Easy 3-Ingredient Thanksgiving Cornucopia Cookies: Your Go-To Last-Minute Dessert!

As the holiday season approaches, the search for quick, delightful, and visually appealing treats becomes a top priority. Look no further! These charming **Thanksgiving Cookies**, crafted to resemble miniature cornucopias, are the ultimate edible craft. Requiring just three simple ingredients and mere minutes to assemble, they’re not only incredibly easy but also a guaranteed hit at any festive gathering.

A Simple Thanksgiving Treat That Always Steals the Show

Creating adorable Thanksgiving treats doesn’t have to be complicated or require advanced decorating skills. In fact, some of the best holiday memories are made with the simplest recipes. These cornucopia cookies are a perfect example! They’re so straightforward that even my two-year-old happily “helped” me make them—mostly by sampling the Bugles, cookies, and M&M’s, of course! His favorite? The crispy Bugles. Mine? Definitely all the colorful M&M’s!

The beauty of these Thanksgiving Cookies lies in their minimal effort and maximum charm. Simply attach a Bugle snack to half of a sandwich cookie and fill it with mini M&M’s. That’s it – just three ingredients transform into a festive masterpiece! For a bit of extra stability, especially if you’re transporting them, a dab of frosting can help secure the M&M’s. However, pressing them firmly into the existing Oreo cream filling works perfectly well too, keeping this recipe truly no-fuss.

We hope you and your loved ones enjoy these delightful cookies as much as my family does. Happy Thanksgiving!

Why You’ll Adore These Easy Cornucopia Cookies

When it comes to Thanksgiving desserts, finding options that are both festive and stress-free can be a challenge. That’s where these 3-ingredient cornucopia cookies shine! Here’s why they’re destined to become your new favorite holiday tradition:

• Effortless Elegance: Despite their charming appearance, these cookies are incredibly easy to make, requiring no baking, fancy tools, or intricate decorating skills.
• Kid-Friendly Fun: Little hands will love helping to assemble these treats, making them a fantastic holiday activity for the whole family.
• Minimal Ingredients: With just three readily available components, you can whip up a batch in no time.
• Last-Minute Lifesaver: Forgot to prepare a dessert? These cookies come together so quickly, they’re the perfect solution for unexpected guests or last-minute potlucks.
• Festive & Symbolic: The cornucopia, a symbol of abundance and harvest, perfectly captures the spirit of Thanksgiving.
• Delicious Combination: The sweet crunch of Bugles, the creamy filling of Golden Oreos, and the chocolatey burst of M&M’s create an irresistible flavor and texture.

Key Ingredients for Your Cornucopia Cookies

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. You only need three main ingredients to create these delightful Thanksgiving edible crafts. While the quantities aren’t strictly precise and depend on how many cookies you wish to make and how perfectly each component comes apart, here’s what you’ll need to gather:

• Golden Oreo Sandwich Cookies: These provide the perfect base for our cornucopias. Their vibrant color and creamy filling are essential. To ensure optimal sticking power for the Bugles and M&M’s, it’s crucial to twist the cookies apart carefully, aiming to keep the frosting intact on one side. If a cookie breaks during this process, don’t worry – you can often use a little extra frosting to mend it or simply save it for snacking!
• Bugles: The unique horn shape of Bugles makes them ideal for mimicking a cornucopia. Look for bags where the Bugles have a wide opening, as this will allow you to fit more M&M’s inside and create a more bountiful-looking treat. Their crispy texture also adds a delightful contrast to the soft cookie.
• Mini M&M’s Baking Bits Candies: These small, colorful candies are the perfect “harvest” to fill your cornucopias. The mini size works best for fitting snugly inside the Bugles. Press them firmly into the Oreo frosting to keep them in place. If you find yourself with extra frosting from any broken cookies, it can be used to further secure the M&M’s. Feel free to use classic Thanksgiving colors like browns, reds, oranges, and yellows for an extra festive touch.

Optional but Recommended: A small tube of store-bought frosting (any flavor, vanilla or cream cheese works best) if you prefer extra adhesion for the M&M’s or if your Oreo cream isn’t as sticky as desired.

