You know what makes me smile every single year? When guests walk into my Thanksgiving gathering and their eyes immediately land on the Thanksgiving Turkey-Shaped Peanut Butter Cheeseball sitting in the center of my appetizer table. Last year, Emily's friend asked if it was too cute to eat (spoiler: it wasn't, and she came back for seconds with a handful of Nilla Wafers).
This isn't your typical savory cheeseball – it's a sweet take that combines cream cheese with peanut butter, coated in colorful Reese's Pieces, and decorated to look like an adorable turkey. The best part? It takes about 20 minutes of actual work, and you can make it ahead while you're prepping all your other Thanksgiving dishes.
I started making this a few years ago when I wanted something fun for the kids' table that adults would also sneak bites of. Now it's requested every year, and honestly, I'm not mad about it. If you're looking for more fun Thanksgiving treats, you might want to check out my Nutter Butter Turkey Cookies – they're another crowd-pleaser!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Thanksgiving Peanut Butter Cheeseball
- Ingredients For Your Turkey Peanut Butter Cheeseball
- How To Make A Thanksgiving Turkey Cheeseball
- Storage Tips For Your Cheeseball Turkey
- Tips For Making The Best Turkey Cheeseball
- Thanksgiving Turkey Peanut Butter Cheeseball FAQs
- Recipes You May Like
- Why This Recipe Works Every Time
- Thanksgiving Turkey Peanut Butter Cheeseball
Why You'll Love This Thanksgiving Peanut Butter Cheeseball
- Super simple to make – If you can use a stand mixer and shape a ball, you've got this
- Make-ahead friendly – Prep it the day before and just decorate on Thanksgiving morning
- Kid-approved – The sweet peanut butter flavor and candy coating make it a hit with children
- Double duty dessert – Works as both an appetizer and a sweet treat after dinner
- Instagram-worthy – Your guests will definitely be taking photos of this cutie
- No baking required – One less thing competing for oven space on Turkey Day
Ingredients For Your Turkey Peanut Butter Cheeseball
You probably have most of these ingredients sitting in your pantry right now. I love recipes like this that don't require a special trip to three different stores!
For the Cheeseball:
- ½ cup butter, softened (leave it out for about an hour before starting)
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter (I use regular, not natural style)
- 8 oz package cream cheese (also needs to be softened)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Decorating:
- ½ cup Reese's Pieces (the mini ones work great too!)
- 6 pretzel rods (you'll break these into pieces)
- 1 package Nilla Wafers for serving
Here's something I learned the hard way: make sure your butter and cream cheese are actually soft before you start. I tried making this once with cold cream cheese, and my mixer nearly gave up on me. Room temperature is your friend here!
How To Make A Thanksgiving Turkey Cheeseball
Mixing The Base
- Beat the butter and brown sugar together in your stand mixer on medium speed until they're well combined. This takes about 2 minutes, and you'll see the mixture get lighter in color.
- Add the cream cheese and peanut butter to the bowl. Beat everything together until it's smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once to make sure everything gets incorporated.
- Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla on low speed first (trust me, you don't want a powdered sugar cloud in your kitchen), then increase to medium. Beat until everything is completely smooth.
Shaping Your Turkey
- Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap on your counter. I usually use a piece that's about 18 inches long to give myself plenty of room to work with.
- Scoop the peanut butter mixture into the center of the plastic wrap. Bring up all four corners and twist the top, then use your hands to form it into a ball shape through the plastic.
- Pop it in the freezer for about 1 ½ hours. You want it firm enough to hold its shape but still soft enough that you can poke pretzels into it. If you're making this the night before, stick it in the fridge overnight instead.
Decorating Time
- Before unwrapping, shape it one more time through the plastic to make sure you've got a nice round ball. Then unwrap and place it in the center of your serving platter.
- Break your pretzel rods into pieces. I make five pieces about 1 ½ inches long for the tail feathers, and one piece about 2 ½ inches for the head/neck. Push the larger end of each pretzel into the ball.
- Create the turkey's eye by taking a tiny bit of the leftover peanut butter mixture and using it as "glue" to stick one Reese's Piece onto the head pretzel.
- Press the remaining Reese's Pieces all over the ball until it's completely covered. I like to work in sections, pressing gently so they stick but don't smoosh the ball.
- Arrange Nilla Wafers around the base of your turkey on the platter. You can serve it right away or cover it loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until party time.
