Chocolate covered strawberry turkeys are fresh strawberries dipped in melted chocolate chips, then given candy eyes, an orange candy beak and a little red wattle. The green leaves at the top stand in for the tail feathers. One pound of strawberries makes 12 to 16 turkeys in about 50 minutes, and half of that is the chocolate setting in the fridge.
Two things make them work. The berries must be completely dry, and the faces go on while the chocolate is still wet. No oven needed, which helps on a day when the oven is full of pie.
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- Makes: 12 to 16 turkeys from 1 lb strawberries
- Time: 20 minutes prep, 30 minutes dipping, decorating and chilling, 50 minutes total
- Coating: 1½ cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips melted with 1 tbsp coconut oil or shortening
- Faces: candy eyes, orange candy-coated sunflower seeds or mini M&M’s, red decorating gel or red candy melts
- Set: 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge
- Best served: within 24 hours
Picking and Drying Berries for Chocolate Turkeys
Choose firm, ripe strawberries with fresh green tops, all about the same size so the turkeys look like a flock. Fat, rounded berries give the face more room than long pointed ones. Soft or bruised berries leak juice under the chocolate, so save those for a smoothie.
Rinse them under cool water, then pat each one dry and leave them on a towel for 15 minutes or so. This matters more than any other step. A single drop of water can make melted chocolate seize into a thick, grainy paste, and a damp berry lets the coating slide off as it sets.
Dip them at room temperature too. Berries straight from the fridge sweat as the warm chocolate touches them, and that moisture is what makes a shell crack or pull away.
Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate for the Coating?
Either works. I like semi-sweet because it is less sweet against the candy, while milk chocolate is the pick for kids. The tablespoon of coconut oil or shortening thins the chips so the coating goes on smooth and glossy instead of thick.
Melt the chips and oil in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one. Stop while a few small lumps remain and stir until they disappear. The warm bowl finishes the job, and chocolate that gets too hot turns dull and stiff. Use a dry spoon and a dry bowl for the same reason you dried the berries.
Dipping the Berries and Adding Turkey Faces
Line a tray with parchment and set the candy eyes, beaks and red gel or melts right next to the chocolate. Hold a strawberry by its green top and dip it almost up to the leaves. Let the extra chocolate drip back into the bowl, then set it on the parchment or on a chocolate disk base.
Work with 3 or 4 berries at a time. You have about a minute before the chocolate starts to set, and the candy needs wet chocolate to grip:
- Press two candy eyes onto the upper front of the berry.
- Press the orange candy just below them for the beak and hold it for a few seconds.
- Pipe a small red teardrop or squiggle beside the beak for the wattle.
If a piece slips or the shell has already set, lift it off and stick it back with a dot of melted chocolate. Once the tray is done, chill the turkeys for 20 to 30 minutes until the coating is firm.
Parchment or a Chocolate Disk Base?
On parchment the turkeys lie on their backs or lean, which is fine on a platter. A chocolate disk under each berry lets it stand upright like the ones in my photos. Use a flat chocolate wafer, or spoon a little of the melted chocolate into a coin on the parchment and set the dipped berry in it, so the two set together.
For a dessert table, the disks are worth the extra few minutes. For a quick tray, parchment does the job. Either way, a mini cupcake liner under each set turkey keeps it upright, stops smudges, and makes them easy to hand out to little helpers.
Pretzel Feathers and Other Thanksgiving Strawberry Ideas
The recipe card keeps it to the leaves as feathers, but a few extras change the look without changing the method:
- Pretzel feathers: after the turkeys set, tuck 3 to 5 small pretzel twists or pretzel sticks behind the leaves and fix them with a dot of chocolate. They add crunch and a salty edge.
- Candy corn feathers: press a fan of candy corn into a dab of chocolate behind the leaves, points facing in.
- White chocolate turkeys: white chips melt thicker, so add a little more oil, and pipe the faces darker so they show.
For plain Thanksgiving chocolate covered strawberries, follow my chocolate covered strawberries and drizzle them with orange and white chocolate. The pumpkin patch strawberries also work on an autumn table, and chocolate covered pretzels use the same melted chocolate.
