When it comes to Thanksgiving desserts, pies may take the spotlight — but Thanksgiving cookies with buttercream frosting are a delicious, creative way to celebrate the season.
Buttercream adds that soft, creamy sweetness that everyone loves, turning simple cookies into works of art.
From pumpkins and turkeys to fall leaves and harvest patterns, these 14 buttercream cookie ideas will make your Thanksgiving dessert table both beautiful and memorable.
1. Pumpkin-Shaped Buttercream Cookies
Nothing says fall like pumpkin cookies.
Bake soft sugar cookies cut into pumpkin shapes, then top them with orange and green buttercream.
Use a small piping tip to create texture lines that mimic real pumpkin ridges for a realistic, festive finish.
2. Turkey Buttercream Cookies
Create adorable turkey cookies using smooth chocolate buttercream for the body and colorful swirls for the feathers.
Use piping bags with star tips in shades of orange, red, and yellow.
Add candy eyes and a tiny red wattle for an irresistibly cute Thanksgiving treat.
3. Fall Leaf Cookies
Celebrate the beauty of autumn leaves by decorating leaf-shaped cookies with marbled buttercream in red, yellow, and orange hues.
Drag a toothpick through the icing to create realistic leaf veins and blended color effects.
4. Pecan Pie Buttercream Cookies
For a Southern-inspired twist, make butter pecan cookies topped with maple or brown sugar buttercream.
Sprinkle chopped pecans or a drizzle of caramel sauce over the top for a rich, decadent holiday bite.
5. Apple Buttercream Cookies
Add a touch of orchard sweetness to your Thanksgiving table with apple-shaped cookies frosted in red or green buttercream.
Use a small dab of brown icing for the stem and green for the leaf. Perfect for pairing with hot apple cider.
6. Cornucopia Buttercream Cookies
Turn your cookies into miniature cornucopias filled with frosting “fruit.”
Use buttercream to pipe small grapes, pumpkins, and apples in the open end of the cornucopia cookie.
These are a hit at festive dessert tables.
7. Acorn Buttercream Cookies
Use round or teardrop-shaped cookies to make acorns.
Spread chocolate buttercream on the bottom half and pipe light brown frosting on the top, adding texture with a star tip to look like an acorn cap.
Finish with a chocolate drizzle for shine.
8. Cranberry Buttercream Sandwich Cookies
Bake two soft cranberry cookies and sandwich them together with vanilla buttercream.
Roll the edges in crushed dried cranberries for a festive, tart-sweet contrast that looks stunning and tastes amazing.
9. Pumpkin Spice Latte Cookies
Inspired by everyone’s favorite fall drink, make pumpkin spice cookies topped with espresso buttercream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Add a little caramel drizzle to complete the cozy Thanksgiving flavor.
10. Harvest Plaque Cookies
Use rectangular or oval cookies as canvases for buttercream art.
Pipe fall-themed patterns like pumpkins, leaves, and “Thankful” messages using different piping tips.
These make beautiful edible gifts for guests.
11. Maple Buttercream Cookies
Soft sugar cookies frosted with maple buttercream bring warm, nostalgic flavor to the holiday.
Add a drizzle of maple glaze and sprinkle with brown sugar crystals for texture and sparkle.
12. Pumpkin Pie Slice Cookies
Cut your cookies into triangles and decorate them to look like slices of pumpkin pie.
Use orange buttercream for the filling, light brown for the crust, and a dollop of white frosting “whipped cream” on top.
A playful Thanksgiving cookie idea!
13. Turkey Feather Rosette Cookies
Pipe colorful rosettes of buttercream in fall colors — orange, yellow, red, and brown — on round cookies to resemble turkey feathers.
Arrange them together on a platter to create the shape of a full turkey.
14. Thanksgiving Table Cookies
Decorate rectangular cookies to look like tiny Thanksgiving tables.
Use buttercream to pipe mini pumpkins, pies, plates, and fall leaves on top.
It’s a creative, conversation-starting dessert that will impress your guests.
🍂 Buttercream Decorating Tips
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Use American or Swiss meringue buttercream for the best texture and color.
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Tint buttercream with gel food coloring to create vibrant fall shades.
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Chill cookies slightly before piping to help the frosting hold its shape.
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Add edible glitter or gold dust for a festive finishing touch.
These 14 Thanksgiving cookies with buttercream are as beautiful as they are delicious.
Whether you love the cozy flavor of pumpkin spice or the cheerful look of colorful turkey feathers, buttercream brings texture, flavor, and creativity to every cookie.
Bake a batch for your feast, gift them to loved ones, or set up a cookie decorating bar for guests — it’s a sweet way to celebrate gratitude and togetherness this Thanksgiving.
