6 pieces of Candy Turkey lined up on wooden board.
This easy Reese's Candy Turkey recipe turns peanut butter cups, M&Ms, and candy corn into the cutest Thanksgiving treats.
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Create the cutest Candy Turkey treats using Reese’s peanut butter cups, M&Ms, candy corn, and edible eyes. They’re a great addition to any Thanksgiving dessert table that can double as an adorable craft for kids.

a couple candy turkey on top of wooden board.


Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Turkeys

Our Reese’s Candy Turkeys recipe is so simple to make, complete with both big and mini Reese’s for the body, and decorated with an M&M beak and waddle, candy eyes, and candy corn tail feathers.

These little turkeys are a fun Thanksgiving turkey candy craft to make with kids; they’re an easy way to turn classic peanut butter cups into the tastiest turkey-shaped candy.

Everyone needs an easy Thanksgiving dessert on the menu that can double as holiday decor – chocolate turkey candy is a great way to express your gratitude and thank your guests for their company.

Why We Love Candy Turkey Thanksgiving Recipes

  • Quick and easy to make.
  • Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
  • A fun way to turn leftover Halloween treats into festive Thanksgiving candy.
  • Perfectly portable and individually portioned chocolate Thanksgiving turkeys for holiday parties, potlucks, gift giving, and cookie trays, and dessert platters.

Candy Turkey Ingredients

candy turkey ingredients.
  • Semi sweet chocolate chips
  • Full-size Reese’s peanut butter cups
  • Reese’s mini peanut butter cups
  • Yellow or orange M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces
  • Mini red M&Ms
  • Small candy eyeballs
  • Candy corn

Substitutions and Additions

  • Choose Your Chocolate: Milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or melting wafers can be used instead of semi-sweet chocolate. The chocolate acts as a ‘glue’ to assemble the turkeys and will not be seen.
  • Form Turkey Feet: You can add a small pretzel to the back of each Turkey Peanut Butter Cup for turkey feet or legs.
candy turkey made with peanut butter cups, m&m's and candy corn.

How to Make Candy Turkey

  1. Melt: Microwave the chocolate in 20-second increments until smooth.
  2. Make The Turkey Head: Dip the skinny side of a yellow or orange M&M into the chocolate “glue” and attach it to the center of the mini Reese’s for the turkey beak. Then glue a red M&M next to the beak to for the wattle and attach two eyeballs above the beak.
  3. Form The Full Turkey: Use the melted chocolate to attach each turkey head to the bottom of the full-size Reese’s. “Glue” 5 pieces of candy corn above each head to for the feathers. 
  4. Serve: Allow the chocolate to set for 20-30 minutes, serve, and enjoy!
sticking yellow and red m&m's to the peanut butter cup for the beak and wattle. adding the eyes. adding bigger peanut butter cups as the body. add a couple candy corns as the feathers.

Tips For Making Candy Turkey

  • I find it easier to assemble the turkey heads before attaching them to the body. If, for any reason, you need to pick up the head to adjust something, the miniature cups are easier to handle than picking up the whole Reese’s cup.
  • If the chocolate hardens while working on the turkeys, you can re-melt it in the microwave in 20-second increments.
  • If it is warm in your kitchen, you can place the tray in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set before serving.
a couple candy turkey on top of white table.

How to Store Candy Turkey

  • To Store: Store leftovers in a cool, dry location in an airtight container for up to a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size candy eyeballs should I use to make my turkey desserts?

I like to use miniature candy eyeballs for the cutest-looking turkeys. I find the regular-size candy eyeballs (found in the baking section at the grocery store) are too large for the turkeys’ heads. You can find the miniature candy eyeballs at craft stores with a baking section, such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. 

Can I make my own peanut butter cups from scratch?

Yes, you can make your own candy from scratch. My Homemade Peanut Butter Cups recipe is easy to make and creates candy taste like a copycat of the popular Reese’s chocolate peanut butter candy. Mine are even better because they’re prepared without preservatives!

More Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

candy turkey on wooden board with a couple of others on the background.

Other Easy Thanksgiving Desserts

If you tried this Candy Turkey Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!

5 from 3 votes
6 pieces of Candy Turkey lined up on wooden board.
Serves — 12
This easy Reese's Candy Turkey recipe turns peanut butter cups, M&Ms, and candy corn into the cutest Thanksgiving treats.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Set Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate
  • 12 full-size Reese’s peanut butter cups
  • 12 Reese’s miniature cups unwrapped
  • 12 yellow or orange M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces
  • 12 mini red M&Ms
  • 24 small candy eyeballs
  • 60 pieces candy corn

Instructions
 

  • Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments until smooth.
    ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate
  • Arrange the full-size Reese’s cups on a tray or baking sheet and set aside.
  • Dip the skinny side of a yellow or orange M&M into the chocolate and attach it to the center of the Reese’s miniature cups so it is standing upright to create the turkey beak.
    12 yellow or orange M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces, 12 Reese’s miniature cups
  • Dip the skinny side of the red M&M into the chocolate and attach it next to the beak to create the wattle.
    12 mini red M&Ms
  • Use a toothpick to paint some melted chocolate on the back of the candy eyeballs and attach two eyeballs above the beak on each turkey head.
    24 small candy eyeballs
  • Dip the flat bottom of each turkey head into the chocolate and attach it to the lower third of the full-size Reese’s cup.
    12 full-size Reese’s peanut butter cups
  • Lightly dip the back side of the candy corn into the melted chocolate and attach five pieces to each of the large Reese’s cups above the head to create the tail feathers.
    60 pieces candy corn
  • Set the turkeys aside for 20-30 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. If it is warm in your kitchen, you can place the tray in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:
Store leftovers in a cool, dry location in an airtight container for up to a week.
Tips:
  • I find it easier to assemble the turkey heads before attaching them to the body. If, for any reason, you need to pick up the head to adjust something, the miniature cups are easier to handle than picking up the whole Reese’s cup.
  • If the chocolate hardens while working on the turkeys, you can re-melt it in the microwave in 20-second increments.
  • If it is warm in your kitchen, you can place the tray in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set before serving.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

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