Name: Turkey Cupcakes Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all purpose flour; ¾ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 cup (96 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (nonalkalized); 1 teaspoon espresso powder (or coffee powder); 1 cup (240 mL) boiling water; ½ cup (120 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (room temperature); 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 cup (226 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature); 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar; 2 large eggs (room temperature); 1 cup (226 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature); 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar (sifted); ½ cup (48 g) unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1-2 tablespoons milk (room temperature); ½ cup Reese’s Pieces; 20 mini Reese’s cups; 40 candy eyes; 10 red gummy worms (cut in half)

If you’re looking for a fun, festive twist on your Thanksgiving dessert table, I absolutely love sharing this **Turkey Cupcakes Recipe** with friends and family. It’s a playful way to bring everyone’s favorite holiday bird into a sweet treat—plus, these cupcakes are chocolatey, moist, and topped with cute candy details that make them almost too fun to eat! Stick with me, and you’ll find the way to impress both kids and adults alike, while having a blast decorating your own little turkey cupcakes.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Adorable and Festive: These turkey cupcakes are a creative way to celebrate Thanksgiving with some edible fun.
Rich Chocolate Flavor: Each cupcake carries a deep cocoa taste balanced with tangy sour cream for moistness.
Decorating Fun for All Ages: Kids and adults will enjoy placing candy eyes, gummy feathers, and mini Reese’s cups for turkey faces.
Make-Ahead Friendly: You can bake these in advance and decorate just before serving for convenience.

A chocolate cupcake with three main visual layers: the base is a dark brown textured cupcake, on top is a smooth swirl of medium brown chocolate frosting, and the decoration layer on top looks like a turkey. The turkey is made from a mini peanut butter cup as the face, two white candy eyes with brown dots, an orange candy as the nose, and a small red gummy for the wattle. Around the face, candy-coated chocolates in orange, yellow, and dark brown form the turkey feathers arranged in a semicircle. The cupcake sits on a white plate with a white marbled background, and a few loose candies are scattered around. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients You’ll Need

To get that perfect blend of moist crumb and luscious chocolate frosting, I stick with quality ingredients that complement each other beautifully. Plus, I have some pro tips on picking your cocoa and working with sour cream or yogurt to keep everything deliciously tender.

All-purpose flour: This gives the cupcakes structure without weighing them down.
Baking soda: Helps the cupcakes rise up light and fluffy.
Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances chocolate flavor.
Unsweetened cocoa powder (nonalkalized): I prefer this for a more robust, natural chocolate taste.
Espresso powder: Just a hint amps up the chocolate richness—don’t skip this!
Boiling water: Used to bloom the cocoa and espresso powders for deep flavor.
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt: This keeps the cupcakes moist and soft—room temp is key here.
Pure vanilla extract: For that warm, familiar vanilla undertone.
Unsalted butter: For richness in both cake and frosting, at room temperature for easy mixing.
Granulated sugar: The main sweetener for the cakes, balancing the cocoa’s bitterness.
Large eggs: At room temperature, they help bind and lift the batter.
Confectioners’ sugar: For the smooth, sweet frosting texture.
Milk: A splash in the frosting ensures it’s spreadable without being runny.
Reese’s Pieces: Fun candy “feathers” for decorating.
Mini Reese’s cups: Perfect for the turkey’s body.
Candy eyes: Let’s bring those turkeys to life!
Red gummy worms: I cut these into halves for turkey “wattles”.

Note: You’ll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Variations

One of the fun parts about the Turkey Cupcakes Recipe is how customizable it is. I’ve tried a few twist-ups over the years, and I encourage you to make it your own—whether by swapping out ingredients or adding some flair with decorations.

Using boxed cake mix: If you’re crunched for time, a chocolate cake mix works great! Just add espresso powder for richness and follow suggested decorations.
Dairy-free option: Swap sour cream with a plant-based yogurt, and use vegan butter for the frosting to keep things inclusive.
Other candy decorations: You can swap gummy worms for candy corn or chocolate-covered pretzels as turkey feathers.
Flavor twists: Add a pinch of cinnamon or chili powder into the batter for a subtle holiday kick.

How to Make Turkey Cupcakes Recipe

Step 1: Prepare Your Batter for the Moistest Cupcakes

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lining a 20-cupcake pan with liners. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. This dry mix is the backbone of your rich chocolatey cupcake. Next, slowly stir in boiling water to the dry mix—this blooming step intensifies that chocolate flavor dramatically.

In a separate bowl, beat your room temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This took me a few tries to get just right; don’t rush this part because the texture makes all the difference. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between, then mix in sour cream and vanilla extract. Finally, gradually incorporate the dry ingredients with wet, just until combined—overmixing causes toughness, so go easy!

