Here’s a delightfully cute Thanksgiving dessert: Pumpkin Pie Turkeys. These bite-sized treats combine classic pumpkin pie flavor with playful candy decorations—easy to assemble, fun to serve, and loved by kids and adults alike.
If you enjoy creative Thanksgiving desserts, these Pumpkin Pie Turkeys are a must-make. They pair perfectly with other holiday sweets and bring a whimsical touch to any Thanksgiving dessert table.
These little turkeys combine two seasonal favorites—pumpkin pie and candy corn—with a mini peanut butter cup for a cute face. They’re simple to make from a ready-made or homemade 9-inch pumpkin pie and a handful of candies, making them a quick, festive dessert when you need something charming and convenient.
They’re ideal for holiday gatherings, classroom parties, or any fall get-together. Below you’ll find clear ingredients, step-by-step instructions, and a few expert tips to make assembly fast and foolproof.
How To Make Pumpkin Pie Turkeys
Making Pumpkin Pie Turkeys is quick and fun. The basic idea is to cut small rounds from a pumpkin pie, top each round with a mini peanut butter cup for the turkey’s head and add candy eyes, a candy beak, and candy corn for feathers. No baking required if you start with a baked pumpkin pie.
- 1 9-inch pumpkin pie
- 1.5-inch biscuit cutter or similarly sized round cookie cutter
- Mini peanut butter cups (unwrapped)
- Candy eyeballs
- Orange Reese’s Pieces (halved) or small orange candy for the beak
- Candy corn for tail feathers
- About 1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted (for attaching candies)
- Cut circles from the pumpkin pie. Use a 1.5-inch biscuit cutter or a round cookie cutter to press circles out of the pie. Depending on your pie size, you’ll get several rounds—usually 4–6 from a standard 9-inch pie.
(Note: a large pie yields more rounds; adjust cutters and candy quantities as needed.)
- Melt chocolate and prepare candies. Gently melt the chocolate chips in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Unwrap the mini peanut butter cups and halve any candies that need trimming, like the Reese’s Pieces for beaks.
- Attach the peanut butter cup for the turkey head. Place the mini peanut butter cup narrow side down on the lower half of each pumpkin pie circle and secure it with a dab of melted chocolate.
- Add eyes and the beak. Use a bit of melted chocolate to attach two candy eyeballs on top of the peanut butter cup. Then place half an orange Reese’s Piece lengthwise beneath the eyes to form the beak, securing it with another small dot of chocolate.
- Attach candy corn feathers. Arrange five pieces of candy corn at the top edge of the pumpkin pie circle with the narrow end pointing down to mimic tail feathers. Press gently into the pie filling and secure with a touch of chocolate if needed. Chill briefly to set the chocolate, then serve.
Expert Tips
- Best cutter: A 1.5-inch biscuit cutter gives a nice depth and size for each turkey body; a round cookie cutter works as well if that’s what you have.
- Chocolate handling: Melt chocolate slowly and stir often to avoid seizing. Use a piping bag or a small zip-top bag with the corner snipped to place tiny dots of chocolate when attaching candies.
- Make ahead: These are best the day you assemble them, but you can prepare them up to a day ahead and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container. Add the candy corn feathers right before serving if you prefer the freshest look.
FAQs
These Pumpkin Pie Turkeys are most attractive when made the same day, but you can assemble them a day in advance and store them in the refrigerator. If you want the candy corn feathers to stay crisp, add them shortly before serving.
If you try this Pumpkin Pie Turkeys recipe, please consider leaving a rating or a comment about how they turned out — feedback helps other home cooks find easy Thanksgiving dessert ideas.
Pumpkin Pie Turkeys Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 — 9-inch pumpkin pie
- 1/4 cup — chocolate chips, melted (for attaching candies)
- 4 — mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- 8 — candy eyeballs
- 2 — orange Reese’s Pieces, halved
- 20 — candy corn
Equipment
- biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter (about 1.5-inch)
Instructions
- Use a 1.5-inch biscuit cutter to cut circles from the pumpkin pie.
- Melt the chocolate chips in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Unwrap the mini peanut butter cups.
- Attach a peanut butter cup (narrow side down) to the lower half of each pumpkin pie round using a small amount of melted chocolate.
- Affix two candy eyeballs to each peanut butter cup with melted chocolate. Place half a Reese’s Piece lengthwise under the eyes to form the beak.
- Arrange five candy corn pieces at the top edge of each pie round with the narrow side pointing down to create tail feathers. Chill briefly to set the chocolate, then serve.
Notes
Nutritional values are approximate and calculated using a nutrition label generator. Store assembled turkeys in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for best texture and appearance.
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