These Turkey Cake Pops are so easy to make and will be a hit on your Thanksgiving table. These cute, bite-sized treats are the perfect addition to your holiday celebration and fun for all ages.
These Thanksgiving Turkey Cake Pops are a fun Thanksgiving dessert for kids, classroom parties, Friendsgiving celebrations, family gatherings, and holiday dessert tables. They're easy to customize with your favorite cake flavor and are a great make-ahead treat during the busy Thanksgiving season.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients Needed To Make This Turkey Dessert
- ⭐️ Top Tip!
- How To Make Thanksgiving Turkey Cake POPS
- Turkey Cake Pop Variations
- Expert Tips and Tricks
- Recipe FAQs
- Supplies Needed to Decorate Thanksgiving Cake Balls
- What to Serve With Turkey Cake Pops
- Thanksgiving Turkey Cake Bites
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Make these Turkey Cake Pops for your next Thanksgiving or holiday celebration, and they will be the most talked-about dish on the table! These little turkeys are an easy Thanksgiving treat to make and only take a few special ingredients to transform a chocolate-covered cake ball into a cute little turkey similar to my Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Turkeys!
If you love fun desserts, check out my other holiday cake pop recipes like my Bunny Carrot Cake Bites or my Halloween Bat Cake Pops!
Key Ingredients Needed To Make This Turkey Dessert
- boxed cake mix (any flavor you like)
- can of frosting (any flavor you like)
- chocolate candy coating (bark)
- candy eye sprinkles
- candy corn
*See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
⭐️ Top Tip!
For smooth coating: If your chocolate seems too thick or won't come out smooth, stir in a little vegetable or coconut oil, a bit at a time, until it thins out. Avoid any water touching the chocolate; even a drop will cause it to seize up.
How To Make Thanksgiving Turkey Cake POPS
Step 1: Make a boxed cake as directed and allow the cake to cool completely.
Step 2: Once the cake has cooled, cut it into small pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Break up the pieces by hand or with a spoon to get small crumbles.
Step 3: Add a container of frosting to the cake crumbles and mix to combine.
Step 4: Prepare a cookie sheet with wax paper. Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of cake mixture and roll it into a ball between your hands. Place each ball on the wax paper and continue to make balls with the rest of the mixture.
Step 5: Melt the chocolate candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds. Stir the coating and continue to melt at 20-second intervals until fully melted. You can also use a double boiler on the stove.
Step 6: Dip each ball in the melted chocolate, tap off the excess, and place on wax paper. Add the eyes, a snood, beak, and tail. Chill the cake pops in the fridge until set.
Turkey Cake Pop Variations
These turkey cake pops are easy to customize with different cake flavors, coatings, and decorations. Try one of these fun variations to create a unique Thanksgiving treat.
- Chocolate Turkey Cake Pops: Use chocolate cake and chocolate frosting for a rich, fudgy center that pairs perfectly with the chocolate coating.
- Pumpkin Spice Turkey Cake Pops: Swap the cake mix for pumpkin spice cake and use cream cheese frosting for a warm fall flavor that's perfect for Thanksgiving.
- Spice Cake Turkey Cake Pops: Make the cake pops with spice cake mix and vanilla frosting for a dessert with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Red Velvet Turkey Cake Pops: Use red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting for a colorful surprise inside each turkey.
- White Chocolate Turkey Cake Pops: Dip the cake pops in melted white chocolate or white candy melts, then tint the coating with brown candy coloring if you want the traditional turkey look.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Pops: Mix a few tablespoons of creamy peanut butter into the frosting before combining it with the cake for a chocolate peanut butter version.
- Cookies and Cream Turkey Cake Pops: Start with cookies and cream cake mix or mix crushed chocolate sandwich cookies into vanilla cake for extra texture and flavor.
- Gluten-Free Turkey Cake Pops: Use your favorite gluten-free cake mix and frosting to make these treats gluten-friendly without changing the decorating process.
- Mini Turkey Cake Pops: Roll the cake mixture into smaller balls for bite-sized treats that are perfect for kids, dessert platters, or party trays.
- Different Feather Decorations: Replace the candy corn with candy-coated chocolates, chocolate chips, colorful fall sprinkles, pretzel pieces, or candy leaves to give each turkey a different look.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- I used a white cake mix for these cake balls and vanilla frosting. You can use any flavor combination that you like, including chocolate, spice, and yellow cake, to name a few.
- To keep the mixture from sticking to your hands while forming the balls, spray them with non-stick spray or place a little vegetable oil on your hands.
- After dipping, let the coating set for a minute or two before adding the eyes and snood so it doesn't smear. Add the candy corn tail right away, though, while it's still tacky enough to stick.
- I used Brach's Autumn Mix of candy corn that has both yellow and brown colors.
- If you can't find chocolate bark, you can substitute it with chocolate chips.
- These Turkey Cake Bites will last in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days.
- You can easily cut this recipe in half if you don't want 48 turkeys; make 24 instead!
- My version of cake pops does not have a lollipop stick on the bottom. I find it easier to make, store, and serve. Of course, you can add sticks if you want to.
- Some people find that tweezers help add the decorations to the small cake pops.
Recipe FAQs
You can make these turkey cake pops 1-2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
Store cake balls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
You can freeze cake pops (undecorated) for up to 1 month. Thaw them in the fridge before decorating.