Does anyone else think the Reese's Pieces look like adorable little feathers? Emily says it reminds her of a candy version of those turkey handprints we used to make in kindergarten!
Storage Tips For Your Cheeseball Turkey
Keep your decorated turkey covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. I usually just drape a piece of plastic wrap over the top, but be careful not to smoosh the decorations.
The Reese's Pieces might get a little soft after a day or two in the fridge, but honestly, that just makes them easier to eat. If you're making this ahead, I recommend forming the ball and chilling it, but waiting to add the candy coating until a few hours before serving.
You can't freeze this one – the cream cheese texture gets weird when it thaws. But it's so good that leftovers are rarely an issue at my house!
Tips For Making The Best Turkey Cheeseball
Use real butter and cream cheese – I know it's tempting to use reduced-fat versions, but they don't give you the same creamy texture. This is Thanksgiving – go for the real stuff!
Chill time is important – Don't rush this step. If your ball is too soft, the Reese's Pieces will just slide right off and you'll be sad.
Get creative with decorations – One year I used candy corn for the tail feathers instead of pretzels. Another time I added candy eyes (the kind you get at craft stores) for a goofier look.
Serve at room temperature – Take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. The texture is so much better when it's not ice cold.
Make it nut-free – Substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter if anyone has allergies. It works just as well!
What other dippers can you use? Graham crackers are great, and so are apple slices if you want something a bit healthier. I've also served it with pretzel sticks, animal crackers, and even chocolate chip cookies (don't judge me until you've tried it).
Thanksgiving Turkey Peanut Butter Cheeseball FAQs
Yes! You can make it up to 2 days ahead. Form the ball and refrigerate overnight, then decorate with Reese's Pieces and pretzels a few hours before serving.
Graham crackers, apple slices, pretzel sticks, or Ritz crackers all work great as dippers for this sweet peanut butter cheeseball.
Store covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Keep in mind the Reese's Pieces coating may soften slightly over time.
Creamy peanut butter works best for a smooth texture, but you can use crunchy if preferred—just note the texture will be less creamy and harder to shape.
Recipes You May Like
Looking for more festive Thanksgiving treats? Check out these favorites:
- Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Cookies – Another adorable turkey-themed dessert that's perfect for kids
- Thanksgiving Oreo Turkey Cookies – These use Oreos as the turkey's body and they're SO cute
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars – If you love the cream cheese base in this recipe, you'll go crazy for these
Why This Recipe Works Every Time
The combination of cream cheese and peanut butter creates this amazing sweet and tangy flavor that works perfectly as a dessert appetizer. The brown sugar adds a subtle caramel note that makes the whole thing taste kind of like a no-bake peanut butter pie filling.
I love that this recipe is basically foolproof. You're just mixing ingredients and shaping a ball – there's no baking, no worrying about oven temperatures, and no stress about timing. On a day when you're already juggling a million things for Thanksgiving dinner, that's exactly what you need.
The Reese's Pieces aren't just cute (though they totally are). They also add this perfect candy crunch that contrasts with the creamy center. Every bite has that satisfying mix of smooth and crunchy textures.
Give this adorable turkey cheeseball a try this Thanksgiving! Your guests will love it, and you'll love how easy it is to make. Don't forget to pin this recipe to your Thanksgiving board so you can find it again next year!
Thanksgiving Turkey Peanut Butter Cheeseball
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Plastic Wrap
- Round Serving Platter
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 8 oz cream cheese package
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup Reese's Pieces
- 6 pretzel rods
- 1 package Nilla Wafers for serving
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the cream cheese and peanut butter and beat until combined. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until combined.
- Place a large sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Place the peanut butter mixture in the center of the plastic wrap. Bring up all the corners of the plastic wrap and form into a ball. Place the ball in the freezer for about 1 ½ hours until firm enough to hold it's shape but still soft enough to mold. Alternatively, you can refrigerate overnight.
- Before removing the plastic wrap, make sure it's molded into a nice ball shape. Place in the center of a round serving platter.
- To make the tail, I broke off about 1 ½ inch pieces off of 5 pretzel rods and poked the larger end into the peanut butter ball. To make the head, I broke about a 2 ½ inch piece off and poked the larger piece at the opposite site of the peanut butter ball.
- Take a little bit of the peanut butter mixture secure one Reese's Piece on the head of the turkey.
- Press the remaining Reese's Pieces into the peanut butter ball so it is completely covered.
- Surround the turkey with Nilla Wafers. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