Step-by-Step Guide: How To Make Thanksgiving Cornucopia Cookies

These cookies are incredibly fun and easy to assemble, making them a fantastic project to do with kids. Follow these simple steps for perfect results:

1. Prepare the Oreo Bases: Carefully separate the Golden Oreo sandwich cookies. The best method is to twist the two halves apart. This technique helps ensure that most, if not all, of the creamy filling remains on one cookie half. You’ll only need the half with the frosting for your cornucopia base; the plain halves can be saved for snacking or other uses. If a cookie half breaks during separation, don’t despair! You can often use a tiny bit of the frosting from another cookie to gently press it back together, or simply set it aside.
2. Attach the Bugle “Cornucopias”: Take one of your frosting-covered Oreo halves. Gently but firmly press the wider opening of a Bugle snack into the center of the Oreo’s creamy filling. Ensure it’s secure enough to hold its shape. The sticky frosting acts as a natural adhesive, holding the Bugle in place to form the horn-of-plenty shape.
3. Fill with Festive M&M’s: Now for the fun part! Begin carefully placing the mini M&M’s into the Bugle. For a fuller, more abundant look, try to position some of the slightly larger M&M’s towards the bottom or wider part of the Bugle, and then fill the remainder with smaller candies. This creates a pleasing visual effect, making your cornucopia appear overflowing with harvest goodies.
4. Ensure Everything Stays in Place: The Oreo frosting is usually sufficient to hold the M&M’s. However, if you’re concerned about them shifting, or if you plan to transport your cookies, you have a couple of options. You can use any extra Oreo frosting you might have collected from less-than-perfect cookie separations, or a tiny dollop of store-bought frosting, to secure the M&M’s more firmly. Just pipe a small amount onto the back of the M&M’s as you place them, or around the base of the Bugle where it meets the cookie.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Preparing for Thanksgiving often involves a lot of planning, and these cookies can definitely be made ahead of time to ease your holiday stress!

• Room Temperature Storage: Once assembled, these Thanksgiving Cornucopia Cookies can be stored in an airtight container or a resealable bag at room temperature for up to a week. Place them in a single layer or use parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together or the M&M’s from dislodging.
• Make-Ahead Tip: For the best texture and freshness, especially if you want the Bugles to remain perfectly crisp, you can store the ingredients separately. Keep the separated Oreo halves and Bugles in their own airtight containers. Assemble the cornucopias just a few hours before you plan to serve them. This method ensures that all components are at their freshest when presented to your guests.
• Freezing: Freezing is not recommended for these cookies, as the Bugles can become stale or soggy after thawing, and the Oreo cream might change texture. They are best enjoyed fresh within a week.

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Rating: 5/5 from 2 votes

Thanksgiving Cornucopia Cookies

By
Chelsea Lords

These adorable miniature cornucopia cookies are the fastest and easiest Thanksgiving edible craft treat! With just 3 simple ingredients and a few minutes to assemble, you’ll have the cutest little desserts ready to impress your guests and add a festive touch to your holiday spread. They’re perfect for busy hosts, last-minute celebrations, or fun kitchen activities with kids.

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Total Time:

10 minutes

Yields:

36 cookies

Video Tutorial

Ingredients

• 1 package (14 ounces) Golden Oreos
• 1 bag Bugles
• 1 bag (10 ounces) mini M&M’s baking bits candies

Instructions

Note: The ingredients do not have specific amounts, as you will likely have some leftover of both cookies and Bugles depending on how many successfully come apart and how many Bugles are suitable cornucopia shapes.

1. Separate the golden Oreo sandwich cookies. Twist the top off from the bottom to best keep the frosting intact on one side. Enjoy or save the cookie halves with no frosting.
2. On the cookie half with the frosting, gently press a cornucopia-shaped Bugle onto the cream filling.
3. Carefully press the mini M&M’s into and around the Bugle opening. For a full look, place larger M&M’s at the bottom and smaller ones towards the top.
4. If needed, use extra Oreo frosting (from cookies that didn’t separate well) or a small amount of store-bought frosting to firmly secure the M&M’s onto the cookies. While I haven’t found this necessary for serving at home, it can be helpful for transporting the treats.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store assembled cornucopia cookies in an airtight container or a sealed bag at room temperature for up to one week to maintain freshness and crispness.

Nutrition

Serving:
1
cookie

|

Calories:
91
kcal

|

Carbohydrates:
11.1
g

|

Protein:
5.3
g

|

Fat:
2.8
g

|

Cholesterol:
4.9
mg

|

Sodium:
284.8
mg

|

Fiber:
0.3
g

|

Sugar:
8.8
g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

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