Quick & Easy Iced Thanksgiving Cookie Cutouts: Perfect Turkey Treats
These Quick Iced Thanksgiving Cookie Cutouts are designed for busy holiday bakers. With a no-chill dough and a quick-setting icing, you can have festive, delicious cookies from mixing bowl to decorated in under an hour.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring (orange, yellow, red, brown)
- Sprinkles and candy eyes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, and whisk until fully combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Roll the dough immediately on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch (6mm) thickness.
- Cut shapes using turkey and pumpkin cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut more cookies.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until edges are just barely golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract until thick but pipeable (toothpaste consistency). Adjust with more milk or sugar as needed. Divide and tint with food coloring.
- Decorate: Spoon icing into piping bags or zip-top bags, snip a tiny corner, and pipe outlines and fill centers. Add sprinkles and candy eyes while icing is wet. Let set for about 20 minutes until dry to the touch.
- Serve or store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
The dough uses melted butter to skip the chilling step. The icing sets in about 20 minutes. For best results, dip cookie cutters in flour between cuts. If the dough sticks while rolling, use a light hand with flour or roll between parchment paper. For extra crisp edges, freeze cut shapes for 5 minutes before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 55
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Protein: 2
Keywords: Thanksgiving cookies, cutout cookies, sugar cookies, iced cookies, turkey cookies, pumpkin cookies, quick cookies, no-chill cookies