Thanksgiving morning has a rhythm. The turkey is not in yet, the coffee is on, and everyone is wandering through the kitchen asking what is for breakfast. These cinnamon roll turkeys have been our answer for years. A warm, icing-slick cinnamon roll for the body, crisp bacon for tail feathers, and a candy corn beak. They look ridiculous and they disappear in minutes.

The twist at our house is the grill. We bake the rolls on the Traeger, and the bacon goes on there first. It frees up the oven for the real turkey, keeps the kitchen from smelling like a bacon factory before guests arrive, and gives the rolls a subtle wood-fired edge. Sweet, salty, smoky, and a little goofy. That is the whole idea.

What you need

Keep it simple. Refrigerated jumbo cinnamon rolls, such as Pillsbury Grands, are the easiest base because they come with icing and hold up to the bacon. Each can makes five turkeys, and this recipe uses two cans for ten. Thick-cut bacon is the move for feathers. Thin bacon bends. Thick bacon stands up. You will also need edible candy eyes, candy corn for the beaks, and a few red mini candies or red icing for the wattle. Mini pretzel sticks make great feet if you want to go all the way.

One timing note. Candy corn disappears from store shelves almost the day after Halloween. If you are reading this in November, grab it now at the clearance rack, or swap in a small triangle of orange fruit leather or an orange candy for the beak.

Cook the bacon first and let it cool all the way before you touch it. Hot bacon is floppy. Cool bacon is rigid, and rigid is what holds a feather up. Bake it on a wire rack set over a sheet pan so the fat drips away and the strips stay flat and crisp.
Hawk’s Tip

Why bake rolls on the Traeger

A pellet grill is just a wood-fired outdoor oven, and it bakes cinnamon rolls beautifully when you respect a few rules. Run it at 350F, not hotter, so the bottoms do not scorch. Use a mild pellet like pecan or a fruitwood blend. Heavy hickory or mesquite will make a breakfast pastry taste like an ashtray. Put the pan on the upper rack, away from the fire pot, and rotate it halfway through. If your grill runs hot underneath, set the pan on an inverted cake pan to lift it off the grate.

Pellet grills vary a lot, so use the time on the can as your guide and start checking early. You want deep golden tops and set centers, not pale and doughy.

Building the turkey

Spread the icing while the rolls are warm but not scorching, then give it a couple of minutes to skin over. That keeps the eyes and beak from sliding around. A dab of icing works as glue for the candy eyes. Tuck four bacon halves into the back of each roll so they fan out like tail feathers, set the beak just under the eyes, and add a little red candy next to it for the wattle. Do the face last so you can see how the whole bird is coming together.

This also makes a great kid project. Set out a tray of eyes, beaks, and pretzel feet and let everyone decorate their own bird. No two turkeys look the same, which is half the fun.

Pitmaster Tips

Cook the bacon a day ahead if you can. Bake it, cool it, and store it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before tucking so it does not crack. That is one less thing on a busy morning.

Space the rolls out. Leave room in the pan between each roll so the sides brown and the heat gets around them.

Do not assemble too early. Bacon feathers go soft as they sit against warm, moist dough. Build the turkeys within 15 minutes of serving for the best crunch.

Try a maple move. Brush the bacon with a little maple syrup before it goes on the rack for a sweet, glossy feather that matches the icing.

Keep it safe. Bacon and dairy-based icing should not sit out more than two hours. Pop any leftovers in the fridge and warm the rolls gently before serving again.

Pair them with a full Thanksgiving morning spread, then head into the main event with our smoked turkey. If you love the sweet and smoky combo, try our pork belly cinnamon rolls or the bacon weave breakfast sausage roll next.