Turkey donuts are chocolate glazed donuts dressed up as turkeys, with candy corn feathers, candy eyes, and a little red jelly wattle. You need 6 store-bought donuts, about 25 minutes, and no baking at all.
The trick is in the feathers. Each candy corn sits on a short piece of pretzel stick or dry spaghetti pushed into the top of the donut, so it stands up in a fan instead of sliding off the glaze. They work for a Thanksgiving breakfast, a dessert tray, or a craft table for the kids.
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- Donuts: 6 chocolate glazed donuts
- Feathers: 36 pieces of candy corn, 6 per donut
- Sticks: 6 thin pretzel sticks or pieces of dry spaghetti, broken into short pieces
- Faces: 12 candy eyes and 6 small red jelly candies
- Glue: 3 tablespoons melted chocolate, about 1½ teaspoons per donut
- Time: about 25 minutes, plus 5 to 10 minutes to set
For the wattle, any soft red candy works: licorice nibs, a piece of a red gummy fish, or a fruit chew cut in half. Candy eyes give the turkeys a funnier face than mini chocolate chips, so they are worth buying if you are making a tray for a crowd.
Bakery Donuts or Grocery Store Donuts?
Fresh bakery donuts taste better, but they are soft and tend to sag or tear once six sticks go into the top. Boxed chocolate glazed donuts from the grocery store are a little firmer and hold the feathers upright, which matters if the tray will sit out for more than 15 minutes. The best batch in my notes came from a box picked up the night before: firm enough to hold the feathers, still soft enough to bite.
Look for a smooth, fully set chocolate glaze. Sticky or cracked glaze does not hold the eyes well. If you would rather make the donuts yourself, bake them a day ahead so they firm up, like my white chocolate donuts with a chocolate glaze swapped in.
How to Make Turkey Donuts
Set the donuts on a parchment-lined tray or a wire rack at room temperature, and put the candies in small bowls. Melt the chocolate, then let it cool for a minute or two until it mounds on a spoon instead of running off. Hot chocolate melts the donut glaze, and the eyes slide down.
For each feather, push the pointy end of a short stick into the wide base of a candy corn. Push the other end into the top edge of the donut, at least halfway in, angled slightly outward. Repeat with 6 candy corns per donut in a fan around the top, like tail feathers.
Dab a little chocolate on the back of two candy eyes and press them gently above the donut hole. Hold for a few seconds. Stick a red jelly candy just under the eyes, a little off center, for the wattle. A crooked wattle or a tilted eye gives each turkey its own face, so do not fuss over it.
Leave the donuts on the tray for 5 to 10 minutes so the chocolate hardens. One donut takes about 3 minutes once you have a rhythm.
The turkeys in these photos have a small orange candy corn tip for a beak in place of the red wattle. Snip the tip off an extra candy corn and stick it under the eyes the same way if you like that look.
Pretzel Sticks or Dry Spaghetti for the Feathers?
- Pretzel sticks: pleasant to eat and safe for kids. They are thicker, so press slowly or the candy corn can crack.
- Dry spaghetti: thinner, so it slides into the candy corn without splitting it and looks neater. It stays hard and crunchy, so tell guests it is there.
For a kids party, go with pretzel sticks. For a dessert table for adults, spaghetti gives the cleanest fan.
When Feathers Wobble or Eyes Slide Off
- Feathers lean or fall out: the stick is not in far enough. Push it at least halfway into the donut. On a very soft donut, add a dab of melted chocolate where the stick goes in.
- Candy corn cracks: the stick is too thick or was pushed in fast. Use spaghetti or press the pretzel in slowly with a twist.
- Eyes slide down: the chocolate was too hot or too thin. Let it cool until it holds its shape, then reattach.
- Glaze turns tacky and candies slip: the donuts were in the fridge. Condensation softens the glaze, so keep them at room temperature.
Making Turkey Donuts Ahead for Thanksgiving Morning
Turkey donuts are best the day you make them. You can decorate them up to 12 hours ahead and keep them in a covered box at cool room temperature, in a single layer. Do not stack them, or the feathers shift and snap off.
Avoid the fridge. If you must chill them, leave them uncovered for a short time and let them come back to room temperature before serving. On Thanksgiving morning, set them out with cinnamon rolls, coffee, and a plate of pilgrim hat cookies.
