Gratitude, family and celebration are the focus of Thanksgiving, and traditionally, it all comes together at the table with a magnificent roasted turkey. There are lots of other fun ways to bring the well-loved bird into the fun, too, like these edible Thanksgiving turkey treats. Each of these creative food ideas will bring a smile to your family and friends as you celebrate together this year.
Whether you’re a savory snacker or more of a sweet tooth, you’ll find a treat here to enhance your Thanksgiving spread and get your guests gobbling for more. Some of these food crafts even make great party favors, place card holders and tasty offerings at holiday bake sales and craft fairs.
1. Reese’s Pieces filled turkeys
Send Thanksgiving dinner guests home with these turkey-shaped party favors: Reese’s Pieces filled turkeys by Bullock’s Buzz.
These little candy-stuffed turkeys are easy to assemble in advance, so you can make them well before the big day (when you’re sure to have many other tasks and friends to attend to). Enlist the help of your kids and turn this craft into an opportunity for a pleasant family-bonding activity.
The base of the turkey is made from a clear holiday ornament, which is easy to find at the craft store during the holiday season. You’ll also need fall-colored cardstock, googly eyes, hot glue — and of course, a jumbo-sized package of Reese’s Pieces.
For a personalized twist on this craft, trace your child’s hands onto several colors of cardstock and cut out the handprints to use as turkey tail feathers.
For place cards, add each guest’s name to a turkey belly and set them around the Thanksgiving dinner table.
2. Oreo-stuffed candy turkey cookies
Your guests will have a hard time eating just one of these Oreo-stuffed candy turkey cookies by Little Miss Celebration. These candy-covered turkey treats make a gorgeous addition to a dessert table and an eye-catching goodie to bring to parties.
Although they look intricate and difficult to make, these candy-coated cookie treats come together very easily with a turkey-shaped candy mold that fits an Oreo cookie. Buy the mold online at a specialty baking shop, and don’t forget to pick up candy melts while you’re at it. You can buy candy melts in pre-tinted colors for convenience, or you can tint your own with oil-based food coloring such as Wilton’s gel.
To offer as party favors or bake-sale items, package them in clear cellophane bags sealed with decorative washi tape. To use them as place cards, add each guest’s name to the front of the cello bag.
3. Turkey treats
The Thanksgiving colors of Reese’s Pieces make them the perfect candy base for these adorable turkey treats by Clean and Scentsible.
Kids will love these cute turkey treats, so making them is a great opportunity to involve your children in preparing for the Thanksgiving celebration. Show them how to put a handful of candy onto a tulle circle, gather it up into a ball, and wrap colored chenille stems around it to close it. Then help them twist the chenille stems into turkey heads and add them to the treat. (It’s best for parents to take care of hot-gluing the googly eyes onto the turkey heads.)
Add these little turkeys to the place settings at your Thanksgiving kids’ table. Just use a glue dot to attach a name card to each turkey’s belly. They’re also a great craft for an elementary classroom or scout troop project.
4. Thanksgiving turkey cheese balls
Cheese balls have been traditional Thanksgiving appetizers for decades, but have you ever seen anything as cute as this Thanksgiving turkey cheese ball? Handmade in the Heartland provides the inspiration.
Use your favorite cheese ball recipe and turn it into a turkey with pretzel stick tail feathers, a beef jerky stick head, and a candy corn beak. Don’t be afraid to improvise with ingredients you already have on hand. Raisins make great eyes (attach with a dab of cream cheese), and a carrot is a fine beak for the little guy.
If your extended family will be together, how about staging a friendly cheese ball-making competition? Provide a variety of cheese ball ingredients — various cheeses, cured meats, nuts, vegetables and fruits — and let everybody get creative. Set a timer and let the chefs get to work! At the end of the competition, have everyone taste each cheese ball and give it a score, or let a panel of judges determine the winners. Give prizes for “most creative” and “judges’ choice.”
5. Turkey lollipops
Did you ever think of melting candy corn into a turkey shape? You won’t believe how creative these turkey lollipops from The Mama Report are. They’re a great way to use up candy corn left over from Halloween.
All you have to do is arrange the candy corn in a circle on a lined cookie sheet, add a stick, and a candy corn for a beak. Bake, add edible eyes, and you’ll have a fab treat that will have everyone asking, “How did you make these?”
Display them in a glass jar, or wrap them individually in small cello bags secured with fall-colored pipecleaners or washi tape.