Step 2: Bake and Cool Before Decorating

Spoon the batter evenly into liners—filling about ⅔ full works best to avoid spilling while baking. Pop them in the oven for about 18 to 20 minutes. I always do the toothpick test near the end; when it comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, they’re perfect. Let cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack. Trying to frost warm cupcakes? Don’t do it—I learned that lesson the hard way. Melted frosting just isn’t the look we want.

Step 3: Whip Up the Chocolate Frosting

In your stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat softened butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sifted confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder, alternating with a little milk, until you reach a fluffy, pipe-able consistency. Stir in vanilla at the end for that finishing flavor booster. This frosting is so rich and creamy—you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful (I won’t tell!).

Step 4: Assemble Your Turkey Cupcakes

Spread or pipe a generous swirl of frosting onto each cupcake. Now for the fun part—decorating! Place a mini Reese’s cup in the center (the turkey’s body), arrange Reese’s Pieces as “feathers” fanning out behind the body, add candy eyes to the Reese’s cup for faces, and finish with halves of red gummy worms for wattles. My kids go crazy for this decorating station—it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and cute photo op.

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Pro Tips for Making Turkey Cupcakes Recipe

Bloom Cocoa & Espresso Properly: Adding boiling water to your dry cocoa and espresso powders unlocks intense flavors you otherwise miss.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Butter, eggs, and sour cream blend better, giving you a smooth batter and soft crumb.
Don’t Overmix: Stir batter just until combined to avoid dense or rubbery cupcakes.
Cool Completely Before Frosting: This prevents frosting meltdown and messy decorations.

How to Serve Turkey Cupcakes Recipe

The image shows a close-up of a group of chocolate cupcakes on a white marbled surface, each with one swirl of rich, smooth dark brown frosting on top. Each cupcake is decorated with a peanut butter cup candy placed in the center, topped with two white candy eyes. Around the peanut butter cup, there are bright candy buttons in orange, yellow, and brown arranged like feathers. A small orange candy serves as the nose, and a red gummy candy is placed at the front like a turkey’s wattle. The cupcakes are set in dark brown paper liners, and a few small colorful candies are scattered nearby. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Garnishes

I have a soft spot for how the candy eyes and gummy worm wattles bring these turkey cupcakes to life—they add such charming personality! Reese’s Pieces make colorful feathers, but sometimes I sprinkle crushed graham crackers or mini chocolate chips for an extra texture pop. Feel free to get creative with candy options you have on hand.

Side Dishes

Since these cupcakes are a dessert, I like pairing them with simple sides like vanilla bean ice cream or a scoop of cinnamon-spiced whipped cream to balance the chocolate richness. For holiday parties, a warm spiced cider or coffee complements their intense chocolate flavor beautifully.

Creative Ways to Present

One year, I arranged these turkey cupcakes on a rustic wooden tray with autumn leaves scattered around for a Thanksgiving centerpiece. You could also serve them on tiered cake stands for extra drama or package a few in little take-home boxes with ribbons—it’s such a fun, memorable gift for holiday guests.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I store leftover turkey cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge, especially because of the frosting. They stay soft for about 3-4 days, and I noticed that covering them well keeps them from drying out or absorbing fridge odors.

Freezing

These cupcakes freeze surprisingly well! I wrap each cupcake tightly in plastic wrap then place them in a freezer-safe bag. When I want a sweet treat, I thaw them overnight in the fridge before decorating—frosting fresh after freezing is definitely best for that perfect look.

Reheating

I don’t recommend reheating frosted cupcakes, but if you want to warm just the cake, I remove the frosting then microwave for 10–15 seconds or warm gently in a low oven. Then add fresh frosting or enjoy as is—still delicious!

FAQs

Can I make the Turkey Cupcakes Recipe ahead of Thanksgiving?

Absolutely! You can bake the cupcakes up to 2 days in advance and keep them refrigerated un-frosted, or bake and freeze them up to a month ahead, as long as you frost and decorate right before serving for the best texture and freshness.
What’s the best way to keep cupcakes moist?

The secret is using sour cream (or Greek yogurt) in the batter and not overbaking. Also, make sure your cupcakes are stored in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.
Can I substitute the candy decorations?

Definitely! Get creative with whatever candies you have—chocolate chips, candy corn, colored sprinkles, or even fruit snacks. The goal is to make your cupcakes festive and fun!
Is espresso powder necessary in this recipe?

It’s optional but highly recommended. Espresso powder doesn’t make the cupcakes taste like coffee but instead enhances the chocolate flavor, making it richer and more complex.

Final Thoughts

This Turkey Cupcakes Recipe is one of those holiday treats that always brings smiles and sparks conversation. I love how it’s both nostalgic and playful, mixing homemade chocolate goodness with whimsical candy decorations. If you’ve been on the fence about trying a themed dessert this Thanksgiving, these cupcakes are the way to go—they’re as easy as regular cupcakes but with so much personality! Trust me, once you make these, your friends and family will be asking for them year after year.