A Donut Turkey Craft Table for Kids
This turns into a Thanksgiving craft without much setup. Give each child a donut on a paper plate and a small cup with 6 candy corns, 2 candy eyes, and one jelly candy. Poke the feather holes into the donut ahead of time with a skewer, so small hands can push the pretzel sticks in without squashing it.
An adult handles the melted chocolate, dabbing it on the backs of the eyes when each child is ready. Keep a few extra candy corns on the table, because some will get eaten before they become feathers.
More Thanksgiving Donut Decorating Ideas
The same candy corn feathers work on other treats. My Thanksgiving Oreo turkeys and turkey cupcakes use a similar set of candies, and chocolate covered strawberry turkeys make a fruity plate to go alongside. For a full table, put the donuts next to a Thanksgiving cornucopia snack board.
When December comes, powdered donuts turn into a donut snowman with the same no-bake idea.
Donut Turkey Questions
Can you make turkeys with donut holes?
Yes. Use chocolate donut holes, 3 or 4 smaller candy corn feathers on short spaghetti pieces, and two candy eyes. They are smaller, so they make a good bite-size version for a crowd.
What holds the candy on a donut?
Melted chocolate cooled until it is thick works as glue for the eyes and wattle. The candy corn feathers are held by short pretzel or spaghetti sticks pushed into the donut.
Can I use plain glazed donuts?
You can, but the turkey look comes from the brown chocolate glaze. With plain glazed donuts the eyes are harder to see, and the sugar glaze is slippery, so press the candies in a little longer.
Turkey Donuts Recipe
These turkey donuts are chocolate glazed donuts decorated as turkeys with candy corn feathers, candy eyes, and a small red jelly candy wattle. They take about 25 minutes, need no baking, and make 6 turkey donuts. Each candy corn feather sits on a short pretzel stick or piece of dry spaghetti pushed into the top of the donut, so the fan stands up instead of sliding off, and melted chocolate glues on the eyes. Serve them as a Thanksgiving breakfast treat, a donut turkey craft for kids, part of a Thanksgiving dessert table, or a quick Thanksgiving donut idea for school parties. Make them up to 12 hours ahead and keep them covered at room temperature; do not refrigerate.
Ingredients
- 6 chocolate-glazed donuts
- 36 pieces of candy corn
- 12 candy eyes
- 6 small red jelly candies
- 3 tablespoons melted chocolate
- 6 thin edible sticks (dry spaghetti or pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces)
Instructions
- PREPARE YOUR WORKSPACE: Arrange your ingredients in small bowls and place the chocolate-glazed donuts on a parchment-lined tray or wire rack. Ensure the melted chocolate is smooth and warm but not hot.
- INSERT CANDY CORN FEATHERS WITH EDIBLE STICKS: Insert the pointy end of a small edible stick into the base of one candy corn piece. Push the opposite end into the top edge of a donut, angling it outward to resemble a feather. Repeat with 5–6 candy corns per donut in a fan shape around the top.
- ATTACH THE CANDY EYES: Dab a small amount of melted chocolate on the back of two candy eyes and press them gently above the center donut hole. Hold for a few seconds to secure them in place.
- ADD THE RED JELLY WATTLE: Use a dab of melted chocolate to attach one red jelly candy just beneath the eyes, slightly off-center, to resemble the turkey’s wattle.
- LET THE DONUTS SET: Leave the decorated donuts on the tray for 5–10 minutes to allow the melted chocolate to harden and hold everything securely.
- REPEAT AND DECORATE THE REST: Continue assembling the remaining donuts using the same process. Place each one back on the tray once decorated.
- DISPLAY AND SERVE: Arrange the completed turkey donuts on a serving platter and present them fresh for the best texture and appearance.
Notes
For best results, use fresh, firm donuts with a smooth chocolate glaze; boxed grocery store donuts hold the feathers better than very soft bakery donuts.
Let the melted chocolate cool for a minute or two until it mounds on a spoon; hot chocolate melts the glaze and the eyes slide.
Push each stick at least halfway into the donut, angled slightly outward.
If using dry spaghetti, be sure to inform guests before serving as it stays crunchy. Use pretzel sticks for young children.
Soft jelly candies like licorice nibs or fruit chews work best for the wattle.
Allow decorated donuts to set at room temperature; avoid refrigeration, which can cause condensation.
Make ahead: decorate up to 12 hours ahead and store in a single layer in a covered box at cool room temperature. Do not stack.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 508Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 20mgSodium 256mgCarbohydrates 80gFiber 2gSugar 53gProtein 5g
