Cake Pop Turkeys

… Super Easy and Fun Thanksgiving Craft for Kids!

Need a children’s craft that is very low cost and can be whipped up in short-order time? Then this Thanksgiving art project is perfect for you! I had so much fun designing and crafting these little cake pop turkeys! They’re whimsical and yummy to eat, and easy enough for preschool aged children to make with just a little assistance. Using a single cake pop pan and a boxed gluten-free cake mix (I used Better Batter Yellow Cake Mix – they baked up perfectly delicious), you’ll have twelve of these little gobblers saying, “Happy Thanksgiving!” in no time.

Prep time: about 5 minutes

Bake time: 18-20 minutes (ovens vary)

Oven temp: 325ºF

Cool time: 15 minutes (cake pops can also be made ahead and left for hours to firm up)

Assembly time: for as long as you’re having fun

Ingredients:

cooking spray or a small amount of oil – I used original Pam cooking spray

1/2 boxed gluten free cake mix – Better Batter provided a perfect consistency for this recipe

1/2 cup almond milk or water – or 1/2 of the liquid quantity per your cake mix directions

6 ounces cooking oil (or just over 1/3 cup) – or 1/2 of the oil per your cake mix directions

1 1/2 eggs – or 1/2 of the eggs per your cake mix directions (to get 1/2 an egg I whisked 1 egg in a cup, then used only half for the recipe and saved the other half for later.

1 tube of decorating gel

12 pecan halves – or more for snacking

12 mini marshmallows – or more for snacking

fruit leather – I used Fruit Roll-Ups Simply Fruit Rolls, sliced in thin strips about 1 1/2 inches long

about 80 colored toothpicks – 6 broken in half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Spray or lightly oil both halves of your cake pop pan. Prepare your cake batter according to manufacturer’s directions. Fill the cake pop pan divots, only the side without the holes, to just above full. The batter should stay in place and not ooze over the sides. Place the top half of the pan over the bottom and secure in place. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in hole comes out almost clean. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Waiting much longer can cause the cake pops to become soggy on the outside. Remove the top of the pan and gently nudge the cake pops out with a rounded knife, if necessary. Cool cake pops on cooling rack about 15 minutes.

Now for the fun! Assembling the turkeys!

Using the decorating gel as “glue”, dab a generous amount onto the top of each pecan half. These are the feet. Top with a cake pop for the body. Let sit for a couple minutes to firm up. While waiting, divide up the toothpicks, six per turkey. Use the broken halves of the toothpicks to attach the marshmallow head to the body. Gently wrap a sliver of fruit leather around the toothpick between the body and the head and let dangle. Insert the six toothpicks into the body for the tail feathers. Finally, dab two drops of gel for the eyes.

Enjoy the whimsical personalities your turkeys have acquired from their little creators. Continue the fun by “carving” up the turkey and gobbling him up!

It’s so much fun to create memories. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving memory? 

Safe food is a journey … Thrive!™