17 Awesome Thanksgiving Cookie Recipes

Well, like it or not, Thanksgiving is just around the corner!

We love everything about Thanksgiving - sharing time, food and fun - with friends and family and eating special treats that you usually only see this time of year.

When most people think of Thanksgiving dessert, they think of pie - pumpkin, (chocolate) pecan, butternut squash, cherry, apple. Or any pie for that matter that has become a tradition for your family.

But what about cookies?

There are lots of great ideas for making fun and original Thanksgiving cookies and we've gathered some of them here for you in one place.

These are 17 time-tested, blogger-approved, awesomely creative Thanksgiving cookie recipes. Just click on the cookie name below each photo to see the complete recipe on the original website.

Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies from Hoosier Homemade
Perfect for the holiday dessert table, assembling these turkey cookies is a fun activity for kids and adults. For these cookies, Liz's ingredient list includes: sugar cookies, frosting, white chocolate, peanut butter cups (small and mini), candy eyes, orange Tic-Tacs, and candy corn. As Liz mentions on her blog, she is known as The Cupcake Lady and doesn't really do a lot of cookie baking, but these adorable turkey cookies are just too cute to resist.

Gluten-Free Turkey Sugar Cookies from The Pure Pantry
A simple sugar cookie recipe that is gluten-free and cut-out with turkey cookie cutters, then baked and decorated with candy corn, sparkling sugar and mini chocolate sprinkles or mini chocolate chips.

Simple Turkey Cookies from The San Luis Obispo Tribune
These simple sugar cookies from Larissa and Chrissy take shape into Thanksgiving turkeys with just a few simple ingredients: refrigerated sugar cookie dough, chocolate creamy frosting, candy corn, orange icing and mini chocolate chips.

Thanksgiving Turkey Face Cookies from Sweet Sugar Belle
Find out how to use a ice cream-shaped cookie cutter to create the most adorable turkey face cookies you have ever seen! Sweet Sugar Belle shows you step-by-step how she creates these Thanksgiving turkey cookie works of art.

Turkey Nugget Cookies from The Bearfoot Baker
Watch how Lisa creates her unique Turkey Nugget Cookies with her step-by-step tutorial. All that's need for decorating these sweet treats is an assortment of colored icings. Lisa also has a helpful page with instructions on creating your very own royal icing templates.

Mini Turkey Cookies from LilaLoa
Georganne creatively uses a flower cookie cutter and a number 8 cutter for her mini turkey two-piece double-decker cookies. And if you're interested, Georganne also provides some helpful tips on how to make standing cookies.

Turkey Cookie Place Card Holders from Always the Holidays
These adorable Turkey Cookie place card holders will do double duty at the Thanksgiving table by showing the kids where they should sit. This holiday turkey cookie place card holders project is as much fun to make as it is to eat. The whole thing is edible when done, (other than the name and toothpick) and the kids will love to eat their place card as a dessert.

Oreo Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies from Hi Cookery
It's up to you, make your Thanksgiving turkey cookies with Oreos or Nutter Butters, or why not a little of each! These cookies aren't homemade, but it's fun to see how the simple additions of Reese's mini peanut butter cups, Whoppers malted milk balls, candy corn, mini chocolate chips, frosting, icing and a little creativity can be added to packaged cookies to create some adorable Thanksgiving treats.

Fudge Stripe Turkey Cookies from Reel Mama
Reel Mama got her inspiration for these Thanksgiving-themed cookies from Taste of Home. All you need to put these turkey cookies together are fudge striped cookies, chocolate frosting, Ferrero Rocher chocolate candy, candy corn and a couple pairs of helping hands.

No-Bake Turkey Cookie Pops from Simple Seasonal
These quick and easy turkey pops are a snap to pull together - and you're kids will have a blast! All you need are some Vanilla Oreos, Chocolate Oreos, Mini Chocolate Oreos, candy eyes, candy corn, ready-to-use frosting and icing and some lollipop sticks and a little time and soon your family will be enjoying these adorable treats.

Mini Acorn Cookies from A Mom's Impression
These mini acorn cookies can be assembled in a simple 3-step process. All you need are some Hershey's Kisses, Mini Nilla Wafers, Mini chocolate chips and some royal icing. Be sure to check out Kathy's page for putting these cookies together because it also includes a tempting recipe for Snickerdoodle cupcakes!

Oreo Turkeys and Pilgrim Hat Cookies from Our Best Bites
The Oreo turkey cookies require Double Stuff Oreo Cookies, Mini Peanut Butter Cups, Candy Corn, Whoppers, Chocolate, red and yellow frostings and black sprinkles. The adorable Pilgrim Hat cookies use marshmallows that have been dipped in chocolate, fudge-stripe cookies and a little yellow icing. Let Sara and Kate show you how to make these sweet little Thanksgiving cookies.

Pilgrim Hat Cookies from What's Cooking, Love?
Most Pilgrim Hat cookies we've seen use fudge-stripe cookies, but we like what Alyssa's done with her interpretation because she uses chocolate wafers as the base which gives a really authentic look. Or as much as any cookie can be made to look like a hat! Learn how Alyssa combines chocolate wafer cookies, ready-made cream cheese frosting, peanut butter, miniature peanut butter cups and orange frosting into a hat that any Pilgrim would be proud to wear on Thanksgiving.

Peanut Butter Cup Turkey Cookies from Bake at 350
Bridget has pulled out all the stops for these special turkey cookies. It's hard to beat a big ol' homemade peanut butter cookie topped with a peanut butter cup and decorated with peanut butter buttercream frosting. So cute, so delicious!

Chevron Turkey Cookies from The Bearfoot Baker
Another great cookie tutorial from Lisa (aka The Bearfoot Baker). This time she shares her secrets for creating Chevron Turkey Cookies - which includes instructions for piping and making eyes with royal icing along with awesome tips for how to stencil cookies from Sweet Sugar Belle.

Thanksgiving Rolo Pilgrim Hat Cookies from Frugal Coupon Living
Here's another idea for creating fancy decorated cookies this year and it comes from Ashley at frugalcouponliving.com. She's come up with a clever idea for Pilgrim Hat Cookies that are fun to assemble - and eat! All you need are Oreo Fudge Creme cookies, Rolos, Yellow Starburst candies and orange melting chips. Be sure to click the link above to follow Ashley's steps for putting these darling cookies together.

Thanksgiving Turkey Sugar Cookies from My Turn For Us
These decorated Thanksgiving-themed sugar cookies get their design with powdered sugar icing that is layered with colorful Royal Icing that is created with meringue powder. Kristi even provides a video showing how she created her turkey template with just some waxed paper and cardboard. As she mentions, these did take a while to create, but it was all quality time that Kristi was able to spend with her children.

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