Cinnamon Roll Turkeys: A Fun Thanksgiving Morning Breakfast for Kids

I made these turkey cinnamon rolls for my family and the kids who slept over, and they were a hit before anyone took a bite. Everyone thought they were fun and cute, and they disappeared just as fast because they’re yummy, too.

They start with a can of Pillsbury Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, so the recipe is really about decorating. The trick I learned is in the bacon. I crisped my pre-cooked bacon in a skillet so it would stand upright, and kitchen shears made it easy to cut the feathers. When I tried breaking the bacon with my hands, it just crumbled.

Work quickly once the rolls come out of the oven. The frosting sets fast, so the eyes and candy corn beak press in easily at first. By the last few rolls, it takes a little more pressure.

Why You’ll Love These Turkey Cinnamon Rolls

• Only four ingredients: canned cinnamon rolls, bacon, candy eyes, and candy corn.
• Just a few minutes of prep beyond baking the rolls.
• Sweet and salty: crisp bacon with sweet cinnamon frosting.
• A festive Thanksgiving morning breakfast for a houseful of kids.

Build-a-Turkey

🍥 Ingredient	🦃 Turkey Part
🥓 Crisp bacon	Tail feathers, cut with kitchen shears
👀 Candy eyes	Eyes, pressed into the frosting
🌽 Candy corn	Beak, pressed in point-down
🍥 Cinnamon roll frosting	The “glue” that holds the decorations in place

Ingredients for Cinnamon Roll Turkeys

• Pillsbury Cinnabon canned cinnamon rolls, with the included frosting
• Thin-sliced bacon (I used pre-cooked bacon and crisped it in a skillet)
• Candy eyes
• Candy corn

Equipment

Baking pan, skillet, and kitchen shears.

How to Make a Cinnamon Roll Turkey

Step 1: Bake the cinnamon rolls. Bake the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls according to the package directions until golden. Mine took about 12 minutes.

Step 2: Crisp the bacon. While the rolls bake, heat the pre-cooked bacon in a skillet until it’s crisp enough to hold its shape.

Step 3: Cut the bacon feathers. Use kitchen shears to cut the cooked bacon into feather-sized pieces. Breaking the bacon by hand caused mine to crumble.

Step 4: Frost the rolls. Spread the included frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls.

Step 5: Add the feathers. Cut about 1–2 slices of bacon into several short feather pieces, roughly 2 inches long. Press the pieces into the frosting around the back of the raised center of each cinnamon roll, fanning them out like a turkey’s tail. Add as many pieces as needed for the look you want.

Step 6: Add the eyes and beak. Press two candy eyes and one piece of candy corn into the frosting for each turkey. Work while the frosting is soft; if it has started to set, the decorations may need a little more pressure.

Why These Thanksgiving Cinnamon Rolls Work for a Houseful of Kids

I made these on a morning when we had extra kids sleeping over, and everyone loved them. Decorating the baked rolls was quick, and the turkey faces made breakfast feel festive.

Melissa’s Tips for Turkey Cinnamon Rolls

• Use kitchen shears. The crisp bacon crumbled when I tried breaking it with my hands.
• Crisp pre-cooked bacon. A few minutes in the skillet helped it stand upright as feathers. If starting with uncooked bacon, my oven-baked bacon method is another option for making flat strips to cut into feathers.
• Decorate while the frosting is soft. The candy eyes and beaks press in more easily.
• Use a little pressure if the frosting has set. I found the last few rolls needed a firmer press.

Cinnamon Roll Turkeys FAQs

What cinnamon rolls did you use for these cinnamon roll turkeys?

I used Pillsbury Cinnabon canned cinnamon rolls with the frosting included in the package.

Do you decorate turkey cinnamon rolls warm or cooled?

Start while the rolls are warm, when the frosting is still soft. Mine cooled as I decorated, and the eyes and beaks still pressed in with a little extra pressure.

What’s the best way to cut bacon for the turkey feathers?

Kitchen shears worked best for me. I crisped the bacon first, then cut it; breaking it by hand made it crumble.

Are these a good Thanksgiving breakfast idea for kids?

Yes! I made them for my family and the kids who slept over, and everyone thought they were cute and delicious.

More Thanksgiving Breakfast and Fun Food Ideas

• turkey donuts
• cinnamon rolls made with frozen bread dough
• homemade cinnamon roll filling
• turkey pretzels

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a star rating and comment below to let me know how it turned out. I love hearing from you, and your ratings help other readers find and enjoy the recipe, too!