Celebrate the flavors of fall with these festive Turkey Pumpkin Pie Balls – a delightful twist on classic pumpkin pie. Easy, no-bake, and irresistibly cute, these little treats are perfect for parties, dessert platters, or a sweet holiday snack.
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Turkey Pumpkin Pie Balls
Who doesn’t love fun, bite-sized treats that look like mini turkeys? Sometimes, you don’t want (or have room for!) that entire piece of pumpkin pie. Or maybe you want the pumpkin AND the chocolate desserts. With these turkey pumpkin pie balls, you can have the best of both worlds!
I love that I can make these ahead of time, they don’t require baking, and are so stinking cute! They go over really well with kids and adults and make the cutest table decorations…before they are gobbled up, that is. Yes, pun intended! LOL!
Why You’ll Love This Bite-Sized Treat
- They are a no-bake, make-ahead dessert.
- They’re super cute and double as table decorations.
- Kids can help make them and will love eating them!
- They can be made in larger batches and are easy to transport.
- Satisfies the craving without eating an entire piece of pie!
Ingredients Needed
Gather the kids and a few ingredients to make this super-sweet treat!
- pre-made pumpkin pie
- graham cracker squares
- chocolate melting wafers
- white melting wafers
- candy eyes
- candy corn
- pecan halves (optional)
Note: Always check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients, amounts, and steps.
How to Make Turkey Pumpkin Pie Balls
These little turkeys are easy to make, so let’s get to it!
- Line a pan or dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Break up the pumpkin pie in a large mixing bowl, and mush it all up with your hands until the crust is broken into little pieces and incorporated throughout. It will be a wet, lumpy mixture.
- Crush the graham cracker squares into crumbs using either a food processor or a ziplock bag and rolling pin.
- Add the graham crumbs to the pumpkin mixture. The amount you use will depend on how wet your pumpkin mixture is (this can vary depending on the pie you use and how the filling-to-crust ratio is on the particular pie that you use). Start with about ½ cup of crumbs and add more as needed. Mix them into the pumpkin pie mixture until it has become firm enough to roll into balls and not stick too much to your hands. (I ended up using about ¾ cup crumbs which is equivalent to 8 graham cracker squares).
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out equal portions of the mixture and roll them into balls, placing them onto the parchment lined pan or dish.
- Chill the balls in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes until chilled and stiff. You can also place them in the freezer to speed up the chill time a bit if you’d like.
- Cut some of the candy corns in half to create the “beaks” for the turkeys while the balls are chilling. You will need 1 candy corn per beak. Save the pointy ends for the beaks, and discard (or eat!) the other halves
- Melt your wafers by following the directions on their package (after the balls have chilled for long enough and are ready to be coated).
- Line another pan or dish with parchment paper.
- Work with a few at a time and remove some of the chilled balls from the refrigerator or freezer (so the others don’t warm up too much as you’re coating the ones you’re working on). Using two forks and working quickly, dip one ball at a time in the melted chocolate wafers. Fully coat the ball and gently tap off excess before placing the coated ball onto the parchment-lined pan. Use the second fork to help gently scrape off the ball onto the parchment.
- Place two candy eyes and one cut candy corn “beak” immediately onto the front (not the top) of the ball.
- Repeat until all balls are finished. You may need to re-melt the chocolate if it starts getting too stiff at any point.
- Place the balls back into the fridge for 10 minutes or so until the melted chocolate is fully hardened.
- Line another pan or dish with parchment paper (or if there’s enough space, you can re-use the pan they are already on).
- Use the pecans for the “feathers” by breaking off pieces of the pecan halves to create long, skinnier strips of pecan pieces. *optional*
- Re-melt the leftover dipping chocolate.
- Remove the balls from the fridge. You may need to break off any excess hardened chocolate that is sticking out around the bottoms.
- Use a spoon to spoon out a little bit of the chocolate to create the “tails” and dab it onto the parchment paper making a circular puddle. Place a ball directly onto the puddle towards the bottom of the puddle (so there is room above for the candy corn/pecan “feathers”), with the “face” of the turkey facing directly upward towards your ceiling.
- Place 4 full candy corns (and/or pecan pieces) immediately onto the upper part of the puddle to create the “feathers.” Repeat until all turkeys are finished. Place the turkeys back into the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so, until the chocolate is fully hardened.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks – Turkey Pumpkin Pie Balls
• Choose melting wafers or almond bark for a smooth, even coating. If your chocolate seems too thick, stir in a teaspoon of coconut oil to thin it out for dipping. You can use chocolate chips instead of melting wafers, but when melting the chocolate chips, you will need to add a little bit of vegetable oil. Use ½ tsp vegetable oil per cup of chips. Melt gradually in the microwave in 15-second increments at 50% power, stirring in between, until fully melted and smooth.
• Add candy eyes, pretzel “feathers,” or other decorations right after dipping – before the coating sets – so they stick perfectly.
• You can make the pumpkin pie balls ahead prior to dipping/coating them. Store the uncoated balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator or the freezer until ready to use. (Make sure to take into account the “best by” date on the pre-made pumpkin pie that you use.)
