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A fun twist on the classic Rice Krispies treat, these Turkey Leg Treats are a fun Thanksgiving dessert for kids and adults alike!
Have you started pinning Thanksgiving ideas on Pinterest yet? About half of my feed has shifted to Christmas, so I figured it was time to get started on Thanksgiving already! 🙂
It seems like once the calendar turns to October, the rest of the year just goes by in a blur. A few years ago I made Owl Rice Krispies Treats so this year I figured I’d try Turkey Leg Treats!
What you’ll need to make Turkey Leg Treats:
- pretzel rods
- mini marshmallows
- white candy melts
- Cocoa Krispies
- butter
- sheet pans
- parchment paper or wax paper
Step 1
Dip the end of a pretzel rod (make sure you’re using rods, not sticks) into melted vanilla candy melts and then attach two mini marshmallows. Let set.
Step 2
After the candy is set, then dip again to cover the top 1/3 of the pretzel rod. This is SO much easier if you’re using a disposable dipping tube like this one for long things like pretzel rods!
Step 3
Form the cereal mixture around the pretzel rod and shape into “drumsticks.” Place on wax paper until cooled and hardened. Don’t refrigerate!
I can’t take full credit for the idea for these Turkey Leg Treats. I follow Kitchen Fun with my Three Sons on Facebook and I saw the idea there. I decided to use chocolate cereal because it looks more like a turkey leg to me and has the bonus of tasting great as well!
Turkey Leg Treats
Ingredients
- 6 pretzel rods
- 1 bag (12 oz) white candy melts (or 1 cup vanilla baking chips)
- 1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows (set aside 24)
- 8 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
- 1/4 cup butter
Instructions
- 6 pretzel rods, 1 bag (12 oz) white candy meltsBreak the pretzel rods in half and melt the candy according to package directions. (I usually do 15-30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring well each time.)
- 1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallowsDip the smooth end of the pretzel rod and then press two marshmallows onto the end. Repeat until 12 "bones" are dipped. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
- Dip the pretzels again, covering 2/3 of the rod. Let sit.
- 8 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal, 1/4 cup butter, 1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallowsIn a saucepan, melt the butter and marshmallows, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in cereal. Mix until coated well.
- Allow to cool just a bit and then form the cereal mixture around each pretzel rod, forming a drumstick. Don't try this until cooled enough, or it won't hold its shape! Spray your hands with cooking spray to keep the marshmallow from sticking while you work.
- Place on a wax paper lined baking sheet and let sit until fully cooled.
Notes
- Wait to shape the turkey legs until the cereal mixture has cooled enough to hold its shape
- Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray as you work to keep the mixture from sticking to you (you may have to do this several times)
- Don't refrigerate-the pretzels will get stale and soggy
- Best served the same day or the pretzels start to get soft
Nutrition
Looking for other cute Thanksgiving desserts for kids? Try making Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treats or Turkey Cupcakes to go along with these adorable Turkey Leg Treats!
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Mad mom says
Complete mess. Looks like a 3 year old made it melting the melts was hard. Marshmallows wouldn’t stick and the krispies don’t form well. Definitely not a beginners diy it took me almost an hour til I formed and made them they look terrible hopefully my daughter doesn’t cry tomorrow on thanksgiving seeing my poor job of a cute treat. Super disappointed
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m sorry to hear yours didn’t turn out well. It can take one or two before you get the hang of it, especially if you’ve never done something like this before. But they don’t need to be perfect-kids just appreciate the fun, especially if they get to help! As for the candy melts-they should be quite easy to use. The instructions are usually on the packaging, and I’ve typically only needed to zap them for 30 seconds in the microwave, stir-stir-stir and then maybe one more time of 15-30 seconds. Sometimes if you start with too many in the bowl, or too small of a bowl, it may be harder to stir them and get that nice smooth texture. Again, it gets easier with practice, but it’s not too incredibly difficult. Off brand or old candy can cause problems as well. Without too many details it’s hard to troubleshoot for you. This is a VERY popular recipe and I get pictures from readers every year with their versions, so it can be done, I promise! But don’t worry about perfection 🙂
Sam says
This recipe was horrible! Treats do not hold together and are impossible to form. Very disappointing and frustrating. Kids thought it would be fun and just ended up being very upset. Sorry I wasted time & money buying ingredients for this ! 🙁
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m sorry to hear that. This recipe has been successfully made and shared by others all over Pinterest and social media. I’ve not heard of anyone having any issues at all. You do need shape while warm, but not hot, and then be patient as it cools and hardens completely. If you try to lift them up before cooling, they will start to fall apart. It’s just a standard rice cereal treat-a recipe that’s been around for about a zillion years 🙂 I am sorry that it didn’t work out for you, though!