Rice Krispie Treat turkey legs are a must-have for Thanksgiving. They’re no bake, festive and fun, and kids love to eat or help make them: a chocolate-dipped pretzel rod and a marshmallow cereal mixture shaped like a turkey leg.
If you want a treat you might want your kids to help make or a fun snack for movie night, try these Rice Krispie turkey legs. They are crunchy, sweet, and downright fun to make and eat.
What Is A Rice Krispie Treat Turkey Legs
A Rice Krispie Treat turkey leg is just as it sounds. You use pretzels, marshmallows, and a few more ingredients to make a dessert that looks like a turkey drumstick. These are fun, no-bake desserts perfect for Thanksgiving.
Reasons To Make These Rice Krispie Turkey Drumsticks
- Kid-friendly to help make, and kids love to devour these drumsticks bite by bite.
- It is a no-bake dessert that requires minimal effort on your part to make.
- Great for parties, holiday events, or used to make fun gifts for loved ones.
- You can customize your turkey legs any way you want, with colors, add-in ingredients, and more.
Ingredients Needed
Pretzel Rods: the pretzel rods will be the “bone” of the turkey leg. They work great for this.
White Chocolate: You can dip in white candy melts or even chocolate chips.
Marshmallows: You will use marshmallows to help create that sweet rice krispie treat base.
Butter: Real butter is recommended, as it will greatly enhance the richness of the treats.
Vanilla: A splash of vanilla extract will richen and deepen the flavors in this dessert.
Salt: A little salt is needed to help enhance all the natural flavors in the ingredients.
Rice Krispies: Grab your cereal as the base of the treats—these are the “meat” portion of this treat.
Variations and Substitutes
You can change the type of cereal you use to suit your desires—Cheerios, cornflakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Golden Grahams, etc.- any cereal works. You just need to find a way to crush the cereal partially.
Cocoa pebbles or part cocoa pebbles and part regular can be used to give your chicken legs a brownish appearance.
You can leave out the vanilla extract and add more butter, or even swap it with some almond extract. Just a few drops will do, as almond offers a stronger flavor.
Swap the butter with margarine or even coconut oil. The coconut oil will alter the flavor just a bit. Use a 1:1 ratio for the swap.
To enhance the flavor of the turkey legs, you can add sprinkles, colored sugars, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even dried fruit.
Tips for Making Rice Krispie Treat Turkey Legs
Wearing gloves when you apply the cereal mixture to the pretzel rod will help prevent the cereal mixture from sticking to your hand.
Make sure to shake off excess white chocolate on your dipped pretzel rods. Otherwise, it will pool up when you sit them down on the parchment paper to set up.
Press firmly when shaping the cereal mixture to the pretzel rod to prevent it from falling off.
Ensure you allow your candy drumsticks to set up fully and the chocolate to harden before you serve them.
You can also make these in advance if you like. Just ensure the chocolate fully sets up, and then store it in an airtight container until you are ready to serve.
Storing and Freezing
Place your turkey legs in a single layer in a container and store at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you plan to stack them, use parchment or wax paper between the layers to prevent them from sticking together.
To freeze, wrap each drumstick in plastic wrap or foil to help prevent moisture from getting in. Then, place it in a freezer container or freezer bag. Freeze for 1-2 months.
Then, when ready to eat, eat straight from the freezer or thaw on the counter for 1-2 hours or until thawed.
More Holiday Recipes To Pair Together
I love fun and creative Thanksgiving and fall-inspired recipes. I wanted to share a few more with you to consider pairing them with your turkey drumstick treats or making them for other events.
Consider trying my pumpkin pie cinnamon rolls, brown sugar fudge, or even this chocolate love cake. All are wonderful sweets to go perfectly next to these fun treats.
For the adults, they could sip on this eggnog amaretto cocktail! Or try out this Grinch punch for a sweet treat to sip on.
FAQs
How do I keep the Rice Krispie treats from sticking to my hands when shaping them?
Wearing food-grade plastic gloves will help, or taking cooking spray or butter and rubbing on your hands will help create that non-stick surface so you can work with the mixture without it sticking.
Why did my chocolate burn?
When heating chocolate in the microwave, it is essential to do short heating cycles. Then, stir well between each cycle to prevent the chocolate from burning.
Can I make these treats gluten-free or vegan?
Swapping ingredients for gluten-free and vegan-friendly ingredients is what you need to create a vegan and/or gluten-free treat. Just buy what you need to supplement the ingredients.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Rice Krispie Treat Turkey Legs
Ingredients
- 6 pretzel rods cut in half
- 2 cups white chocolate chips white candy melts, or almond bark
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows divided (set aside 24 pieces)
- 1 stick ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt optional
- 7 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl on a low or defrost setting in 30 second increments until smooth. Stir at each interval for even heating.
- Hold the cut side of the pretzel and dip the rods into the melted chocolate about 2 inches deep or however long you want the “bone” to stick out. Shake off any excess coating and then transfer to the prepared baking tray.
- Immediately press two marshmallows onto the dipped end to make a bone shape. If the chocolate is setting too quickly and the marshmallows don’t stick then slightly dip one side of the marshmallow into the melted chocolate and then stick it onto the bone. Repeat making the remaining bones. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes, until fully set.
- If needed, reheat the chocolate again on a low or defrost setting, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Dip the pretzel bones again to cover the marshmallows. Refrigerate for an additional 5 minutes, until set.
- In a large pot over low heat, melt the butter.
- Add the marshmallows and stir until smooth.
- Remove the pot from the heat then stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Gently fold in the cereal until evenly coated and well mixed. Set aside and allow the rice krispies mixture to cool for about 5-10 minutes before assembling the turkey legs.
- Take a large scoop of the cereal mixture, and form it around each of the prepared pretzel bones to make a drumstick and then place it back onto the parchment paper. It’s helpful to use some food safe gloves to help prevent the rice krispies from sticking to your hands or you can opt to spray your hands with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray. Repeat making the remaining turkey legs.
- Allow to set for an additional 10-20 minutes for the prepared rice krispie turkey legs to harden and hold its shape before serving. Enjoy!
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