Thanksgiving Treats for Kids: 10 Goodies to Make

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and there’s no doubt that yummy treats are on everyone’s mind. That’s doubly true for kids who are excited to celebrate the holidays with their families.

So to help you commemorate the upcoming festivities, we’ve compiled ten Thanksgiving treats for kids to take your Turkey Day to the next level. 

These delightful snacks are not only bursting with fall flavors but are also easy to make, which means your kids can help you in the kitchen. 

Get your little sous chefs ready and whip up these goodies for the coming holiday. 

1. Chocolate Caramel Turkey Legs

Chocolate and caramel are quintessential Thanksgiving and fall flavors, plus they’re a match made in heaven. Your kids will surely love this sweet treat. 

Let’s start with the ingredients:

• 40 caramels
• 20 pretzel twists or Pepperidge Farm Pirouette
• 3 oz melted milk chocolate

Instructions:

• Microwave the caramels until they soften
• Mold the caramels on one half of the pretzel or Pirouette to create the impression of a turkey drumstick
• Dip the “turkey leg” in the melted chocolate
• Place the finished pieces aside until they set
• Serve when ready

2. Pilgrim Hat Cookies

Pilgrim hat cookies are perfect for Turkey Day as they come in delectable, bite-sized pieces. Here’s how you can make this fuss-free dessert. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vanilla frosting
• Yellow food coloring
• 20 peanut butter cups
• 20 cookies
• 20 orange bubblegum bits

Instructions:

• Combine the frosting and food coloring in a bowl
• Remove paper lines from the peanut butter cup
• Dip the top of the peanut butter cup in the frosting
• Mold the shape in a way that the peanut butter cup and frosting forms the crown and hatband
• Combine the crown and hatband on the bottom of the cookie
• Stick orange bubblegum bits on the frosting to represent the buckle
• Repeat this for all remaining peanut butter cups

3. Turkey Surprise

A step up from the Turkey drumstick recipe mentioned earlier, this recipe puts the whole turkey imagery front and center. Your kids will have loads of fun assembling this snack for your guests.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of butter
• 4 cups of miniature marshmallows
• 6 cups of crisp rice cereal
• 30 chocolate sandwich cookies
• 1 cup of chocolate frosting
• 1 pack of candy corn
• 30 malted milk balls
• White candy coating 

Instructions:

• Melt the butter along with the marshmallow on low heat then add the cereal
• Form the cereal into a small round ball to represent the turkey’s body
• Separate the chocolate sandwich cookies
• With the cookies separated, place the balled cereal on top of one half of the cookie
• With the other half of the cookie, place the candy corn on a semi-circle pattern. This is the turkey’s tail
• Attach the “tail” on the back of the “body”
• For the wings, place one candy corn on each side of the round cereal
• The malted milk balls will represent the head
• As for the candy coating, place it in a bag with a hole in the end
• Squeeze the bag so the white coating comes out as a dot to represent the turkey’s eyes
• Once done, leave it to the side so the frosting will set in

4. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Acorn Cookies

Our next treat is the chocolate peanut butter acorn cookies. You can either make the cookies yourself or buy pre-made ones and simply drizzle them with melted chocolate.

Ingredients:

• Peanut butter cookie dough or buy peanut butter cookies
• Pretzel sticks
• 2/3 cups of chocolate chips
• 1 tsp. of oil 

Instructions:

• If you chose to make the cookies yourself, place the dough in plastic wrap
• Roll the dough in a tube with the bottom flat while the top is rounded
• Cut the dough in a 3/8-inch thick pattern until the entire dough is divided
• Place the pretzel on top of the cut dough. This is the stem of the acorn
• Bake the dough for around 10 minutes or so then cool it on the side
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave
• Then, with a spatula, spread the chocolate on top of the cookie to resemble an acorn shell
• Crush the pretzels and sprinkle them on the melted chocolate before it sets in
• Refrigerate the cookies to allow the chocolate to set
• Serve when ready

5. Acorn Bite-Size Delight

This Thanksgiving dessert for kids is another bite-sized delight. They are simple to make but are infused with fall flavors.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
• 30 pieces of Hershey Kisses
• 30 Nutter Butter Bites 

Instructions:

• Melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chip to act as a delicious adhesive
• Spread the melted chocolate on the flat side of the kisses then attach it to the miniature cookies
• On the other side of the cookie, drip a small portion of the melted chocolate to represent the stem of the acorn
• Place on the side until everything sets
• Serve when ready 

6. Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip with Crust Dippers

We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a pumpkin snack on this list. Plus, the dip is full of exploding flavors that your kids and guests will surely love.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. of granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box of pie crust of your choice
• 2 tbsp. of melted butter
• 8 ounces of softened cream cheese
• 1 cup of canned pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. of vanilla

Instructions:

• First, mix the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
• Place the pie crust on your working surface area and start rolling it to form a 12-inch rounded shape
• With a 3-inch cookie cutter (use a pumpkin shape cutter to stick with the theme), start cutting the crust
• For any remaining crust, roll it again until everything’s been sectioned off
• Placed the cutout crusts on an ungreased cookie sheet
• Brush with melted butter then sprinkle the sugar-pumpkin mixture you made earlier
• Bake for 8 minutes or when the crust turns golden brown
• Beat the cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and canned pumpkin to create the dip
• Make sure the consistency is smooth and creamy
• Place baked crust and dip on a plate and serve

7. Pumpkin Wontons

This Thanksgiving treat for kids is easy to make and will impress even your adult guests. While it can be a bit tricky to fold the wrappers, you’ll get the hang of it in no time. With its unique wonton crunch paired with a well-loved fall flavor, your efforts will surely pay off. 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of pumpkin
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp. salt
• 30 wonton wrappers
• Oil
• 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of apricot preserves
• 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon 

Instructions:

• In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, confectioners’ sugar, sour cream, and apricot preserves for your dip. Set aside
• In a separate bowl, mix the salt, cheese, and pumpkin
• Take a wonton wrapper, place a tablespoonful of the mixture in the middle of the wrapper, moisten the wrapper’s edge, then fold it over the filling.
• Repeat for all the wrappers
• Heat the oil to 375 degrees then fry the wonton wrappers for about 40 to 60 seconds. Take it out if it turns golden brown
• Fry everything until the entire batch is completed
• Placed the dip and wonton wrappers then serve to your guests 

8. Corn Cakes

For a bit of color on the table, our corn cake Thanksgiving treats for preschoolers may be what you need. Try this easy but satisfying recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped nuts
• 1 can of vanilla frosting
• 2 packs of Reese’s pieces or M&Ms
• Dried corn husks

Instructions:

• Prepare the cake batter as instructed on the package then add the nuts
• Grease a round baking pan about 9 inches in size, add the batter, then bake per the box’s instruction
• Once finished, cool the cake on the side or freeze the cake to easily cut it
• Cut the cake in the shape of corn ears
• Apply frosting on the tops and sides
• Start decorating using Reese’s Pieces or M&M
• Serve when ready

9. Pecan Cups with Maple Cream

This pecan cup with maple cream is another perfect addition to our list. If you’re expecting a lot of guests over, this one is a great choice as you can make it a day before the celebration. Just be sure to store the cups in a resealable plastic bag. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of ready-to-bake cookie dough
• 1/4 cup of chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cup of frozen whipped toppings
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup
• 30 pecan halves

Instructions:

• Heat the oven to 176 C
• Take a muffin cup pan and grease the depressions
• Place cookie dough on the cup then press down with your thumb to create a dimple
• Fill each cup with 1/2 teaspoon of chopped pecans
• Bake for about 20 minutes or until the dough turns golden brown
• Cool for about 10 minutes
• Take a bowl and mix the whipped toppings with the maple syrup
• Take a spoonful and fill the cups with the mixture 

10. Pumpkin Milkshakes

A Thanksgiving party is never complete without a refreshing and rich beverage. Cap off your Turkey Day celebrations with this pumpkin milkshake recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 cups of vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. of ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. of ground nutmeg 

Direction:

• Take all the ingredients, pour them in a blender, then start mixing them for 30 seconds
• Keep going until the consistency becomes smooth
• Serve immediately

Prepare the Perfect Thanksgiving Feast 

Nothing beats preparing for a holiday feast with your kids. Cooking together makes Thanksgiving even more fun and memorable. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to bond with your young ones and teach them some useful cooking skills. 

For more fun holiday activity ideas with your family, visit the Rayito de Sol blog.