Underneath the crispy royal icing, you’ll find a delightfully soft, buttery, and sweet enough sugar cookie. They literally melt in your mouth.
- Holidays can be STRESSFUL! But there’s something about decorating these little guys that brings about relaxation. If you’re making them by yourself, put on some music and you’ll find yourself in a flow.
- Royal icing cookies are PERFECT for making ahead. You can even do it in stages, to avoid the overwhelm. For example, bake the cookies on day one, then decorate on day two, and finally serve them on the BIG day.
Ingredients
Cutout Sugar Cookies
- Butter – unsalted.
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Egg
- Salt
Royal Icing
- Meringue Powder
- Powdered Sugar
- Water
- Gel Food Coloring
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies
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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set that aside too.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed to beat the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, until it looks light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything gets mixed in well.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low until the dough starts to form. Then use a rubber spatula to gently fold and press the dough so all the flour is fully mixed in.
Divide the dough in half. Take one half and roll it out on parchment paper or a silicone mat until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Do the same with the second half.
Cover with plastic wrap and put both rolled-out dough sheets in the fridge for 2 hours so they can chill.
After chilling, use your favorite turkey cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Place the raw cookies on your lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each one.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing and your favorite sprinkles.
We used red, orange, brown, and yellow royal icing to decorate these Thanksgiving turkey cookies.
Allow the cookies to set at room temperature for 2 hours to allow the icing to harden. Have fun and enjoy!
Top Tips
I have two tips for you that can make or crumble your cookies:
Chill your cookie dough for at least two hours. This prevents the dough from spreading too much when you bake the cookies. Skipping this step will cause your bats, tombstones, and witch hats to lose their shape.
Also, allow your cookies to cool completely before decorating. If not, the frosting will melt and your icing won’t set.
Equipment
It’s easier to make the cookies with an electric mixer like our favorite handheld mixer by Hamilton Beach or this KitchenAid stand mixer.
We found turkey cookie cutters at a local hardware store, but you can find some turkey cookie cutters here as well.
Storage
Here’s how to store your Thanksgiving turkey cookies and keep them fresh:
Using parchment paper between layers, keep leftover cookies in an airtight container. Store them for up to 7 days.
Freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag. You store them like this for up to two months. You can freeze decorated cookies, too. They thaw nicely.
You can also freeze the cookie dough or unbaked cookies. If freezing shaped cookies, first freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen. You may need to add an extra minute or two.
FAQ
Unless you find a store-bought dough specifically for cutout cookies, I wouldn’t. They tend to have too much too much fat and spread too much to hold their shape.
Yes! Chilling the dough is an absolute must if you want your cookies to hold their shape.
We used brown for the body, candy eyes, orange for the beak and feet, and brown, orange, red, and yellow for the feathers. But, you can decorate them however you like.
Thanksgiving Turkey Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Brown Royal Icing
- Red Royal Icing
- Orange Royal Icing
- Yellow Royal Icing
- Candy Eyeballs
Instructions
- Follow the steps through number 7 on the sugar cookie recipe card.
- After chilling, use the turkey-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place them on your lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each one.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorating
- Start by dividing the royal icing into four bowls. You will need more brown icing than the other colors.
- Spoon the brown icing into a piping bag with a small #2 decorating tip. Continue this step for each of the icing colors. Set aside.
- Use the piping bag with the #2 tip to carefully outline the edge of the cookie with the brown icing, creating the body of the turkey. After you’ve outlined the body, use the second bag of brown icing to fill in the inside.
- Immediately add the candy eye while the brown icing is still wet.
- Using the red royal icing, outline a feather, then fill it in. Do the same with the yellow and orange royal icing.
- Using the red icing, create the wattle. Then take the orange icing and make the peak and the feet. Allow the cookie to dry for 2 hours. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ensure your cookies are completely cooled before adding any frosting or icing.
- Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- When you re-roll the dough, place it back in the fridge while the other cookies are baking. This will ensure they don’t spread too much.
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