Six Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes for Kids

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to get together. Often times this also means a number of children come to the event. The tricky thing with Thanksgiving and children is that their normal mealtime may be interrupted. Furthermore, while adults may be happy making regular conversation, children want to play. The combination of hunger and wanting to play can make a kid quickly turn cranky, which can spoil the celebration for everyone. This problem can easily be solved by allowing the kids to “help” with the Thanksgiving prep by building some cute Thanksgiving dessert recipes. Here are six potential ways a child can help with the Thanksgiving day prep.

Please note that photos are examples. Recipes and photos may not match exactly.

These cookies are unique enough that they can only be served during Thanksgiving. Most people have yet to try these cookies, which means that they will be sure to impress your guests. Finally, one cookie is usually more than enough per guest, so huge batches don’t need to be created.

Here is how to build these cookies:

Ingredients

• Ellipse shaped cookies (Cookie dough can be made into this shape, or cake can be used)
• One can of vanilla frosting (16oz)
• Two packages of Reese’s Pieces (16oz)
• Green Fruit Roll-up

Directions

Step #1

Add a layer of frosting to each cookie, then arrange Reese’s pieces in several rolls on the frosting

Step #2

Cut the Fruit Roll-up to resemble leaves and apply to the cookie. Put these cookies in the fridge to harden.

The fantastic thing about this recipe is how much fun they are to construct. The tail feathers can be built out of multiple candies, which makes each turkey unique. While these cookies are a little technical to make, no baking is required - making them ideal to assemble with kids.

Here is how to build these cookies:

Ingredients

• Bag of Double Stuff Oreos (24 needed)
• Bag of mini peanut butter cups (12 needed)
• Bag of malt milk balls (12 needed)
• Bag of candy corn
• Yellow food coloring
• Small amount chocolate frosting (4oz)
• Small amount of white frosting (4oz)

Directions

Step #1

Place an Oreo face down and put chocolate frosting on top. This will act as your base. Put a peanut butter cup perpendicular on the base. This will act as the turkey’s body. Make sure to leave room behind the peanut butter cup for the tail feather cookie.

Step #2

Take another Oreo and put it behind the peanut butter cup, this will act as the tail feather holder. Add a little frosting on the tail feather cookie and put in candy corn to be the individual feathers.

Step #3

Add some frosting between the peanut butter up and back tail feather Oreo. Leave frosting on the top for the malt milk ball.

Step #4

In a separate dish, mix yellow food coloring with white frosting. Use this frosting to paint on the “beak”. Use the white frosting to paint on the eyes.

This recipe does not require a lot of child interaction. Furthermore, the oven is used, which requires an adult to help. Still, these bites are fun and easy enough to make any Thanksgiving celebration amazing.

Here is how to make these bites:

Ingredients
Two ready-to-roll pie crusts (refrigerated)
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice [Typically a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice]
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter
Mini Muffin tray
*Optional* Whipped Topping

Directions
Step #1
Preheat the oven to a temperature of 350 degrees. Roll out the pie crust and cut pumpkin shapes. (Warning! You may need to roll out the dough to be thinner then it comes straight out of the box)

Step #2
Push pumpkin shapes into mini muffin tray. Make sure pie crust does not overlap each other. Apply an egg white to the top edge of each of these mini pies.

Step #3
Combine sugar, canned pumpkin, cream cheese, two eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin spice. Mix so that they are all combined well. Spoon mixture into each mini pumpkin pie on tray.

Step #4
Bake for 12 - 15. Allow to cool, then refrigerate. Serve cold (and with whip topping if you desire!)

This recipe is perfect for those that want to build their own turkey cookies, but don’t want a lot of complicated steps. This recipe does require using scissors, though that work can be done in advance if needed.

Here is how to make these cookies:

Ingredients

• Small pack of double stuff Oreo cookies (8 needed)
• Small pack of Nutter Butter cookies (8 needed)
• 4oz of Candy Corn
• Small bag of red jelly beans (8 needed)
• Small amount of Mini M&M’s (16 needed)
• White icing (best if in tube)
• *Optional* Black decorating gel (best if in tube)

Directions

Step #1

Create the tail feature by pushing candy corn into the side of a double stuff Oreo. Use frosting to attach the Nutter Butter body to the Oreo tail feather. (This can also be done after step 2)

Step #2

Create the turkey’s face. This can be done by using frosting / M&M’s for eyes. If purchased, use the black decorating gel to create pupils in the M&M eyes. Cut a candy corn to be smaller, and use this for the beak. Finally, cut the red jelly bean lengthwise and use below the beak.

This idea has to be the simplest, more versatile Thanksgiving dessert idea on this page. However, this particular mix may be so simple to make that no time is taken to build the dessert. May make a great appetizer idea for kids while dinner is being created.

Here is how to make this mix:

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Chex cereal
• 1 cup candy corn
• 1 bag of Chex party mix (6oz)
• 1/2 cup of dried fruit (apples?)
• 1/2 cup of nuts (almonds work well)
• Mini marshmallows
• Gold fish crackers
• Ice cream cones

Directions

Step #1

Mix everything and put inside ice cream cones. Tip ice cream cone on it’s side to let some stuff spill out. Done!

Popcorn balls are very easy to make. Popcorn balls also allow a variety of decorations to be added in easily. That makes these popcorn treats fun, sticky things to eat.

Here is how to make these popcorn balls:

Ingredients

• 10oz of Marshmallows (1 package of Jet-Puffed marshmallows)
• 6 cups of Rice Krispies (Coca Krispies also work well!)
• 3 tablespoons of butter or margarine
• Bag of Double Stuffed Oreos
• Chocolate Frosting
• Candy corn
• Toothpicks
• Wax paper

Directions

Step #1

In a pan, slowly melt butter and add marshmallows. Once they are completely melted, turn off the heat and add in the rice krispies. Stir. Put onto wax paper and wait until cool enough to handle.

Step #2

Create a Rice Krispy ball with mixture on wax paper. Create tail feather by putting candy corn in an Oreo, then use chocolate frosting to attach Oreo to Rice Krispy body.

Step #3

Use frosting and candy corn to build the beak. You can also use frosting to draw two eyes, depending on where the beak is.

Trick - If the Oreo is split in half, the frosted part of the Oreo can be the tail feather and the bottom park of the Oreo can be the Turkey base. Just make sure to use some frosting on the base to adhere the Rice Krisphy ball to the Oreo.