Oreo turkeys are easy and fun to make and even more delicious to eat. Oreo balls covered in milk chocolate and decorated with pretzels and M&Ms will be a favorite for your holiday festivities. Everyone can get in on the Thanksgiving fun. Gobble, gobble!
No one likes Thanksgiving food more than me, and I am in full cooking mode getting ready for the big day. I’ve been to three groceries and am getting ready to make the piecrust to put in the freezer and have started this flourless cake that Mike wanted me to try. If you need suggestions for the big day, check out my favorite holiday sides.
But I wanted to remind you to have FUN and don’t get stressed about the big day. Making these easy Oreo turkeys will put a smile on everyones’ face. They are just like the Monster Truffles we make at Halloween except I used vanilla Oreos. But if you like chocolate, use the traditional Oreos for your turkeys.
This winter I’m going to have to try these cute Snowmen Oreo Truffles. For more Oreo dessert recipes, check out the Oreo website or for some fancier Oreo balls check out these from Cooking Classy.
Why you’ll love Oreo balls
- It’s cream cheese and Oreos, how can that be bad
- Your decor doubles as yummy finger food!
- This is a fun activity for all ages
- They are a delicious no bake dessert so it’s fun to make and fun to eat and no extra cooking or baking
What you’ll need
- Oreos – a standard package which is 14 ounces. You can use any flavor you like. Since there’s chocolate on the outside, I like to use the vanilla Oreos. Don’t use double stuffed though.
- Cream cheese – this helps bind the ingredients together.
- Chocolate melting discs – like Ghiradelli melting discs our Guittard. They are so much easier to work with than candy melts. If you can’t find them, use chocolate chips.
- Pretzels – both straight for the neck and regular shaped for the tail. You can use regular size or mini pretzels.
- Googley eyes – if you can’t find them locally, here’s a link to ordering them online
- M&M’s – you will use these for the beaks.
How to make Oreo turkeys
Oreo turkeys are easy to make but kids will need some help with dipping the Oreo balls into the chocolate.
Step 1: Place an entire package of Oreos into the food processor and process until fine crumbs then add cream cheese and process until combined. Use a 2 tablespoon scoop to form balls and roll them with your hands to make them smooth.
Place them on a rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper and freeze for about 15 minutes. Longer, and the chocolate will tend to crack and you won’t be able to get the heads in. They should be cold but not frozen.
Step 2: Place pretzels on parchment paper broken to the length you want the necks to be. Melt a few tablespoons of chocolate in the microwave and spoon about a ½ teaspoon of chocolate to form an oval over the end of the pretzel. Before it cools, place the eyes and beak in the chocolate. Place these in the freezer to set.
Step 3: Have everything ready to assemble before melting the chocolate. Work with about five balls and heads at a time. Microwave a small amount of chocolate, enough to cover about five balls, on 50% power until it’s smooth.
Place an Oreo ball on top of a fork and either dip in the chocolate or pour the chocolate over the ball. To remove, use a sharp knife to scoot it off the fork onto parchment paper.
Step 4: While the chocolate is still soft, add the tail and the neck. To make sure the tail stays in place, dip the bottom in chocolate and press it against the Oreo ball.
Pro Tip: Work with just a few Oreo balls at a time and leave the rest in the refrigerator. If they get too warm they will disintegrate in the hot chocolate.
If making a fan tail, poke the small pretzels into the back of the body. Place these in the refrigerator to set.
I had three adult artists help with these, and they somehow managed to be pretty creative, although I think I need to take them to a farm so they can see what a turkey actually looks like.
We came up with two versions, one with a fan of pretzels for the tail and the more traditional tail feather version using a regular pretzel. The favorite was a punk rocker with crazy hair.
Tips for making Oreo balls
- The easiest chocolate is Ghiraradelli melting discs but milk chocolate chips will also work.
- Have all of your decorations out and ready to assemble because the chocolate will harden fairly quickly.
- Work with just a few Oreo balls at a time and leave the rest in the refrigerator. If they get too warm they will disintegrate in the hot chocolate.
- To make the beaks you need to cut the M&M in half. Try using a pill cutter if you have one, if not a sharp knife will work.
- Attach the pretzel for the tail first since it needs to stick to the back of the Oreo ball, to do so, dip the bottom in chocolate and then press it into the Oreo ball.
- If making a fan tail, dip the pretzels in chocolate first and then stick them into the Oreo ball.
- Don’t forget to have FUN!
FAQs and tips
You can find these in most groceries in the baking aisle close to the chocolate chips or order on amazon. If you can’t find them, your next option would be chocolate chips. I have no luck at all with candy melts and I don’t like the way they taste.
Yes, either size will work. The last time I made them I went to 3 different groceries and could only find minis.
If you happen to have a pill cutter, it works perfectly. Otherwise you can use a knife. Some might crack apart, but just eat that half and keep going.
Oreo truffles can be frozen and they will stay fresh for several months. They don’t take long to thaw.
You need a standard size which is 14 ounces. If all you can find is the family size, just eat a few.
More traditional Thanksgiving DESSERTS
Turkey Oreo Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 package Oreo Cookies 14 ounces
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 12 ounces ghiraradelli milk chocolate melting discs
- 22 Regular pretzels
- 22 Straight pretzels plus more if making a fan tail
- 44 googley eyes
- 12 M&M’s
Instructions
- Place the Oreos in a food processor, don’t separate. Pulse until you have fine crumbs. Add cream cheese and process until combined.
- Use a small ice cream scoop to form into balls and roll them with your hands to make smooth balls. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 15 minutes, then place in the refrigerator until ready to coat.
- Break the straight pretzels into the length you want for the necks. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the pretzels in a row about 2 inches apart. Melt a small amount of chocolate in the microwave on 50% power and spoon a ½ teaspoon of chocolate over the top of the pretzels forming it into an oval. Add the eyes and half of an M&Place in freezer for a few minutes until set.
- Place enough chocolate in a microwave safe bowl to cover about 5 balls. Microwave on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until it is liquid and smooth. Place an Oreo ball on the flat part of a fork and immediately dip it into the chocolate, or you can pour the chocolate over the ball. Use a sharp knife to scoot the ball off the fork onto parchment paper. Continue with the remaining balls and then add more chocolate and continue. Keep the balls in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Before the chocolate melts, decorate the turkeys. For the tail, dip the bottom portion of a regular pretzel into chocolate and press it against the ball. Or if making a fan tail, dip the end of some straight pretzels in chocolate and push them into the back of the ball. For the head, gently push the neck into the ball.
- Place in freezer for a few minutes until set and then store in the refrigerator. They can be frozen.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- The easiest chocolate is Ghiraradelli melting discs but milk chocolate chips will also work.Â
- Have all of your decorations out and ready to assemble because the chocolate will harden fairly quickly.
- Work with just a few Oreo balls at a time and leave the rest in the refrigerator. If they get too warm they will disintegrate in the hot chocolate.
- To make the beaks you need to cut the M&M in half. Try using a pill cutter if you have one, if not a sharp knife will work.
- Attach the pretzel for the tail first since it needs to stick to the back of the Oreo ball, to do so, dip the bottom in chocolate and then press it into the Oreo ball.Â
- If making a fan tail, dip the pretzels in chocolate first and then stick them into the Oreo ball.
Nutrition
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I’m making these and the oreos and cream cheese are too thin to even THINK about rolling into balls.. Help!!
Put it in the fridge, the cream cheese must be too warm. Good luck
Adorable and so festive! Thanks for the great idea!
Are the googley eyes edible?
They are, but they don’t have any taste.