• I do not recommend freezing these once they’re finished, as it may cause condensation and may cause the coating to crack or break easily during thawing.
Want to Change it Up?
Here are some options to change this recipe up:
1. Switch up your pie.
Use sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin pie.
2. Try different coatings.
Instead of milk chocolate, dip your pumpkin pie balls in dark chocolate for a richer flavor contrast. Try using crushed up cookies (like Teddy Grahams), crackers, or pretzels. You could even add cinnamon sugar for a fun twist!
3. Switch up the spices.
Love bold flavors? Add a pinch of extra cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger for a stronger pumpkin spice kick. You can even use chai spice for a cozy variation.
4. Create seasonal versions.
Skip the turkey decorations for other holidays. These pumpkin pie balls work great as fall truffles, Halloween bites, or Christmas cookie tray additions.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Turkey Pumpkin Pie Balls
Equipment
- Baking Sheet (or dish)
- food processor (or ziplock bag and rolling pin)
Ingredients
- 1 pre-made pumpkin pie
- 8-12 graham cracker squares
- 1 cup chocolate melting wafers
- 1 cup white melting wafers
- ¼ cup candy eyes or enough for 2 eyes per turkey
- 1 cup candy corn or enough pieces to use 5 per turkey
- ½ cup pecan halves optional
Instructions
- Line a pan or dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Break up the pumpkin pie in a large mixing bowl, and mush it all up with your hands until the crust is broken into little pieces and incorporated throughout. It will be a wet, lumpy mixture.
- Crush the graham cracker squares into crumbs using either a food processor or a ziplock bag and rolling pin.
- Add the graham crumbs to the pumpkin mixture. The amount you use will depend on how wet your pumpkin mixture is (this can vary depending on the pie you use and how the filling-to-crust ratio is on the particular pie that you use). Start with about ½ cup of crumbs and add more as needed. Mix them into the pumpkin pie mixture until it has become firm enough to roll into balls and not stick too much to your hands. (I ended up using about ¾ cup crumbs which is equivalent to 8 graham cracker squares).
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop out equal portions of the mixture and roll them into balls, placing them onto the parchment lined pan or dish.
- Chill the balls in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes until chilled and stiff. You can also place them in the freezer to speed up the chill time a bit if you’d like.
- Cut some of the candy corns in half to create the “beaks” for the turkeys while the balls are chilling. You will need 1 candy corn per beak. Save the pointy ends for the beaks, and discard (or eat!) the other halves.
- Melt your wafers by following the directions on their package (after the balls have chilled for long enough and are ready to be coated).
- Line another pan or dish with parchment paper.
- Work with a few at a time and remove some of the chilled balls from the refrigerator or freezer (so the others don’t warm up too much as you’re coating the ones you’re working on). Using two forks and working quickly, dip one ball at a time in the melted chocolate wafers. Fully coat the ball and gently tap off excess before placing the coated ball onto the parchment-lined pan. Use the second fork to help gently scrape off the ball onto the parchment.
- Place two candy eyes and one cut candy corn “beak” immediately onto the front (not the top) of the ball.
- Repeat until all balls are finished. You may need to re-melt the chocolate if it starts getting too stiff at any point.
- Place the balls back into the fridge for 10 minutes or so until the melted chocolate is fully hardened.
- Line another pan or dish with parchment paper (or if there’s enough space you can re-use the pan they are already on).
- Use the pecans for the "feathers" by breakng off pieces of the pecan halves to create long skinnier strips of pecan pieces. *optional*
- Re-melt the leftover dipping chocolate.
- Remove the balls from the fridge. You may need to break off any excess hardened chocolate that is sticking out around the bottoms.
- Use a spoon to spoon out a little bit of the chocolate to create the "tails" and dab it onto the parchment paper making a circular puddle. Place a ball directly onto the puddle towards the bottom of the puddle (so there is room above for the candy corn/pecan “feathers”), with the “face” of the turkey facing directly upward towards your ceiling.
- Place 4 full candy corns (and/or pecan pieces) immediately onto the upper part of the puddle to create the “feathers.”
- Repeat until all turkeys are finished.
- Place the turkeys back into the refrigerator for 10 minutes or so, until the chocolate is fully hardened.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (or as long as the “best by” date from the pre-made pie that you used). Do not store at room temperature since pumpkin pie requires refrigeration. I do not recommend freezing these, as it may cause condensation and may cause the coating to crack and break easily when thawing. Make ahead:
You can make the pumpkin pie balls ahead prior to dipping/coating them. Store the uncoated balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator or the freezer until ready to use. (Make sure to take into account the “best by” date on the pre-made pumpkin pie that you use). Substitutions:
You can use chocolate chips instead of melting wafers, but when melting the chocolate chips, you will need to add a little bit of vegetable oil. Use ½ tsp vegetable oil per cup of chips. Melt gradually in the microwave in increments of 15 seconds at 50% power, stirring in between, until fully melted and smooth.
Instead of graham cracker crumbs, you could also use crushed up cookies or crackers. Try using Teddy Grahams or pretzels. Use sweet potato pie instead of pumpkin pie.
Nutrition
Nutritional information accuracy not guaranteed.