This can happen if the coating is too hot or the cake balls are too cold when dipped.
Thin the chocolate with a bit of coconut oil or vegetable oil before dipping.
Supplies Needed to Decorate Thanksgiving Cake Balls
To make these cute little turkeys, you will need three types of sprinkles and some candy corn. Candy eyeballs are pretty easy to find nowadays online or in the grocery store. You will also need heart-shaped sprinkles and small round sprinkles for the eyes.
What to Serve With Turkey Cake Pops
- Pumpkin Desserts like Pumpkin Molasses Cupcakes or Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Pumpkin Spice Whipped Coffee
- Apple Cider or Boozy Apple Cider for the adults
- Chocolate Covered Stawberry Turkeys
If you get a chance to make this recipe, tag me on Instagram or Facebook and show me, or leave a review below! You can also follow me on Pinterest and sign up for my e-mail list to receive more fun and delicious recipes in your inbox.
Thanksgiving Turkey Cake Bites
Equipment
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 9x13 sheet cake pan (or any pan to make a cake)
- wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix the cake into a dough
- long-handled spoon or a stick for dipping
Ingredients
- 1 box cake mix (I used a white cake mix)
- vegetable oil (to make the cake)
- eggs (to make the cake)
- 1 can frosting (I used vanilla flavor)
- 1 package chocolate candy coating (bark)
- candy eye sprinkles
- 1 bag candy corn
- red heart sprinkles
- ball sprinkles ( I used gold but you can use any color you have)
Instructions
- Make a boxed cake as directed on the box and allow the cake to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled, cut it into small pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Break up the pieces by hand or with a spoon to get small crumbles.
- Take the container of frosting and mix it into the crumble mixture. This takes a little elbow grease to get it all mixed in. The mixture will be similar to a dough.
- Prepare a baking sheet with wax paper. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of cake mixture and roll it into a ball between your hands (this is easier if you spray your hands with non-stick spray). Place each ball on the wax paper and continue to make balls with the rest of the mixture.
- Melt the chocolate candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds. Stir the coating and continue to melt at 20-second intervals until fully melted. You can also use a double boiler on the stove.
- Using a long-handled spoon or dipping stick, dip each ball into the melted chocolate and coat it completely. Tap off the excess coating and place the ball back on the wax paper. Immediately place two candy eyes, a heart for a snood, a ball for a beak, and 3 candy corns for a tail.
- Allow the turkeys to set completely before enjoying (you can speed up the process in the fridge).
Video
Notes
- I used a white cake mix for these cake balls and vanilla frosting. You can use any flavor combination that you like, including chocolate, spice, and yellow cake, to name a few.
- To keep the mixture from sticking to your hands while forming the balls, spray them with non-stick spray or place a little vegetable oil on your hands.
- If your chocolate seems too thick or won't come out smooth, stir in a little vegetable or coconut oil, a bit at a time, until it thins out. Avoid any water touching the chocolate; even a drop will cause it to seize up
- I used the Brach's Autumn Mix of candy corn that has both yellow and brown colors.
- After dipping, let the coating set for a minute or two before adding the eyes and snood so it doesn't smear. Add the candy corn tail right away, though, while it's still tacky enough to stick.
- If you can't find chocolate bark, you can substitute it with chocolate chips.
- These Turkey Cake Bites will last in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days.
- You can easily cut this recipe in half if you don't want 48 turkeys; make 24 instead!
- My version of cake pops does not have a lollipop stick on the bottom. I find it easier to make, store, and serve. Of course, you can add sticks if you want to.
Nutrition
Any nutrition calculations are only estimates using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Liz says
Impossibly cute. The kids will love helping to make these!
Emily says
They will, have fun!
Jessica says
Adorbs!! My kids are going to love these!!!
Emily says
They will!! Thanks for checking them out!
Bernice says
How cute are these? I think these turkey pops would be fun to serve after Thanksgiving meal and before the pie!
Emily says
Yes, great idea! They will just be fun on the table as well.😀
Swathi says
This turkey cake pops looks really yummy. Love to try this.
Emily says
Thanks, Swathi, I hope you do!
Mirlene says
I can see myself and my daughter making this for thanksgiving. What a genius idea!
Emily says
Thanks, Mirlene! They are super fun.
Jeri says
These cake pops are the cutest! I can't wait to make them for Thanksgiving!
Emily says
Thanks, Jeri, they will be a hit at your Thanksgiving! Enjoy!
Jess says
This is perfect for letting my kiddos help decorate and design while I get the finishing touches on the meal finished.
Emily says
Yes! Great idea and so much fun for the kids.
Bobbie says
These are adorable! My daughter will love making this!
Emily says
These little turkeys are perfect for the kiddos. Have so much fun!
Shadi Hasanzade says
These are so cute! Perfect to make with kids for the holidays!
Emily says
Yes! The kids and adults will love these treats!
Angela says
What a fun holiday treat!
Jessie says
These are ADORABLE and so much fun! I love that they're so easy to make so you can just focus on the fun, craft-y parts with the kids.
Emily says
Thanks, Jessie! It's always fun to get a little crafty in the kitchen.😀
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings says
These are so cute and fun!
Emily says
Thanks, Lindsay!
Dannii says
How cute are these! I am going to make them with my kids at the weekend.
Emily says
I hope you and your kids have so much fun making these!