How to Decorate a Cute Thanksgiving Turkey Cookie with Royal Icing

If you’re looking for the perfect cookie to sweeten up your Thanksgiving dessert table, this adorable turkey design is just what you need! In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to decorate our newest Thanksgiving turkey cookie cutter using royal icing. From the colorful feathers to the friendly face, this cookie is a fun and festive project for both beginner and experienced decorators. Follow along to learn how to bring this charming turkey to life. It’s sure to be a hit at any Thanksgiving celebration!

Sitting Thanksgiving Turkey Cookie Cutter

Just added to the shop for the upcoming Thanksgiving season is this new sitting turkey cookie cutter.

It's available in a number of sizes, but for this tutorial I'll be decorating the LARGE size.

Template for the Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies

To help with the decorating process, I made a PDF template of all the designs of this year's Thanksgiving collection, including this Thanksgiving turkey cookie.

Click the link below for the downloadable template PDF file.

• 2025 Thanksgiving Cookie Templates

This file is rather large in data size. Just a warning, it might take a moment before the file opens in your browser.

If you have a Kopykake or Pico projector, just print it out (or pull it up on your mobile device) and you are good to go. For those without a projector, follow the suggested steps below by tracing the design onto the cookie with an edible food marker.

Step-By-Step Cookie Decorating Guide

Decorating cookies always starts with a good royal icing recipe. This is my easy royal icing recipe for decorating sugar cookies that I always use.

For the colors used for these turkey cookies, you will need the following suggested colors:

• White flood icing (I used Americolor Bright White.)
• Black icing (I used Americolor Super Black.)
• Red icing (I used Americolor Super Red.)
• Yellow icing (I used Americolor Egg Yellow.)
• Light Blue flood icing (I mixed Americolor Wedgewood with a touch of Super Black.)
• Darker Blue flood icing (I used more food gel concentration of the Light Blue icing color above.)
• Dark Brown icing (I mixed Americolor Chocolate Brown with a touch of Super Black.)
• Light Brown icing (I mixed the Dark Brown icing above with fresh white icing.)

Step 1

Begin by filling in the feather sections. I filled the dark blue section first and then quickly added the light blue edges. Then with a scribe tool (or a toothpick), drag the scribe inward between the scallops to make a feather design in the icing. (The video below illustrates this better than I can describe it.)

Next, add the head icing with light brown icing and the belly section with dark brown icing.

Step 2

Once that icing had time time to set, add the eyes with black icing and a tiny white dot, add the beak and leg details with yellow icing, and add a line of icing in the arm sections to help prevent craters, as shown.

Then fill the arm sections with brown icing, add the red snood on the beak, and add one set of the toes with yellow icing.

Step 3

Finish the cookie by adding the second set of toes and draw on some eyebrows for a cute expression. I used a brown food pen with a fine tip.

Thanksgiving Turkey Cookie Decorating Video Tutorial

The steps above are summarized in the time-lapsed video below.

Once your turkey cookies are decorated and dry, take them to the next level with a little thoughtful packaging. We have clear cookie boxes, festive card backers, and a coordinating “Gobble” gift tag that make your cookies look polished and ready for gifting. Whether you’re sharing them at a Thanksgiving dinner or selling them at a holiday market, these packaging options help your cookies stand out and feel extra special.

Shown below are the following packaging:

• 4.5" x 4.5" x 0.75" Clear Cookie Box
• Yellow Gingham Cookie Card Backer
• Retro Gobble Gift Tag
• 12" Black Stretch Loop

If you’re inspired to bake more Thanksgiving-themed cookies, be sure to browse our full collection of Thanksgiving Cookie Cutters. You’ll find plenty of fun designs to mix and match for your fall sets, perfect for celebrating the season with style and creativity.