Our Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes are as easy to make as they are cute. What starts with simple ingredients like candy eyes, frosting, candy corn, and box cake mix turns into a fun and festive treat that kids and adults will adore.
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You absolutely have to make this turkey-shaped treat for THE BIGGEST food holiday of the year! They’re COMPLETELY stress-free, and so super adorable, everyone will love them, including you, my friend! You just can’t help but smile when you see them!
And if you love this idea and want more cute little Thanksgiving treats, you’ll want to check out our Thanksgiving turkey cookies (with royal icing).
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe…
- Everyone will freak out over how cute they are! Seriously, they come to life with candy corn feathers, candy eyes, candy beak, and a brownie bite head. They’re almost too adorable to eat…almost.
- Using boxed cake mix for the cupcake base, store-bought frosting, brownie bites, and decorations, they couldn’t be easier to put together. A lifesaver when you’re multitasking with Turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
- They not only look good, but they taste good too. You know you can’t lose with moist, fluffy cupcakes topped with frosting and candy.
- They’re TOTALLY customizable! Put your own spin on them with chocolate or vanilla frosting. Have a cupcake or homemade frosting recipe you prefer? Use that instead. Not a fan of candy corn? Use M&M’s instead. See…lots of ideas.
Ingredients
- Cupcakes – boxed chocolate or vanilla cupcakes.
- Frosting – we used store-bought chocolate frosting.
- Candy Eyes – can be found in the baking aisle.
- Red Frosting – for the wattle.
- Sprinkles – we used chocolate sprinkles but you can get creative and add whichever colors you like.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
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Use a butter knife or offset spatula to spread a thick layer of frosting on top of each cupcake.
Pour chocolate sprinkles into a small bowl. Turn each cupcake upside down and gently press the frosted top into the sprinkles until it’s fully coated.
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Take a brownie bite and add a small amount of frosting to its flat side. Press it on top of the cupcake, placing it slightly toward the front, not directly in the center.
Put a little frosting on the back of five candy corn pieces. Press them behind the brownie bite in a fan shape to look like tail feathers.
Dab frosting on the back of two candy eyes and stick them on top of the brownie bite.
Take another piece of candy corn and press it into the brownie bite underneath the eyes, with the pointy side down, to create the turkey’s beak.
Add a small squiggle of red icing next to the beak to create the turkey’s wattle. Enjoy!
Top Tips
Don’t be an eager beaver! Allow your cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.
We advise you to set up an assembly line to make these cupcakes, as you’re likely making them for a crowd. This will help keep the project stress-free.
Avoid the overwhelm by making the cupcakes the night before and storing them in a covered tray. That way, you can simply decorate them on the big day!
Storage
Store decorated cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
FAQ
Oh, heck yeah! Boxed cake mix is my go-to for recipes like this! Trust me, no one will know the difference. But if you want to elevate it, there are all types of ways to enhance a box of cake mix.
Most folks use store-bought candy eyes, but you can make them from scratch using royal icing. For the head, you have lots of options. We used brownie bites, but you can use mini Reese’s cups or Oreos. We used candy corn. However, you could try plain M&M’s or even fall colored sprinkles.
When travelling with these and other cupcakes, you’ll want to use a cupcake carrier or a box that’s deep enough that the tops of the cupcakes don’t touch the top of the container.
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Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 Chocolate Cake Box Mix
- 3 Large Eggs
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cup Water
Decorations
- 16 Oz Chocolate Frosting Store Bought or Homemade
- 12 Mini Chocolate Brownie Bites
- 1 Cup Chocolate Sprinkles
- Bag of Candy Corn
- Red Icing
Instructions
- Make the cupcakes by following the directions on the cake mix box.
- Use a butter knife or offset spatula to spread a thick layer of frosting on top of each cupcake.
- Pour chocolate sprinkles into a small bowl. Turn each cupcake upside down and gently press the frosted top into the sprinkles until it’s fully coated.
- Take a brownie bite and add a small amount of frosting to its flat side. Press it on top of the cupcake, placing it slightly toward the front, not directly in the center.
- Put a little frosting on the back of five candy corn pieces. Press them behind the brownie bite in a fan shape to look like tail feathers.
- Dab frosting on two candy eyes and stick them on top of the brownie bite.
- Take another piece of candy corn and press it into the brownie bite underneath the eyes, with the pointy side down, to create the turkey’s beak.
- Add a small squiggle of red icing next to the beak to create the turkey’s wattle. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can make the cupcakes a day in advance and then decorate on the day of your gathering.
- You can also use red frosting for the wattle or red candy.
- Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight bag in the freezer until you are ready to decorate your actual turkey cupcakes. Unfrosted, frozen cupcakes can safely be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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