Turkey Cupcakes

Turn a boxed chocolate cake mix and tub of chocolate frosting into these adorable Turkey Cupcakes! They are so easy and fun to make! Have the kids help you decorate them. This is a great dessert recipe for any Thanksgiving celebration or party!

If you have been looking for fun Thanksgiving cupcake ideas, stop here! These cute turkey cupcakes are all about fun! They are a stress-free, easy baking recipe that is perfect for the kiddos to help with. This makes baking Thanksgiving desserts for kids a breeze!

With the holiday season gearing up, I am all about the easy recipes! These chocolate turkey cupcakes are just that and, I mean, they are so adorable. I always like to plan at least one fun baking activity with my kids for Thanksgiving and these cupcakes are always a hit!

And while your kids are munching on their cupcakes, they can be playing with this homemade Pumpkin Playdough. Talk about hours of entertainment!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Thanksgiving Cupcake Recipe

• We’re using chocolate cake mix and premade frosting!
• Once the cupcakes are baked they’re turned into turkeys with candy corn, pretzels, M&Ms, and cute little googly-eyes.
• I’m sharing step-by-step instructions so yours turn out perfectly.

I make and bake the cupcakes and then assist the kids with decorating them. Plus younger kids love to help and fill the pan with cupcake liners! I have all of the decorations ready to go and then they can all try piping frosting and placing the candy and pretzels to make the turkeys.

This recipe makes 24 cupcakes so there’s plenty to share! They’re great for potlucks or as a special Thanksgiving dessert after the holiday meal. Sometimes we deliver a few to neighbors as a surprise.

Just be sure to keep a few for you!

This is such a fun project and my kids love helping with the decorations! And we’ll use some extra candy corn to make Nutter Butter Turkeys too! They’re both almost too cute to eat… almost. You are going to love them!

Ingredients

• Chocolate cake mix – choose a 15.25-oz box, any brand will work!
• Box ingredients to make the cupcakes – just follow the instructions on your cake mix.
• Chocolate frosting – you’ll need 16 ounces.
• Decorations – Pretzel rods, candy corn, brown M&Ms and candy eyes.

Helpful Tools

• Small bowls for holding the decorations
• Mixing bowl
• Cupcake pan
• White paper liners
• Piping bag & round piping tip

How to Make Chocolate Cupcakes

Simply bake the cupcakes as instructed on the box. You should have 24 cupcakes total. You will know they are baked completely when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely before storing and decorating.

If you have a favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, and you have time to bake them from scratch, they will work great, too!

How to Decorate Turkey Cupcakes

Fit the piping bag with the round tip and then fill it with chocolate frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes starting wider at the bottom and narrowing as you pipe the layers. When you’re done the center should be the highest point.

Tail: Place two pretzel rods so they’re slightly overlapped where they meet at the bottom and sticking up in the shape of a “V”. Stick four pieces of candy corn tip-side-down in the frosting right in front of the pretzels.

Beak: Take one candy corn and place it on the front edge of the cupcake. The point should face forward so it looks like a beak.

Wings: Line three brown M&Ms on both sides of the cupcake for the wings. 

Eyes: Gently press two eyes into the frosting just above the beak.

Can I bake the cupcakes in advance?

Yes! This will save you some time if you can’t do the whole project in one day. Bake the chocolate cupcakes a day ahead. Once cooled, keep them tightly wrapped until you decorate them the next day.

If you store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container, you can store them for up to seven days before decorating them.

How do I make moist cupakes?

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. Keeping the container closed will keep the moisture in the cupcakes.

Avoid over mixing the cupcake batter. If you mix slowly and allow air bubbles to form, you will enjoy nice moist cupcakes!

Be sure not to over bake your cupcakes. Bake in the oven as directed on the box, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow them to cool in the pan for about five to ten minutes then put them onto a cooling rack.

Tips and Tricks!

• If you have a favorite homemade cupcake recipe or chocolate buttercream frosting recipe, feel free to use it!
• Make sure you don’t over or under mix your cake batter! Mix the ingredients until they are just combined for perfectly baked cupcakes.
• For less mess, place the piping bag in a tall glass and fold it over the rim of the glass. Add the frosting and then roll the edges up and twist them to close the bag. This makes it easy to fill it without getting frosting all over the bag.
• The cupcakes will keep for up to two days at room temperature. Or you can store them in the refrigerator for a few days longer.
• Can’t find candy corn? A box or two of Reese’s Pieces should do the trick – the yellow, orange and brown peanut butter candies will be a great substitute and you won’t have to buy M&M’s (but let’s face it, you might as well have all the goodies to snack on!)

Your family is going to love these easy turkey cupcakes! Decorate as a family for a little bit of Thanksgiving fun. They’re just as fun to make as they are to eat – enjoy! This fun Thanksgiving dessert will be gobbled up in no time!

More Thanksgiving Activites for Kids

• Acorn Cookies are an easy no-bake treat you have to try!
• Play a round of Thanksgiving Bingo with the family!
• Or, check out my Thanksgiving Activities Round-Up for even more ideas.
• Make Fall Chex Mix as a tasty snack!