If you are looking for cute and festive Thanksgiving treats, you’ve got to check out these Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes.
They are so much fun!
We’ve always called turkeys “Gobble Gobbles” in our family, so we hope you enjoy these fun little turkey, aka gobble gobble, cupcakes.
Thanksgiving cupcakes decorated like turkeys
The cupcakes themselves are full of Autumnal flavors like cinnamon and cloves, and they are so fluffy and delicious, you might be tempted to eat them without any frosting at all.
(And if you sneak one or two, I promise I won’t tell!)
But, it is when you frost and decorate these Turkey Cupcakes that they truly come to life.
They are topped with chocolate frosting, M&Ms, Hershey’s Kisses, and Red Hots, making them as fun to eat as they are to nibble on.
They are perfect for classroom parties, holiday gatherings, and, of course, Thanksgiving dinner.
Putting these cupcakes together makes for a great, seasonal “Arts & Crafts project” for the whole family.
Get your supplies together and get the kids involved and before you know it, you’ll have a platter of adorable Thanksgiving Gobble Gobble Cupcakes that everyone can be proud of!
Thanksgiving Gobble Gobble Cupcakes
Who knew turkey cupcakes could be so much fun?
They are a lot of fun to make with the whole family, and a delight to serve.
Ingredients you need to make Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
Before you get started, you will want to gather (or add to your shopping list) these ingredients.
- Lukewarm Coffee
- Cocoa Powder
- Flour
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Cinnamon
- Ground Cloves
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Full Fat Sour Cream
- Canola Oil
- Chocolate Frosting
- Tube of Black Icing
- M&Ms
- White Chocolate Candy Melts
- Milk Chocolate Hershey Kisses
- Orange Gel Food Coloring
- Red Hots
You will also need:
1 disposable piping bag
How to make the Turkey Cupcakes
Cupcake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Using a small bowl, whisk together the hot coffee and cocoa powder until smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
Using a standing mixer beat the egg, egg yolk, and sugar on medium high speed until pale yellow in color.
Add the sour cream and mix until combined, followed by the vegetable oil.
Add the flour mixture all at once and mix until combined.
Next, add the cocoa mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full with the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 12-15 minutes.
Let cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorating directions:
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Unwrap 10-14 Hershey kisses and set aside.
Using a small microwave safe bowl, melt 1/2 of the white chocolate.
Mix in 2-3 drops of the orange gel food coloring and mix until combined.
Dip the tip of the of the Hershey Kiss into the orange chocolate.
Place a Red Hot onto the bottom side of the of the “beak” to create the gobble.
Using another small bowl, melt the remaining white chocolate.
Scoop the melted white chocolate into a piping bag and cut the tip off.
Pipe 20-28 small white dots onto the cookie sheet.
Place the blue M&Ms onto the white dots to create the eyes.
Using the black cake icing, pipe small dots for the pupils.
All to dry for 1 hour.
Once dry, carefully peel off the parchment paper.
Pipe a small dot of the black icing onto the back of the eyes and place onto the side of the beak.
Using the chocolate icing, frosting the cupcakes.
Using 8 red m&m’s, create the top layer of the feathers on a cupcake.
Next, using 6 orange m&m’s, create the second layer of the feathers.
Using 4 yellow m&m’s, create the third layer of the feathers.
Place the Hershey kiss into the front center of the feathers.
Please let us know how you enjoy our Thanksgiving Gobble Gobble Cupcakes.
Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
Ingredients
Ingredients to Make Thanksgiving Gobble Gobble Cupcakes
- ½ cup Lukewarm Coffee
- 2 tbsp Lukewarm Coffee
- ½ cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 ¼ cup Flour
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Cloves
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 large Egg
- 1 large Egg Yolk
- ½ cup Full Fat Sour Cream
- 2 Tbsp Full Fat Sour Cream
- ½ cup Canola Oil
Ingredients to Decorate the Turkey Cupcakes
- 1 container Chocolate Frosting
- 1 large Bag of M&Ms Use Only Red, Orange, Yellow, and Blue
- 1 cup White Chocolate Candy Melts
- 1 bag Milk Chocolate Hershey’s Kisses
- Orange Gel Coloring
- 1 box Red Hots
- 1 disposable Piping Bag
- 1 tube Icing Black
Instructions
How to Make Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the hot coffee and cocoa powder until smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Using a standing mixer beat the egg, egg yolk, and sugar on medium high speed until pale yellow in color.
- Add the sour cream and mix until combined, followed by the vegetable oil.
- Add the flour mixture all at once and mix until combined.
- Add the cocoa mixture and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 full with the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 12-15 minutes.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Decorate the Turkey Cupcakes
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap 10-14 Hershey Kisses and set aside.
- Using a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 1/2 of the white chocolate. Mix in 2-3 drops of the orange gel food coloring and mix until combined.
- Dip the tip of the of the Hershey Kiss into the orange chocolate.
- Place a Red Hot onto the bottom side of the of the “beak” to create the gobble.
- Using another small bowl, melt the remaining white chocolate. Scoop the melted white chocolate into a piping bag and cut the tip off.
- Pipe 20-28 small white dots onto the cookie sheet. Place the blue M&M’s onto the white dots to create the eyes. Using the black cake icing, pipe small dots for the pupils.
- Set all aside to dry for 1 hour. Once dry, carefully peel off the parchment paper.
- Pipe a small dot of the black icing onto the back of the eyes and place onto each side of the beak.
- Using the chocolate icing, frost the cupcakes.
- Using 8 red m&m’s, create the top layer of the feathers on a cupcake.
- Using 6 orange m&m’s, create the second layer of the feathers.
- Using 4 yellow m&m’s, create the third layer of the feathers.
- Place the Hershey Kiss into the front center of the feathers.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.