These adorable turkey sugar cookies bake up deliciously soft and chewy and are decorated with chocolate royal icing.

They’re the perfect Thanksgiving dessert for anyone who isn’t a fan of pie!

How to Make These Turkey Sugar Cookies

To make sure these cookies turn out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together.

I’ve also shared a video and a list of the tools/equipment I used to make these cookies. Don’t worry if you don’t have everything on hand, you can always improvise with what you have.

• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• 2 Large baking sheets
• 3-inch flower or circle cookie cutter
• 5 small piping bags
• Red, orange, and yellow gel food coloring
• Rolling pin rings – optional but so helpful!

Step 1: Make the Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Begin by making the sugar cookie dough, following the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

The dough should be pretty thick and sticky. Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion in a piece of plastic wrap.

I like to flatten the dough into a rectangle that’s about 1/2 inch tall to make it easier to roll out once it’s chilled.

Chill the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours or in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C for about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.

Take one piece of dough out of the fridge, leaving the other in there to continue to chill. If you put the cookie dough in the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften up a bit before trying to roll it out.

Unwrap the cookie dough and lay the plastic wrap out flat on your counter. Dust both sides of the cookie dough and your rolling pin with flour.

Then roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick (these rolling pin rings help a ton with getting a consistent thickness) and cut out shapes with a 3-inch round or flower-shaped cookie cutter.

If you use a flower-shaped cookie cutter, you may want to cut away one of the petals at the base of each cookie (the area that will be between the feet).

These cookies don’t spread much as they bake, so you can place them about 1 inch apart.

Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.

Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Bake for 12-15 minutes on the middle rack of your oven (bake time will vary based on the cookies’ size and shape and the dough’s thickness).

The edges should be set but it’s ok if the centers look a little bit soft. The cookies will continue to bake and firm up as they cool on the baking sheets.

Keep a close eye on the cookies and be sure to pull them out before the edges start to brown. Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps and rewrap them in plastic wrap. Pop them back in the fridge to chill.

Pull out the 2nd chilled portion of dough and repeat the process. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.

Step 2: Make the Royal Icing

While the cookies bake and cool, make the royal icing.

Whisk together the powdered sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Add in the water and vanilla or almond extract and mix on a medium speed with a paddle or whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.

This usually takes me about 3 minutes with a hand mixer or 2 minutes with a stand mixer.

Step 3: Testing the Consistency of the Icing – The Spatula Test

Next, add additional water 1 Tbsp at a time until the icing reaches a soft peak consistency.

I usually add 1-2 Tbsp of water, but it can vary from batch to batch. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the water is incorporated into all of the icing.

To test the consistency, dip the spatula into the icing and focus on the way it curls at the end of the spatula. It should curl back onto itself but still be able to keep its shape.

If it’s too stiff, add a tiny bit more water. Or, if it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time.

Step 4: Color the Royal Icing

Then, it’s time to color the icing. You should have roughly 18 ounces of icing.

Scoop 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of icing into a separate small bowl. Add a squirt of yellow gel food coloring (about 1/2 tsp), and stir until evenly colored. Scoop the yellow icing into a small piping bag and seal the top. 

Before you color the rest of the icing, do one more consistency test. Cut the tip of the piping bag to create a very small opening (1-2 millimeters). Pipe an outline of a small circle (about 2 cm – similar to the feathers you’ll be piping on the turkey cookie) on a piece of parchment paper and let it dry for a couple of minutes.

Then, fill it in and see how the icing settles. The icing should be quite thick, but if you wiggle the parchment paper a little or use a scribe to jiggle the icing lightly, it should settle into itself and look nice and smooth. If it doesn’t, you may need to add a tiny bit more water to the icing.

Or if it’s too thin and the outline of the circle isn’t keeping its shape, you can add more powdered sugar. Repeat this test as needed until the icing is the right consistency.

Next, scoop 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of icing into the same bowl and add a squirt of orange gel food coloring (about 1/2 tsp). Stir until the icing is evenly colored, then scoop it into a small piping bag and seal the top. Set aside.

Scoop 3 ounces (1/3 cup) of icing into the same bowl and add a squirt of red gel food coloring (about 1/2 tsp). Stir until the icing is evenly colored, then scoop it into a small piping bag and seal the top. Set aside.

Then, scoop 1 ounce (2 Tbsp) of icing into the same bowl and add a drop of black gel food coloring (about 1/8 tsp). Stir until the icing is evenly colored, then scoop it into a small piping bag and seal the top. Set aside.

Mix 2 tsp of dark cocoa powder into the remaining uncolored icing. This should make it quite a bit thicker.

