Turkey Cupcakes are a fun and festive Thanksgiving dessert made with chocolate cupcakes, creamy chocolate peanut butter frosting, and colorful candy decorations. Reese’s Pieces create the turkey feathers, while Nutter Butter Bites, candy eyes, and red icing bring these adorable little turkeys to life. Starting with a boxed cake mix makes these Thanksgiving cupcakes easy to put together!
Every Thanksgiving, I enjoy making something fun that the kids can get excited about, and these turkey cupcakes are perfect for that. Decorating each little turkey is half the fun, especially when everyone gets to create their own. They’re almost too cute to eat, but that chocolate peanut butter frosting makes them hard to resist!
Why I Love This Recipe
About The Ingredients
- Chocolate Cake Mix: Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix makes these cupcakes rich and chocolatey. You’ll also need the ingredients listed on the box.
- Butter: Softened butter creates a smooth, creamy frosting.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Adds delicious peanut butter flavor to the homemade frosting.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
- Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder gives the frosting its rich chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a little extra sweetness and flavor.
- Milk: Helps make the frosting light and fluffy.
- Reese’s Pieces: Yellow, brown, and orange candies create the turkey feathers and beaks.
- Nutter Butter Bites: Make the turkey faces. You can also use halved full-size Nutter Butters.
- Candy Eyes: Give each turkey its adorable face.
- Red Decorating Icing: Creates the little red turkey wattle beside the beak.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Turkey Cupcakes
Bake the Cupcakes: Preheat your oven and line a cupcake tin with liners. Prepare and bake the chocolate cupcakes according to the cake mix package directions. Allow them to cool completely before decorating.
Make the Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and creamy peanut butter with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, about ½ cup at a time, mixing until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and milk, then beat on high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Frost the Cupcakes: Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Gently knead the bag to remove air pockets, then pipe frosting onto each cooled cupcake.
Create the Turkey Feathers: Place a Nutter Butter Bite toward the front of each cupcake. Arrange Reese’s Pieces upright behind it in three rows: yellow, brown, and orange.
Make the Turkey Faces: Attach two candy eyes to the upper half of each Nutter Butter Bite using a little frosting. Cut 12 yellow or orange Reese’s Pieces in half and attach one half beneath the eyes to create each beak.
Add the Finishing Touch: Pipe a small amount of red decorating icing beside each beak to create the turkey’s wattle.
Tips I Found Helpful
- Cool Completely: Let the cupcakes cool before frosting so the decorations stay in place.
- Soften the Butter: Room-temperature butter makes the frosting smooth and fluffy.
- Secure the Decorations: Use melted chocolate chips or candy melts to keep the eyes and beaks from falling off.
- Nutter Butter Substitute: Cut full-size Nutter Butters in half or use mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
- Red Wattle Alternative: Use a small piece of red gummy worm, Twizzler, or Airhead instead of decorating icing.
- Make Them Your Own: Use your favorite cupcake or frosting recipe, including store-bought options.
How to Store Turkey Cupcakes
Store decorated turkey cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before serving so the chocolate peanut butter frosting can soften. For the best appearance, decorate the cupcakes the day you plan to serve them.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Turkey Cupcakes
These adorable Turkey Cupcakes are made with chocolate cake, homemade chocolate peanut butter frosting, Reese's Pieces feathers, and Nutter Butter faces. A fun and easy Thanksgiving Dessert.
Ingredients
Cupcakes and Decorations
- 1 (13.25 oz) box Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix, plus ingredients listed on the box
- 1 (9 oz) bag Reese's Pieces
- 24 Nutter Butter Bites
- 48 candy eyes
- Red decorating icing
Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Prepare and bake the chocolate cupcakes according to the cake mix package directions. Allow to cool completely.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and creamy peanut butter with an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, about ½ cup at a time, mixing until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and milk, then beat on high speed for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Gently knead the bag to remove air pockets, then pipe frosting onto each cooled cupcake.
- Place a Nutter Butter Bite toward the front of each cupcake. Arrange Reese's Pieces upright behind it in three rows: yellow, brown, and orange.
- Attach two candy eyes to the upper half of each Nutter Butter Bite using a little frosting. Cut 12 yellow or orange Reese's Pieces in half and attach one half beneath the eyes of each turkey to create the beak.
- Pipe a small amount of red decorating icing beside each beak to create the turkey's wattle.
Notes
You can use your favorite homemade or store-bought cupcake and frosting recipes. If Nutter Butter Bites are unavailable, use halved full-size Nutter Butters or mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. A small piece of red gummy worm, Twizzler, or Airhead can replace the red decorating icing. For a stronger hold, use melted chocolate chips or candy melts to attach the eyes and beaks instead of frosting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 cupcakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 715Total Fat: 52gSaturated Fat: 27gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 466mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 41gProtein: 6g
