Easy Turkey-Shaped Peanut Butter Cookies for Kids
These adorable turkey-shaped peanut butter cookies are quick, easy, and perfect for Thanksgiving. Made with simple pantry ingredients, they come together in about 25 minutes and are a fun activity for kids.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Candy corn (5-6 pieces per cookie)
- Candy eyes
- Orange candy melts or orange frosting
- Red candy melts or red frosting
- Chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed or stir with a wooden spoon until the dough forms a smooth, uniform ball.
- Scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with your palm to form a disc about 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are set and cookies look slightly puffed. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While cookies cool, melt orange and red candy melts according to package directions. Transfer each color to a small piping bag or zip-top bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
- Once cookies are completely cool, arrange 5-6 candy corn pieces in a fan shape on the back half of each cookie for feathers. Press gently to adhere.
- Place two candy eyes near the front of the cookie. Pipe a small orange triangle for the beak, pointing downward. Pipe a small red teardrop shape below the beak for the wattle.
- Let decorated cookies sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to allow candy melts to firm up completely before serving.
Notes
Do not decorate warm cookies; candy melts will slide off. For best results, bake cookies the night before and decorate the next day. Use room temperature egg for easier mixing. If dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour; if too dry, add a teaspoon of milk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 95
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 17
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
Keywords: turkey cookies, peanut butter cookies, Thanksgiving cookies, easy cookies, kids cookies, no-bake, holiday baking