Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies
Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies are just one of my Nutter Butter Decorated Cookies for Thanksgiving, with colorful candy corn feathers and silly expressions. A few store-bought cookies and candies turn into fun little turkeys with no baking needed.
These Thanksgiving Nutter Butter cookies add a cheerful touch to the dessert table alongside the usual pies and cakes. Their individual size makes them easy to serve after dinner when everyone wants a little something sweet. The playful design is sure to get plenty of attention, especially from the kids.
Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies didn’t begin with a clever plan or story. I had cookies left from making other decorated sweets and candy corn from Halloween, so I turned the extras into another Thanksgiving treat. Sometimes a recipe really is that simple.
These aren’t the only turkeys showing up around here. My Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Platter takes care of snack time, while these cookies can come out for dessert. A few Pumpkin Cookie Dough Bites can share the dessert tray with them.
Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies
Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies are sweet Thanksgiving treats with peanut butter, chocolate, and candy corn flavors. The crisp cookies and chewy candy provide a nice mix of textures. They are just as enjoyable to eat as they are fun to look at.
Kids can help arrange the feathers and add the candy pieces. Each turkey will have a slightly different expression, which is part of the fun. They can also be made a day or two ahead, leaving one less dessert to prepare for the holiday.
Timesaving Tips and Variations
A few small adjustments can also make decorating the batch easier. The ideas below cover preparation, substitutions, and ways to vary the turkey design.
- Cut the orange M&M candies in half ahead of time and prepare a few extras in case some crack.
- Line the work surface with parchment paper to protect it from black decorating icing.
- Use a toothpick to apply small dabs of icing without leaving large smudges.
- Arrange the candy corn in a fan first to check the spacing of the feathers.
- Use harvest candy corn or another fall-colored variety for different feather colors.
- Turn the candy eyes in different directions to change the turkeys’ expressions.
- Leave the completed cookies flat until the icing has set completely.
These variations make it easy to work with supplies you may already have. Small differences in the feathers and faces give every turkey its own look.
Serve Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies with:
Not every Thanksgiving dessert has to be a full pie or cake. These no-bake treats work nicely as one of the smaller choices on the table.
- Pumpkin Pie Crescent Rolls
- Two Bite Caramelized Pear Tartlets
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
- Chocolate Caramel Pecan Bar Cookie Recipe
- Air Fryer Chocolate Glazed Apple Hand Pies
A variety of flavors gives guests options beyond the traditional Thanksgiving pies. The smaller portions also make it easy to take more than one treat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. Place parchment paper between the layers to prevent the decorations from rubbing against one another. Avoid refrigerating them because moisture may soften the cookies and make the candy corn sticky.
Chocolate decorating icing, melted chocolate, or chocolate candy melts can also hold the pieces in place. Apply a small amount with a toothpick or piping bag so it stays hidden behind the candy. If using melted chocolate, let it cool slightly so it thickens and does not run.
Kids can help arrange the feathers, position the Nutter Butter bodies, and add the candy eyes. An adult should cut the M&M candies and assist with any decorating icing that is difficult to control. Set out the decorations in small bowls to make the activity easier to manage.
Helpful Tools and Supplies
Small microwavable bowls come in handy for organizing the candy used in this recipe. The parchment paper helps keep your work surface clean. The candy eyes and decorating icing are probably the only items you may need to purchase online or at your local craft store.
Reynolds Kitchens Unbleached Parchment Paper Roll, 45sq ft | Chlorine-Free, Nonstick Baking Parchment Paper, Microwave and Oven Safe To 425F, Fits Standard Baking Sheets, 12 in x 45 ft
Edible Candy Eyes Sprinkles for Cake Decorating 4.6oz, Halloween Eyeball Sprinkles for Cookie Baking Ice Cream Brownie Cupcake ToppingsWilton Black Gel Tube, 0.75 Oz.6 Pack Black Plastic Serving Trays – 9 x 13 Party Serving Trays and Platters – Black Serving Tray – Serving Platter Tray for PartyMALACASA 8 Oz Ramekins with Lids Set of 6, Porcelain Creme Brulee Cups | Oven, Microwave, Dishwasher Safe, Lead-Free, For Creme Brulee, Souffle, Custard, Baking, Stackable and Lid for Fresh Storage
No cookie cutters, piping tips, or baking pans are needed. The same tools will work whether you make a small batch or enough for a larger gathering. Cleanup is also minimal since everything is assembled on parchment paper.
Ingredients for Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies
This recipe uses store-bought cookies and candies, so you don’t need to prepare or bake any dough. All the ingredients have a specific role in creating the finished design. The amounts can easily be increased depending on how many cookies you want to make.
- Fudge Stripe Cookies: Forms the round base behind the turkey and provides a place for the candy corn feathers.
- Nutter Butter Cookies: Creates the turkey bodies.
- Black Decorating Icing: Works as edible glue for attaching the cookies and candy decorations.
- Candy Corn: Creates the colorful tail feathers.
- Candy Eyeballs: Gives the turkeys their wide-eyed expressions.
- Orange M&M Candies: Cut in half to create the small orange beaks.
How to Make Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies
Line a tray with parchment paper and cut the orange M&M candies in half. Place a Fudge Stripe cookie chocolate-side up, then attach five pieces of candy corn in a fan using small dabs of icing.
Secure a Nutter Butter over the white ends of the candy corn to create the turkey’s body. Attach two candy eyes and one orange M&M half to make the face and beak. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, then leave the cookies flat until the icing has set.
Once the cookies are set, store them in an airtight container, placing parchment paper between the layers if you need to stack them.
Still have cookies left in the package? Turn them into Acorn Nutter Butter Cookies, another fun no-bake treat for fall and Thanksgiving.
Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies
Equipment
- Tray or baking sheet
Ingredients
- 6 fudge stripe cookies
- 6 Nutter Butter cookies
- Black decorative icing
- 30 candy corn
- 12 candy eyeballs
- 3 orange M&M candies
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper. Cut each orange M&M in half and place the candy corn, candy eyes, and M&M pieces in separate bowls.
- Place a Fudge Stripe cookie with the chocolate-covered side facing up. Use a toothpick to add icing to five pieces of candy corn, then arrange them in a fan with the yellow ends extending beyond the cookie.
- Add one dab of icing near the center of a Nutter Butter cookie and another near the top. Turn it over and attach it to the Fudge Stripe cookie so it covers the white tips of the candy corn.
- Use tiny dabs of icing to attach two candy eyes near the top of the Nutter Butter. Place an orange M&M half directly below and between the eyes to create the beak.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Leave the completed cookies flat on the tray until the decorating icing has fully set.
Nutritional Disclaimer
“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Enjoy!
