These Oreo turkey cookies turn a sandwich cookie, a handful of candy corn and a little frosting into a row of tiny Thanksgiving turkeys. Each one has candy corn feathers tucked into the cream filling, a chocolate candy head, candy eyes and a candy corn beak. There is no oven, no mixing and nothing to melt, so kids can do almost all of the building themselves.
They are a decorating project more than a baking project. The flavor is simple: chocolate cookie, creamy filling and sweet candy. That makes them a good fit for a kids’ table, a classroom party or a dessert spread where you want something playful next to the pies.
A dozen turkeys take about 25 minutes to assemble, plus 15 minutes for the frosting to set.
What Makes These Turkey Cookies Work
The cream filling does the heavy lifting. Candy corn pressed into it stays put, and the top wafer rests over the tips to hold the feathers in a fan. A small dab of frosting acts as edible glue for the head, eyes and beak, then firms up slightly as it sits.
Double Stuf cookies give you thicker filling and a bit more to grip. Regular Oreos can work, but the filling is thinner, so take extra care when pressing in the candy.
Ingredients
Makes 12 turkey cookies.
- 12 Double Stuf Oreo cookies (about 6 oz / 175 g)
- 72 pieces candy corn (about 4½ oz / 130 g), divided: 60 for feathers (5 per cookie) and 12 for beaks (1 per cookie)
- 12 chocolate malted milk balls, such as Whoppers, for the heads
- 24 candy eyes (2 per cookie)
- ⅓ cup ready-made chocolate frosting (about 3 oz / 90 g), from a tub
Ingredient notes
- Frosting: Use a thick, tub-style frosting. Whipped or very soft frostings are slippery and may not hold the candy in place. This amount leaves a little extra for uneven dabs.
- Heads: Any smooth, round chocolate candy about ½ inch across will work. Larger candies can slide or tip the head forward.
- Candy eyes: Look in the baking aisle near the sprinkles. Sizes vary, so check that the eyes are small enough to sit on a ½-inch head.
- Allergens and labels: Oreos, malted milk balls, candy corn, candy eyes and frosting all vary by brand, and many contain wheat, milk or soy. Candy corn from many brands contains gelatin, so check labels if anyone is vegetarian or vegan, or has an allergy. Check labels for “may contain” warnings if you are serving a group.
Equipment
- Baking sheet, tray or cutting board lined with parchment paper
- Small bowl for the frosting
- Toothpick or small spoon for placing frosting dabs
- Optional: a zip-top bag with one corner snipped, if you prefer to pipe the frosting dots
Time and Yield
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Setting time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Cook time: None
- Yield: 12 turkey cookies
- Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
- Set up your station. Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment. Sort the candy corn into two small piles: 60 pieces for feathers and 12 for beaks. Scoop the frosting into a small bowl. Keep the malted milk balls and candy eyes in separate dishes so they are easy to grab.
- Open the cookies. Gently twist each Oreo apart so the cream filling stays on one wafer. Set the other wafer next to it. If a cookie breaks or the filling splits unevenly, set it aside and use another.
- Add the feathers. Press 5 candy corn pieces, pointed end down, into the cream filling along the back half of the cookie. Fan them out so the wide ends point away from the center and extend just past the edge of the wafer. Press only until the tips are held firmly in the filling.
- Close the cookie. Set the top wafer back on and press down gently until it rests on the filling. The feathers should stay in place and fan outward when you let go. If a feather has slipped, lift the top wafer and push that candy corn back into the filling.
- Attach the head. Dab about ½ teaspoon of frosting on the top wafer, just in front of center and toward the front edge. Set a malted milk ball on the frosting and hold it for a few seconds until it stays upright.
- Add the eyes. Place two tiny dots of frosting on the front of the head, side by side. Press a candy eye onto each one.
- Add the beak. Put a very small dab of frosting on the wide end of a candy corn piece. Press it onto the head just below and between the eyes, with the pointed end facing straight out.
- Let the turkeys set. Leave the cookies flat on the tray at room temperature for about 15 minutes. The frosting will firm up slightly, though it will not harden like candy. The turkeys are ready to move when you can nudge a head or eye very gently and it does not slide.
You Might Also Like: Pumpkin Pie Bars with Gingersnap Crust for a Crowd
Tips for Success
- Use tiny dabs of frosting. Too much frosting makes the head, eyes and beak slide around. A small dot is enough to hold each piece.
- Assemble in stages. Add all the feathers first, then all the heads, then eyes and beaks. It keeps small hands from mixing up steps and gives the earlier frosting a head start on setting.
- Keep the turkeys flat while they set. Tilting the tray can slide heads and eyes out of place.
- Chill briefly in a warm kitchen. If your frosting is soft or the room is warm, slide the tray into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes after assembling to help the frosting firm up.
- Set up an assembly line for a group. Give each child a cookie, five candy corn, a head, two eyes and a beak. An adult or older helper can handle the frosting dabs for younger children.
Variations and Substitutions
Melted chocolate instead of frosting. Melted chocolate sets firmer than frosting, which makes the turkeys sturdier to carry to a party. Use ½ cup (about 85 g) semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate melting wafers.
Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds, stir, then continue in 15-second bursts, stirring each time, until the chocolate is smooth. Stop heating when only a few small lumps remain and stir until they melt. Spoon the chocolate into a zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner and pipe small dots in place of the frosting. The chocolate begins to firm within about 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature. Keep water out of the bowl, since even a drop can make melted chocolate stiffen into a thick paste.
Golden Oreos. Vanilla sandwich cookies make lighter-colored turkeys. Chocolate frosting still works well for the heads and eyes.
Other sandwich cookies. Store-brand chocolate sandwich cookies are fine. Choose ones with a thick cream filling so the candy corn has something to hold on to.
Troubleshooting
- The candy corn feathers won’t stay in the filling. The filling may be too thin. Use Double Stuf cookies, or add a tiny dab of frosting at the base of each candy corn before pressing it in.
- The cookie cracks when you twist it apart. Twist slowly and keep the cookie level. Cracked wafers can still be used as the bottom half, as long as the top wafer is whole.
- The head slides or tips forward. The frosting dab may be too small or too soft, or the candy may be too large. Use a slightly bigger dab, a smaller candy, or let the frosting chill for a few minutes before placing the head.
- The eyes or beak keep falling off. Use a bit more frosting and let each piece sit in place for a few seconds before moving on.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Store the turkeys in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature. Stack them only if you separate the layers with parchment, because the feathers and heads are fragile. For the best appearance and texture, serve them within about 3 days.
This recipe can be assembled a day ahead. Keep them flat in a covered container until serving, and avoid humid spots, which can soften the cookie wafers and make candy sticky.
I do not recommend freezing. Condensation as the cookies thaw can make the candy sticky and the wafers soft.
Serving and Presentation
Arrange the turkeys in a row on a wooden board or platter with the feathers facing the same direction. They look best on a kids’ table, in a classroom party spread, or next to a pie platter as a small, playful extra. Pack them flat in a single layer if you are bringing them to a party.
Candy eyes and candy corn are small, hard candies. For children under four, skip the candy eyes or serve the turkeys only with close supervision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use Double Stuf Oreos?
No, but they are the easiest choice. The thicker filling holds candy corn better than regular filling. If you use regular Oreos, press the candy corn gently and add a small dab of frosting at the base of each feather if it does not stay put.
Can I make these without frosting?
Yes. See the melted chocolate variation above. It sets more firmly than frosting and works well for turkeys you need to transport.
Are these nut-free?
The ingredients in this recipe do not include nuts, but products and facilities vary by brand. Check every label if you are serving someone with a nut allergy.
Can kids make them without help?
Most kids can press in candy corn and place the head, eyes and beak on their own. Younger children may need an adult to dab the frosting.
Final Thoughts
These Oreo turkey cookies are a low-stress way to add something fun to the Thanksgiving table, and they put leftover Halloween candy corn to good use. Set out the ingredients, let the kids build, and have a tray ready for the finished turkeys.
No-Bake Oreo Turkey Cookies with Candy Corn Feathers
Equipment
- Baking sheet, tray or cutting board
- Parchment paper
- Small bowl
- Toothpick or small spoon
- Zip-top bag (optional, for piping)
Ingredients
- 12 Double Stuf Oreo cookies regular Oreos also work, but the filling is thinner
- 72 pieces candy corn divided: 60 for feathers (5 per cookie) and 12 for beaks (1 per cookie)
- 12 chocolate malted milk balls, such as Whoppers for the heads; any smooth, round chocolate candy about 1/2 inch across works
- 24 candy eyes 2 per cookie
- 1/3 cup ready-made chocolate frosting thick, tub-style; used as edible glue
Instructions
- Set up your station. Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment. Sort the candy corn into two piles: 60 pieces for feathers and 12 for beaks. Scoop the frosting into a small bowl. Keep the malted milk balls and candy eyes in separate dishes.
- Open the cookies. Gently twist each Oreo apart so the cream filling stays on one wafer. Set the other wafer next to it. If a cookie breaks or the filling splits unevenly, set it aside and use another.
- Add the feathers. Press 5 candy corn pieces, pointed end down, into the cream filling along the back half of the cookie. Fan them out so the wide ends point away from the center and extend just past the edge of the wafer. Press only until the tips are held firmly in the filling.
- Close the cookie. Set the top wafer back on and press down gently until it rests on the filling. The feathers should stay in place and fan outward when you let go. If a feather has slipped, lift the top wafer and push that candy corn back into the filling.
- Attach the head. Dab about 1/2 teaspoon of frosting on the top wafer, just in front of center and toward the front edge. Set a malted milk ball on the frosting and hold it for a few seconds until it stays upright.
- Add the eyes. Place two tiny dots of frosting on the front of the head, side by side. Press a candy eye onto each one.
- Add the beak. Put a very small dab of frosting on the wide end of a candy corn piece. Press it onto the head just below and between the eyes, with the pointed end facing straight out.
- Let the turkeys set. Leave the cookies flat on the tray at room temperature for about 15 minutes. The frosting will firm up slightly, though it will not harden like candy. The turkeys are ready to move when you can nudge a head or eye very gently and it does not slide. In a warm kitchen, chill the tray in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