Then add additional water, 1 tsp at a time, until the icing reaches a thick flood consistency. To test the consistency, the icing should be able to run off the spatula in a thick stream, and you should be able to draw a figure 8 with the run-off icing.

It should mostly settle back into the bowl of icing within 8 seconds, but not completely/still be a bit visible. Once the icing reaches this stage, pour it into a piping bag, and seal the top. Set aside. 

Step 5: Decorate the Cookies

When you’re ready to decorate the cookies, cut the tips of the piping bags to create a very small opening (1-2 millimeters). You can always cut the opening wider, but you can’t make it smaller once you cut it. I find it’s a lot easier to control the icing as you decorate the cookies if you have a small opening.

This step is optional, but I find it super helpful! Use an edible marker to trace a circle on each cookie where the turkey’s body will be. Then, use the orange icing to pipe a ring over the outline and pipe two little feet at the bottom of each cookie.

Next, use the orange, yellow, and red icing to pipe short, rounded feathers around the circle until you reach each foot. Start by piping the outline of each feather, then fill it in and shake the cookie gently to help the icing settle.

Let the icing dry for about 15 minutes. By the time you finish the last cookie, the first should be ready for the next step!

Then, fill the center of each cookie with chocolate icing. Once you’ve filled all the cookies, use the orange icing to pipe a beak in the center of the cookie. Then use the red icing to pipe a little teardrop next to the mouth (bonus points if you knew that part of the turkey is called the snood?!), and the black icing to pipe two eyes and eyebrows. 

If you have some nonpareil sprinkles on hand, pick out some of the white sprinkles and gently press one onto each eye to give it a little more dimension. I lightly wet my fingertip, which helps the sprinkle stick to it, then super gently press it into place in the black icing. The last step is to use the chocolate icing to pipe two wings near the feet. 

Let the cookies dry for a few hours or overnight until the icing is firm to the touch. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Substitutions and Swaps – Turkey Sugar Cookies

While I love this recipe just the way it is, I know you might not have all these ingredients on hand! Or you might have food restrictions or allergies.

Below are some swaps and variations that can be made to this recipe.

• Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter, you can use it and omit the salt that this recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter.
• Cream Cheese – I recommend using the full-fat cream cheese that comes in a block.
• Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the spread of these cookies.
• All-purpose flour – You can use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the AP flour in this recipe.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps give these cookies a soft texture! If you don’t have any one hand, it can be omitted, but your cookies won’t bake up as soft.
• Almond Extract – I love the hint of almond extract in these cookies, but if you have a nut allergy, you can use vanilla extract or a different extract in place of the almond extract.
• Meringue Powder – This ingredient is a must for the royal icing. It has stabilizers (usually cornstarch and sugar), which help the icing easily whip up. For this reason, I don’t recommend using dried egg white powder as a substitution.
• Dark Cocoa Powder – I like to use dark cocoa powder or Dutch-processed cocoa powder to color and flavor the icing that’s brown, but you can also use regular, unsweetened cocoa powder if needed.

How Many Cookies Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe can be used to make about 24, 3-inch cookies. The yield and bake time will vary based on the size and shape of the cookie cutter you use and the thickness of your dough.

This recipe can be halved to make fewer cookies (use half a scrambled egg in the dough), but I don’t recommend doubling it unless you have a commercial (8 qt.) stand mixer.

Tips for Making the Best Turkey Sugar Cookies

• Really cream together the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the dough, which makes soft cookies.
• Roll the cookie dough out to a consistent thickness of 1/3 inch. If some are thicker or thinner than others, they may over- or under-bake in the oven.
• Take the time to chill the cookie dough. It helps prevent your cookies from spreading while they bake and helps them bake up with a soft texture.
• Don’t overbake the cookies. Err on the side of underbaking your cookies, and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.
• Avoid leaving the icing uncovered for long periods of time, or it will crust! Either use it immediately or cover it with plastic wrap.
• Use gel food coloring to color the icing. It helps create vivid colors without throwing off the consistency of the icing.
• Make and color the icing right before you plan to decorate the cookies. Otherwise, the icing can separate!

Making These Turkey Sugar Cookies in Advance and Storage Tips

You can store decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature or for up to 3 months in the freezer.

If you want to stack the cookies on top of one another, I recommend adding a layer of parchment paper between them.

This cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container. I like to move the cookie dough to the fridge the night before I plan to roll it out and bake the cookies.

Baked, un-iced cookies can also be frozen! These cookies last for up to a month if frozen in an airtight container. I recommend waiting to decorate them until they’ve thawed to room temperature.

Move them to the fridge the day before you plan to eat them, then let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours before icing them.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make these turkey sugar cookies, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.

And if you share on social media, tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets so I can see your delicious creations!

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