Say hello to the cutest dessert that kids love eating, easy Dirt Cups. A tasty pudding base made with crushed Oreo and gummy worms made to resemble dirt. This pudding surprise is so fun to make.
We absolutely love making these adorable chocolate desserts. They are easy to make, kids love them, and of course they taste delicious. You can make this jello pudding dessert with cool whip all year long but we especially love them during the spring time and make a cute Easter treat.
This visual recipe is also perfect for a kids birthday party and class parties. It's a great individual treat that kids have fun eating. You could even make them for a football tailgate party, they are that versatile.
Make for a fun edible earth day dessert for a fun themed treat. You could serve them for any holiday, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. The possibilities are endless.
Some other fun treats that are great for parties is our Oreo Trifle, or our Chocolate cream pie. They both use a tasty pudding base and Oreos to make a great dessert.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy- This pudding cup doesn't take any time at all. You can quickly put them together, they are so easy to make.
- Kids love them- From my toddlers to my older kids, this is a huge hit. They love eating them but they also love making them too!
- Homemade- Who doesn't love a homemade dessert that's also quick, easy and tasty. This homemade treat hits the spot and is so cute.
- Gluten Free-This can be gluten free by making sure to use gluten free Oreo Cookies.
- Dairy Free- Use dairy whipping cream and dairy free pudding to make this a dairy free option.
Ingredients
- Pudding- We used Jello Chocolate fudge pudding for this recipe. You can use sugar free to make it a more healthy option.
- Milk- Regular milk is used but if you are needing it to be dairy free, make it with a a milk alternative.
- Whipped Cream- We used cool whip for a quick and easy cream. Make sure it's thawed before using to help with smoothness.
- Gummy Worms- Use your favorite brand of gummy worms. You can even try sour gummy worms.
- Chocolate Cookies- For a dirt look, use crushed chocolate cookies. Our go-to is crushed Oreos.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Use these step by step process photos to help with presentation and texture. It's always helpful to have visual when making a recipe.
- Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the chocolate pudding powder and mix until a pudding mixture is formed.
3. Gently fold in the thawed whipped cream to make a chocolate mousse.
4. Assemble the dirt cups. Add a scoop of pudding mixture then add crumbled Oreo. Repeat for a second layer. Top with gummy worms.
Hint: Make sure to assemble close to serving. If you assemble too soon the Oreos will start to get soft.
Substitutions and Variations
- Halloween Dirt Cups- For a fun alternative, make this fun Halloween Dirt cup variation. It uses fun and spooky gummies to give it an eerie theme.
- Dino Theme- For a fun dino themed party, make these with dinosaur bones and excavate them with forks.
- Beach Theme- Make a cute beach cup with graham crackers for sand instead of Oreos. Add teddy grahams and shark gummies.
- Pre-Made Pudding- In a pinch, use pre-made pudding cups and top with crushed cookies and gummy worms.
- With cream cheese- Make with cream cheese instead of whipping cream. Soften the cream cheese, blend with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Fold in with the pudding. (soften cream cheese and combine with the pudding)
- Vanilla-Not a chocolate fan? Use vanilla pudding instead.
- Easter- To make a cute Easter dessert add some jelly beans and bunny peeps.
- brownies- Use crumbled brownies instead of chocolate cookies for the dirt portion of the dessert.
- Chocolate Mousse- Use your favorite chocolate mousse recipe instead of the Jello Pudding and cool whip mixture.
Helpful Hints
Make sure to use a folding motion when stirring in the Cool Whip to keep it light and fluffy. It taste better when it's well mixed, and looks better too!
Don't assemble too soon before serving. If you need to make ahead, make sure to have all ingredients in different bowls. Then when you're ready to eat, assemble.
How to Serve
This is a tasty treat on it's own but it's always fun to pair it with other tasty foods to make a show stopping party. This goes great with a side of vanilla ice cream.
Whether you are serving them for a kids party, a football get together, or a fun afternoon snack, you can't go wrong. They pair great with cookies, or even a glass of milk.
Equipment
This recipe is simple and you a Mixing Bowl, Whisk, rubber spatula. To assemble you will need clear disposable Plastic Cups.
Storage
This recipe is good for 2-3 days. You will want to serve soon after assembling for best quality. If you aren't serving right away but want to prep beforehand, make the pudding mixture and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure it's covered.
This recipe does not freeze well.
Top tip
Whisk pudding until smooth for the smoothest, creamiest results. If you don't whisk thoroughly, you may have little chunks in your pudding.
FAQ
how to make worms in dc,
To make dirt cups mix together cool whip and chocolate pudding. Crush Oreos. Add the pudding mixture to the bottom of a see through cup. Add a layer of crushed Oreos. Repeat to have two layers. Top with gummy worms to have a fun earth and dirt effect.
We recommend making all the parts and storing them separately, then assembling the day of for best results. If you make them the night before, the Oreos will get a little soggy.
It's fun to make fun patterns with the gummy worms. You can bury half the worm to make it look like it's coming out of the dirt. You can also bury the middle of the worm to make it look like its going in and out of the dirt.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Dirt Cups
Ingredients
- 3.9 oz chocolate pudding mix
- 2 cups cold milk
- 8 oz Cool Whip thawed
- 10-12 OREO cookies crushed
- gummy worms
- gummy frogs, dinosaurs, etc.
Instructions
- Place cold milk in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle pudding mix on top and whisk thoroughly to combine. Let sit until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Mix in Cool Whip using a spatula and a folding motion. Set to the side.
- Place OREOs in a food processor and blend roughly. You want some chunks left for the dirt cups.
- Fill cup ⅓ full of pudding mixture. Top with a layer of crushed OREOs, then another layer of pudding followed by another layer of OREOs. See photos above. Top with worms, frogs and/or dinosaurs or other desired decorations.
Notes
- This makes 4-6 dirt cups, depending how big of cups you use and how full you fill the cups.
Nicole
I love dirt cups and haven't had them in forever! I wanted to make some with my kids and this recipe was perfect.