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Easy No-Bake Turkey Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

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These adorable turkey cupcakes are a fun and festive Thanksgiving dessert that comes together in under 30 minutes. With a sturdy chocolate frosting and simple candy decorations, they’re foolproof and perfect for the kids’ table.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 chocolate cupcakes (baked and cooled completely)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup whole milk (or heavy cream)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 48–60 candy corn pieces (for feathers)
  • 24 candy eyes
  • 12 pretzel sticks (broken in half to make 24 drumsticks)
  • 12 candy corn pieces (for beaks, white tips cut off)
  • Red decorating gel (or red frosting, for wattle)

Instructions

  1. Bake and cool your cupcakes completely. If using store-bought, let them come to room temperature.
  2. Make the chocolate frosting: In a large bowl, beat softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 3-4 minutes until light, fluffy, and stiff. If too thick, add a tablespoon more milk; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.
  3. Prepare decorations: Break pretzel sticks in half to make 24 drumsticks. Cut white tips off 12 candy corn pieces to make beaks. Set everything out on a plate.
  4. Frost the cupcakes: Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and fill with frosting. Starting from the outside edge, pipe a ring of frosting, then a second ring slightly inside, working toward the center to create a tall, textured mound.
  5. Create feathers: Gently press 4-5 candy corn pieces into the back of the frosting mound in a fan shape, pointed ends outward and white tips buried in the frosting.
  6. Add the face: Press two candy eyes into the front of the frosting. Place one candy corn beak (pointy side out) below the eyes. Use a toothpick to dab a tiny dot of red decorating gel just below the beak for the wattle.
  7. Add drumsticks: Gently press two pretzel stick halves into the bottom of the cupcake, one on each side of the face, so they look like turkey legs.
  8. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Place on a serving platter and serve.

Notes

For best results, chill frosted cupcakes for 10 minutes before adding candy decorations to prevent sliding. Use a stiff frosting to keep the turkey feathers in place. Buy an extra bag of candy corn—someone will snack on them. If you don’t have a piping bag, a zip-top bag with the corner snipped works fine.

Nutrition

Keywords: turkey cupcakes, Thanksgiving dessert, no-bake, chocolate frosting, easy, kids dessert, fall treat

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/easy-no-bake-turkey-cupcakes-with-chocolate-frosting/