Be the hero we all need this Thanksgiving and make a Rice Krispie Treat Turkey. 

Your family will not believe their eyes!

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In case it wasn’t already super obvious, this post is proof that I really am such a dork. I try to keep it under wraps and once in a while and I like to think I come off as cool and collected. But today I’m letting my freak flag fly and telling you that I geeked out hard this weekend!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I saw a photo on Facebook of a turkey someone made out of Rice Krispie Treats. Like, a whole turkey. As if you had just pulled it out of the oven.

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I immediately started cracking up and sent a screenshot to my cousin who is gluten-free and has a birthday that falls on or around Thanksgiving (this year it’s on!). She immediately wrote back and said “I want a candle in it!” After that we shared a laugh and moved on with our respective days.

A few months later and I can not get that darn turkey out of my mind.  Of course I don’t know where the original photo is, but a Pinterest search took me to this blog post of a different one. So I got super excited and emailed my uncle (that year’s Thanksgiving host) to volunteer to bring dessert.

I had a practice run on a weekend. Because let’s be honest, I’m really not that creative and I figured if I was going to make a mess of things and have a hormonal cry (I was pregnant at the time) I’d rather have it on the weekend instead of the morning of Thanksgiving while I’m trying to enjoy the parade.

So on Saturday night, J and I read the aforementioned post and did a little finagling of our own. I’m happy to report that there were no tears to be had. On the contrary, I was really happy with the results and could not believe how easy this was to make.

The other blog post gave the best tip ever, which was to use non-stick foil. That brilliant tip and my faithful can of cooking spray made everything much easier. So in addition to my other desserts, there was a lovely Rice Krispie Treat Turkey sharing that Thanksgiving’s dessert table and many to follow. He was stuffed with Reese’s Pieces and he was amazing!

I also like to use a plastic cup like a red solo cup or coffee cup wrapped in foil to help make forming the carcass a bit easier. And you’ll need plenty of toothpicks as well!

Some tips for making a Rice Krispie Treat Turkey:

So I’ve made this guy several times now and I still find it to be pretty easy to make. Here are some great tips and a video to make this a little easier for you.

1. Grab a friend– it really helps to have another person there to hold the cup while you build the turkey carcass around it.
2. Refrigerate it to set– I find that refrigerating it overnight helps it set and makes assembly much easier. Even just 30 minutes in the fridge helps, but overnight is ideal. Gravity can be an evil little trickster, specifically in the case of the drumsticks. I’ve have the best luck refrigerating everything and assembling just before serving. This does not affect the taste or texture for eating.
3. Be strategic about placing your tooth picks– Try t o keep in mind the spots that  are most likely to succumb to gravity- I’ve been know to pop a tooth pick into the “bone” part of the drumstick when necessary. Just don’t go overboard as they can cause the pieces to fall apart if you put too many.
4. Use common sense when eating this– Make sure you and your guests are mindful of toothpicks that are used to hold the turkey together. Use common sense (like we all should be in general!) and be mindful of the toothpicks that may be in the pieces that you’re eating, especially when giving this to kids.

Helpful tools:

1. Cast iron dutch oven or this kind of dutch oven
2. Measuring cups
3. Wooden spoon
4. Non-stick foil
5. Toothpicks

Print

Rice Krispie Treat Turkey

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Resting time

30 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Be the hero we all need this Thanksgiving and make a Rice Krispie Treat Turkey. 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: rice krispie treat turkey

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Inspired by this post at Hello Splendid and used a double batch of Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons salted butter
• 8 cups mini marshmallows
• 12 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• Non-stick foil
• A light-weight cup (I used a red solo cup)
• Cooking spray
• White paper
• Clear tape
• Tooth picks
• Reese's Pieces or whatever "stuffing"you want

Instructions

1. Cover the cup with foil and make sure the non-stick side is up on that as well. Spray it well with cooking spray.

2. Lay out a large piece of foil with the non-stick side up next to the serving platter.
   

3. Melt your butter over medium heat.
   

4. Spray a mixing spoon with cooking spray and stir in the marshmallows until they've melted. Remove the pan from the heat.
   

5. Add your Rice Krispies and stir until well combined.
   

6. Pour this mixture onto the piece of non-stick foil and allow it to cool for a moment or two (you don't want it to cool completely, just slightly so that you don't burn yourself).
   

7. Working fast, divide the Rice Krispie Treat mixture so that there's 2/3 of it to make the body and set 1/3 of it to the side to make the wings and drumsticks.

8. Starting with the 2/3 portion of the Rice Krispie Treat mixture, take a small amount of it and create a base about an inch thick on the serving platter.
   

9. Place the cup on it's side onto the base so that open part of the cup is slightly off of the base where the turkey's opening will be so the majority of the cup is laying on the base.
   

10. Build the rest of Rice Krispie Treat mixture around the cup to create the turkey's carcass with the cup in it's cavity (once this is set you'll be able to pull the cup out and stuff it with candy). Make sure the mixture around the cavity isn't too thin. Be sure to press the mixture in well so that it's not too loose when it dries.
    

11. Next, take the other 1/3 of the Rice Krispie Treat mixture and divide it into four parts.
    

12. Use each part to mold two drumsticks and two wings and set them aside and make sure you press them into shape tightly. (I kept these on the a separate pan lined with non-stick foil- keep in mind that you'll want to shape the wings so that the thinner back parts of them go up in different directions since they will be on either side of the Turkey).

13. Cover everything with the nonstick side of the foil and allow it to rest and set for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator (overnight is preferable).
    

14. To make the bone end of the drumsticks, take strips of white paper, and fold them in half length-wise.
    

15. Cut half way up along the fold every half inch or s and wrap it around the ends of drumsticks and secure with a piece of clear tape.
    

16. Use toothpicks to carefully secure your drums and wings to the turkey (this can be a bit tricky and you'll need to rig it up the right certain spots depending on your drumsticks and gravity).
    

17. Stuff the turkey with candy.
    

18. Serve immediately or cover with non-stick foil until you're ready to serve.
    

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Other great Rice Krispie treat creations:

Rice Krispie Treat Pumpkin

Rice Krispie Treat Stocking

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