Turkey Leg Rice Krispies drizzled with chocolate “gravy” are a fun Thanksgiving treat that kids and adults will love. These cute rice Krispie turkey legs are made with crispy rice cereal, marshmallows, pretzel rods, and melted chocolate.
When it comes to desserts, there’s very little I love more than coming up with quirky recipes for any and all occasions.
I’ve made Easter bunny bark and Easter bunny dessert cheese ball for Easter, Grinch Oreo truffles and Oreo snowman truffles for Christmas, as well as chocolate covered peanut butter footballs for the Superbowl!
These no-bake rice krispie treat turkey legs fit right in with the Thanksgiving theme that almost always includes Nilla Wafer Thanksgiving turkeys and turkey shaped pretzel dinner rolls too!
They’re made with Rice Krispie treats shaped into a drumstick, and we use white chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks for the bone and melted chocolate for the gravy.
With just 30 minutes of active prep time, you’ve got a marshmallow and chocolate dessert that looks like turkey legs but tastes like sweet, gooey, and crunchy goodness.
Rice Krispie Treat Turkey Legs
Why you’ll love this recipe
- An easy no-bake treat that’s fun for the kids to make on their own.
- Adults love them just as much!
- Festive for the holidays.
- These turkey leg rice Krispies travel well, won’t melt, and don’t need reheating, so they’re great for potlucks.
Helpful Tools
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Large pretzel rods: These are much thicker than the average pretzel; they’re almost the size of crispy bread sticks, so they’re great to use as the chicken bone.
- White chocolate chips: These are melted to coat the pretzel to represent the bone.
- Mini marshmallows: Used as the little nubs (or joints) at the end of the stick and you’ll use the rest of the bag for the mixture to make them gooey and sticky which eventually holds the rice cereal together once it sets.
- Unsalted butter: We’re taking things a step further and melting the butter into a brown butter state for extra flavor!
- Jumbo marshmallows:
- Sweetened condensed milk: Adds extra sweetness and richness to the melted marshmallows.
- Crispy rice cereal: Use whichever you prefer. Rice Krispies are the most popular, but not the only brand of puffy rice cereal.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: These are melted and spread over the turkey drum as gravy. Semisweet is a nice balance to the sweetness in the marshmallows and condensed milk, but you could also do dark chocolate chips.
- Nonstick spray: I like to spray my hands before forming the drumstick so nothing sticks to my hands.
How to make Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treat Turkey Legs
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Melt the white chocolate chips in 20-second intervals, stirring between each one, until melted and smooth. Take 2 mini marshmallows and dip the flat side into the melted white chocolate and glue them onto the ends of the pretzel rods, pressing gently to create a bone shape. Lay them on a prepared baking sheet and chill until set.
- Step Two: Once they’ve hardened, dip the whole bone into the melted chocolate, coating them all the way to the end. Put them back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Set them aside.
- Step Three: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Let it cook until browned with a nutty aroma. Once it turns color and you see the brown bits (milk solids) form, stir in the marshmallows until fluffy, melted, and smooth. Then, pour in the sweetened condensed milk and mix to combine.
- Step Four: Turn the heat off & gradually stir in the Rice Krispies until evenly dispersed and the cereal is evenly coated. Let it all sit for about 5 minutes until cool enough to handle, yet still soft. Spray your hands with nonstick spray, grab a small handful, and carefully mold it around the pretzel rod, opposite the end of the mini marshmallows. Repeat until all the “bones” are coated and let them firm up for about 10-15 minutes.
- Step Five: Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips the same way you did the white chocolate, and then drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the turkey leg rice krispies and let that set for a few minutes. Enjoy!
- If your white chocolate has hardened before you use it, do a quick reheat for about 10 seconds. Be careful not to overdo it or the chocolate will burn and seize.
- Swap the white chocolate chips for white candy melts or almond bark.
- If you prefer a more even coating of chocolate gravy, dunk the drumsticks in chocolate rather than adding a drizzle.
- Browning the butter isn’t a must, however it certainly adds to the flavor!
- Use cocoa rice krispies instead, for a more “cooked” turkey appearance.
- You can skip the chocolate gravy altogether, but if you like chocolate covered rice krispie balls, I think you’ll like the addition.
- Rice Krispies turkey legs are best enjoyed the day they’re made.
- You can use jumbo marshmallows or minis – either way you need about 10 ounces.
Storage
How to store leftovers
These are best eaten the day they are made, however, if you have leftovers, they will keep for up to 2 days at room temperature. Keep them in an airtight container to prevent them from hardening too soon.
FAQs
How many turkey leg rice krispies does this recipe make?
This recipe makes enough for about 12-15 turkey legs, so you’ll need about 6-8 whole pretzel rods that you break in half. It’s always good to have a few extra just in case!
Can I use marshmallow fluff instead?
You can! If you do use the marshmallow fluff, skip the jumbo marshmallows and butter and just warm the fluff on the stove until melted and smooth.
More no-bake cereal treats:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Birds Nest
Click here to view my entire collection of dessert recipes.
Turkey Leg Rice Krispies Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 6 large pretzel rods cut in half
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows divided
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 7 cups crispy rice cereal
- non-stick spray
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and lay out the pretzel rods. Set it aside.6 large pretzel rods
- Add the white chocolate chips to a small microwave safe bowl and heat in 20 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.½ cup white chocolate chips
- Take two mini marshmallows and dip the flat side into the melted white chocolate. Attach them to the end of the pretzel rods, pressing gently to "glue" them together, creating a bone shape. Lay each on the prepared pan and then move the tray to the fridge to set for about 10 minutes.
- Once hardened, dip the whole “bone” (pretzel rod and marshmallows) into the white chocolate coating almost all the way to the end (you may need to reheat the chocolate if it has hardened).
- Set back on the parchment paper to set, then set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook until browned (it should smell nutty and you'll see little brown bits), then add the marshmallows and stir until fully melted and smooth.4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 10 ounces mini marshmallows
- Pour in the sweetened condensed milk, mixing until well combined.⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk
- Turn off the heat and gradually pour in the Rice Krispies, stirring gently until all the cereal is evenly coated.7 cups crispy rice cereal
- Let the mixture cool for about 5-10 minutes, just enough for it to be handled but still soft. If it's too warm, it won't hold together.
- Once slightly cooled, lightly spray your hands with non-stick spray and take a small handful, molding it gently but firmly around the broken end of the pretzel rod, leaving the drumstick bone marshmallow side out.non-stick spray
- Repeat until all pretzel rod "bones" are coated.
- Let the treats set and firm up for about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips to a small microwave safe bowl and heat in 20 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the treats to resemble gravy.½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Let the chocolate “gravy” set for a few minutes.
- Once the chocolate has fully set and hardened, enjoy!
Notes
- Warm up white chocolate for 10 seconds if it gets hard, but don’t overheat it.
- You can use white candy melts or almond bark instead of chocolate chips.
- For better chocolate coverage, dip the drumsticks instead of drizzling.
- Browning the butter is optional, but it makes the treats taste even better.
- Use cocoa Rice Krispies for a cooked turkey look, and about 10 oz of marshmallows (mini or jumbo) works great.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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