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Mini Turkey Cupcakes on wood background.

Easy Mini Turkey Cupcakes

These adorable mini turkey cupcakes are a fun and festive way to celebrate Thanksgiving or any fall gathering. They’re perfect for kids, easy enough to make in an afternoon, and so festive on the dessert table.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 48 mini cupcakes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix prepared (boxed mixes usually require oil, eggs and water)
  • 1 container chocolate icing
  • ½ cup chocolate sprinkles
  • 1/3 cup yellow candy melts
  • 1/3 cup orange candy melts
  • 1/3 cup red candy melts
  • 96 candy eyes
  • 48 orange Reese’s pieces or M&Ms
  • 48 yellow Reese’s pieces or M&Ms

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two mini muffin pans with paper liners.
  • Prepare your chocolate cake mix according to the box directions.
  • Fill each liner about ¾ full and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let them cool completely before decorating.
  • While your cupcakes are cooling, melt the yellow, orange, and red candy melts in separate bowls according to the package instructions. Transfer each color to its own piping bag (or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off).
  • Pipe feather shapes (think small teardrops) onto parchment paper - aim for 48 of each color. Let them cool and harden completely.
  • Once the cupcakes are cool, spread a thin layer of chocolate icing over each one. Pour the chocolate sprinkles into a shallow bowl and gently dip the frosted tops into the sprinkles so they stick and coat evenly.
  • Start by pressing one yellow candy into the center of each cupcake for the beak. Add an orange candy slightly off-center next to it to create the turkey’s wattle. Above the beak, place two candy eyes.
  • Gently press one feather of each color (yellow, orange, red) into the top of each cupcake so they stick upright in the icing. Work slowly and carefully to avoid cracking the candy feathers. Enjoy!

Notes

Use a Mini Spatula: A small offset spatula makes spreading the icing much easier and more precise.
Make Feathers in Advance: You can pipe and store candy feathers a few days ahead of time - just keep them in a cool, dry place.
Keep It Cool: If your kitchen is warm, pop the finished cupcakes into the fridge for 10 minutes to help the decorations set.
Let Kids Help: Kids can dip and decorate while you handle the piping and baking. It’s a fun group activity!