Get ready to win the holiday dessert table with these unbelievably Easy Thanksgiving Cookies! If you think you need to be a professional baker to create festive, fun, and delicious treats, think again. This recipe is designed for everyone, especially the enthusiastic home cook looking to add a personal touch to the Thanksgiving celebration without spending hours in the kitchen. We’re making adorable turkey-shaped cookies that are soft, chewy, and ridiculously simple to decorate.
These cookies are the perfect solution to the holiday hustle. They use simple pantry staples, come together in under an hour, and the decorating part is more fun than fussy. Let’s dive in and bake some holiday magic!
Why You’ll Love These Easy Thanksgiving Cookies
- Beginner-Friendly: The cookie dough is straightforward and forgiving, and the decorating requires no special skills. It’s a perfect recipe to make with kids!
- Festive and Fun: These cute turkey cookies will be the star of your dessert spread and are a guaranteed conversation starter.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prepare the dough or even bake the cookies ahead of time, freeing you up on Thanksgiving day. Check out our storage tips below!
- Deliciously Soft: We’ve perfected this recipe to ensure a soft, buttery cookie that stays fresh for days.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe relies on simple, common ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, especially around the holidays. No need for a special trip to the store!
For the Soft Sugar Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our cookies.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise just enough to be soft and puffy.
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure it’s softened to room temperature for a smooth, creamy dough.
- Granulated Sugar: For that classic sweet, cookie flavor.
- Egg: Acts as a binder for the dough.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla adds essential warmth and depth.
- Salt: A pinch is crucial for balancing the sweetness.
For the Simple Turkey Decoration
- Chocolate Frosting: You can use your favorite store-bought tub or a simple homemade version.
- Candy Corn: These are the perfect shape and color for turkey feathers!
- Candy Eyeballs: The easiest way to bring your little turkeys to life.
How to Make Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies Step-by-Step
Making these cookies is a simple, three-part process: mix the dough, bake the cookies, and decorate. We’ll walk you through each step to guarantee success.
Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside.
- In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix!
Step 2: Chill and Bake the Cookies
- Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and flatten it into a disk. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This is key to preventing the cookies from spreading too much.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Use a round cookie cutter (or the rim of a glass) to cut out circles. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 3: Decorate Your Turkeys
- Once the cookies are completely cool, spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting over the top of each one.
- Press five pieces of candy corn along the top edge of the cookie to create the “feathers.”
- Place two candy eyeballs in the center of the frosting. And that’s it! Your adorable and Easy Thanksgiving Cookies are ready to serve.
Tips for the Perfect Thanksgiving Cookies
- Don’t Skip the Chill Time: Chilling the dough is essential. It solidifies the butter, which helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents them from becoming thin and crispy.
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag can pack the flour, leading to dry cookies.
- Cool Completely Before Decorating: Make sure your cookies are at room temperature before you add the frosting, or you’ll have a melty mess!
Looking for a perfect side to go with your holiday feast? These Candied Sweet Potatoes are always a crowd-pleaser.
Variation and Decoration Ideas
While the turkey design is classic, feel free to get creative!
- Fall Shapes: Use leaf or pumpkin-shaped cookie cutters and decorate with red, orange, and yellow icing.
- Spice it Up: Add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the dry ingredients for a warm, spiced flavor.
- Chocolate Dipped: Instead of frosting, dip half of each cookie in melted chocolate and add some festive sprinkles.
If you’re planning your main course, you can’t go wrong with this incredible roast turkey recipe. And for another dessert option, these pumpkin cheesecake bars are divine.
Storing and Make-Ahead Instructions
Proper storage is key to keeping your Easy Thanksgiving Cookies fresh.
- To Store: Once decorated, store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Placing parchment paper between layers can help protect the decorations.
- To Make Ahead: The cookie dough can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator. You can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Alternatively, bake the cookies and store them undecorated in an airtight container for a week before decorating and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thanksgiving Cookies
Store your decorated cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature. If you need to stack them, place a sheet of parchment paper between the layers to protect the frosting and decorations. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
You can make the cookie dough up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated. Alternatively, you can bake the cookies and store them in an airtight container for up to a week before you decorate and serve them.
Besides turkeys, you can use leaf or pumpkin-shaped cookie cutters. Decorate them with a simple glaze icing in fall colors like red, orange, and yellow, or dip them halfway in melted chocolate and add festive sprinkles.
Simple cutout sugar cookies, like this turkey-themed recipe, are one of the easiest options. They use basic ingredients, don’t require complex techniques, and can be decorated in a fun, simple way with frosting and candy.
The Easiest Thanksgiving Cookies Recipe
Easy Thanksgiving Cookies (That Look Impressive!)
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, flatten it into a disk, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out circles using a round cookie cutter and place them on the baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cookies are completely cool, spread a layer of chocolate frosting on each. Arrange 5 pieces of candy corn along the top edge for feathers. Place two candy eyeballs in the center. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Uniform Thickness: Try to roll your dough to an even 1/4-inch thickness to ensure all cookies bake at the same rate.
Share Your Creations!
We are so excited for you to try this recipe for Easy Thanksgiving Cookies! They are truly a joy to make and even more fun to share. If you make them, please leave a comment below and let us know how they turned out. And don’t forget to share a picture of your festive creations on Pinterest!