Making Strawberry Turkeys the Day Before Thanksgiving
Dip them within 24 hours of serving. After that the berries start to weep juice under the chocolate and the shine fades. The night before is the sweet spot: decorate, chill until firm, then keep them in a single layer in a covered container in the fridge.
Take them out about 10 minutes before serving. Keep them away from a sunny window or a warm counter by the oven, where the chocolate softens and smudges. If you plan to carry them to someone else’s house, use red candy melts for the wattles. They set firm, while decorating gel stays soft and can smear.
Want to get ahead further? Make the chocolate disk bases and set out the candy the day before, then dip and decorate in the morning.
Strawberry Turkey Questions
Do chocolate covered strawberry turkeys need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Keep them in the fridge until about 10 minutes before serving, and eat them within 24 hours.
Why did my chocolate slide off the strawberries?
The berries were damp or cold. Dry them completely and let them come to room temperature before dipping.
What can I use instead of candy eyes?
Pipe dots of melted white chocolate and finish each with a tiny dot of dark chocolate once the white has set.
Set them out with turkey cupcakes and Thanksgiving Oreo turkeys for a whole flock on the dessert table, or add them to a Thanksgiving charcuterie board. More no-bake and baked ideas are in my Thanksgiving desserts collection.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Turkeys
These chocolate covered strawberry turkeys are fresh strawberries dipped in melted chocolate chips and coconut oil, then decorated with candy eyes, an orange candy beak and a red wattle, with the green leaves as tail feathers. One pound of strawberries makes 12 to 16 turkeys in about 50 minutes, with no baking. Dry the berries completely and dip them at room temperature so the glossy chocolate grips, then add the faces while the coating is still wet. Serve these chocolate dipped strawberry turkeys on a Thanksgiving dessert table, a kids table or a charcuterie board, or as Thanksgiving chocolate covered strawberries next to pie. Add pretzel feathers if you like, and keep them in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh strawberries (choose firm, ripe ones with green tops intact)
- 1½ cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or shortening
- Candy eyes
- Orange candy-coated sunflower seeds or mini M&M’s
- Red decorating gel or red candy melts
- Optional: mini cupcake liners or chocolate disks for a base
Instructions
- PREP THE STRAWBERRIES: Rinse the strawberries under cool water, then pat them completely dry with a clean towel. Make sure no moisture remains, as wet strawberries will prevent the chocolate from sticking properly. Leave the green stems intact to act as turkey feathers.
- MELT THE CHOCOLATE: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
- DIP THE STRAWBERRIES: Hold a strawberry by its green top and dip it into the melted chocolate, coating it nearly up to the stem. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off, then place the dipped strawberry on a sheet of parchment paper or onto a chocolate disk base if using.
- ADD CANDY EYES: While the chocolate is still soft, press two candy eyes onto the upper front of the dipped strawberry, positioning them where the turkey’s face would be.
- ATTACH THE BEAK: Gently press an orange candy or mini M&M just below the eyes to form the beak. Hold it in place for a few seconds until it adheres.
- ADD THE WATTLE: Use red decorating gel or a melted red candy melt to add a wattle next to the beak. Pipe a small teardrop shape or a light squiggle for a finished look.
- LET THEM SET: Transfer the decorated strawberries to the refrigerator and chill for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chocolate coating is firm and fully set.
- OPTIONAL: SERVE IN MINI CUPCAKE LINERS: Once the strawberries are fully set, place each one in a mini cupcake liner to keep them upright and make serving easier and tidier.
Notes
Pat the strawberries completely dry and let them come to room temperature before dipping; water or cold berries make the chocolate seize, crack or slide off. Work in batches of 3 or 4 so the chocolate is still soft when you add the eyes and beak, and reattach any loose candy with a dot of melted chocolate. Use parchment paper or silicone mats so the chocolate does not stick while it sets. Red candy melts set firmer than decorating gel if you need to transport the turkeys. Keep them refrigerated in a single layer and serve within 24 hours, taking them out about 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 122Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 3mgSodium 184mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 1gSugar 10gProtein 2g
