A super cute Thanksgiving treat, these fun Turkey Donuts are great to make with kids. There is no baking involved as you use store-bought donuts. Add candy eyes, candy corn, and icing to turn a mini donut into a turkey food craft that everyone will love.
I love these fun Thanksgiving treats! Not every day do you find cute Thanksgiving donuts you can put together in just a few minutes with store-bought ingredients for a simple treat.
Turkey Donuts – Thanksgiving Treats for Kids
They are great to make with little ones with just a few ingredients and are a great addition to a fall-themed gathering, class party, or Thanksgiving dessert platter.
Depending on the kids’ ages, you may be able to hand these off for them to make themselves so they can show off their skills. As a homeschool mom, I’ve always enjoyed food crafts with my little ones all year long. There are so many skills they can put to use, like counting and shapes.
Why Your Kids Will Love These Donuts
- There’s no baking or cooking involved – at all!
- They’re the perfect Friendsgiving donut to hand out to loved ones or for a fun activity with friends!
- Kids (and adults!) will love to decorate these donuts as they are the perfect Thanksgiving treat.
Turkey donut ingredients:
Mini Donuts – I used the coconut crumb to give them a bit of texture, but you can use plain mini donuts, also. You can use different flavors or any types that you want. Have fun with it.
Candy Eyes – You might as well keep candy eyes in stock. They are great for many different food crafts all year long.
M & M’s – Alternate red and brown M&M’s for the nose.
Candy corn – Stick these all along the top to give a feathered look.
White Decorating Icing – This helps the eyeballs to stick on! Make sure to let it harden once you add it.
Yellow decorating icing – Used to add the rest of the turkey face.
How to make Easy Turkey Donuts
Step 1: Grab one donut and push four candy corns into the top of the donut to make the turkey’s feathers.
Tip: When you push the candy corn in towards the top edge of the donut, you don’t want to use so much pressure that they crumble, but you want them secure.
Step 2 – Add a drop of white icing for each eye and then stick the candy eyes on top.
Step 3: Put a red or brown M&M into the donut’s hole to make the nose.
Tip: You could also use candy corn for the turkey’s beak.
Step 4 – Add the yellow icing dots to the small part of the bottom edge of the donut to make the feet, and then add a dab of icing that you swirl up for the wattle near the nose.
FAQs for Turkey Donuts
Can I use homemade donuts?
Sure! If you have a great donut recipe, use it and then decorate them. Just be sure to let the donuts cool before adding any toppings or frosting.
What else can I use for the nose?
You could also use a red Mike n Ike or red hot candy. Sixlets might also work well. I try to stick to chocolate for the nose, but if you have another red or brown candy, use that instead.
For a non-chocolate option, red fruit loops, sprinkles, dried cranberries, or brown and red cookie icing would work. You could add a candy corn beak to keep this turkey donuts recipe simple with fewer ingredients.
Can I Use Regular Sized Donuts instead of Mini Donuts?
Sure! You may need to add a few more candy corns to the top of the donut since it is larger.
Would Donut holes work?
Yes, Turkey donuts are so versatile they can be tweaked for any sized donut.
Useful tips for making these Mini Turkey Donuts
- Don’t push the candy corn down too far. Just enough so that they stick and stay in place so that they look like feathers.
- It would be best if you gave the candy eyeballs a little time to dry into place once they’re stuck to the frosting. If you rush the process, they’ll fall off!
- If you don’t have yellow frosting, the orange frosting will work, too!
- Grab some cute food gift containers while you’re at the store. Put a few donuts in each of them and deliver them to neighbors or friends. They’ll love getting sweets and treats delivered right to their door.
How do I store these Thanksgiving treats?
Store these turkey donuts in an airtight container to keep them as fresh as possible. They don’t have to be kept in the fridge, so room temperature is fine.
I don’t recommend freezing these treats once they’re decorated because they’re better enjoyed fresh.
More Thanksgiving Recipes:
- Southern Buttermilk Pie Recipe
- Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls
- Grandma’s Mississippi Mud Cake
- Pumpkin Pie
- Low Carb / Keto Pumpkin Pie
- The Best Homemade Apple Pie Recipe
Easy Turkey Donuts (Fun with Kids)
Ingredients
- 20 mini donuts
- 80 candy corns
- 40 candy eyes
- 20 M & M's (red and brown)
- yellow decorating icing
- white decorating icing
Instructions
- Grab the donuts out of the package and spread them on parchment paper.
- Take and count out four candy corn per donut - and then press them into the top to look like turkey feathers.
- Add a drop of white icing where each eyeball goes, and then press the candy eyeballs on top.
- Push n red or brown M & M in the center of the donut for the nose
- With the yellow icing, add a wattle to the side of the M & M nose and two dots on the bottom of the donut for feet.