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Get your family together for some tasty fun in the kitchen! With just a few everyday ingredients, you can whip up these classic dirt pudding cups that are sure to put grins on the whole crew’s faces.
Dirt Cups: An Easy & Fun Treat!
It’ll be an easy recipe and wonderful memories all in one bite. Plus, dirt and worm cups make the perfect Earth Day treat, too! Let’s get started…
What Are Dirt Cups Made Of?
You only need five simple ingredients for your yummy dirt and worms cups: Oreos (or other chocolate sandwich cookies), instant chocolate pudding mix (we love Hershey’s brand), milk, Cool Whip, and, of course… gummy worms!
Dirt Pudding Instructions
This easy recipe only has four steps and a total time of only around 10-15 minutes to make!
First, you whisk up the chocolate instant pudding mix and two cups milk in a bowl. Ice cold milk works best. Then, gently fold in some Cool Whip (or other whipped cream or whipped topping). If you’d like to save on prep time, you can do this ahead and store it in the refrigerator. But make sure to press plastic wrap down onto the surface of the pudding before putting it into the fridge to prevent a sticky film from forming on the top.
Next, crush your Oreos into “dirt.” This is my kids’ favorite part! Just make sure your zip-top food storage bag is sealed well. For extra security, you can fold over the sealed bag end and add a strip of tape. Then, show your child how to use a rolling pin to roll over the bag of Oreo cookies until they’re crushed and resemble dirt. You can try other kitchen tools to crush the cookies, too. Consider using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, a meat chopper tool, a potato masher, a large mortar and pestle, or a manual food processor.
Finally, layer your pudding mixture and cookie crumb “dirt” in a clear cup. Then, add some yummy gummy worms! We put some “dirt” in the bottom of each cup. And we top with more “dirt” on top, too. You can do as many layers as you’d like. Just make sure to let some gummy worms peek up from the “dirt” and maybe even crawl a bit over the edge of the cup.
25 More Creative Dirt Pudding Recipes
Now that you know how to make dirt pudding, it’s time to get creative! Try mixing and matching different ingredients, toppings, and decorations. Here are some creative dirt pudding ideas, including fun pudding cup recipes from some of my favorite blogging mama friends…
Simple Dirt Cup Ingredient Swaps
1. Healthy Chocolate Avocado Pudding Cup — Swap plain chocolate pudding for this Chocolate Avocado Mousse to make a healthier dirt pudding treat.
2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup of Dirt — Try Dove Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Pudding Mix instead of plain chocolate pudding. And, use crushed Peanut Butter Oreos before topping with Reese’s Minis.
3. Super S’more Dirt Pudding Dessert — Use graham crackers instead of cookies. Then, top your sweet treat with mini marshmallows and cute Graham Cracker Bug Bites.
4. Root Beer Dirt Pudding Cups — Or, use Sonic Root Beer Float Pudding Mix instead of plain chocolate pudding mix. Then, top with some Root Beer Jelly Beans!
Seasonal & Holiday Dirt Cups
5. Easter Bunny Pudding Cups — Edible Easter Grass, candy bunnies, and Oreo Cookies ‘n Creme Pudding Mix make these Easter pudding treats adorable and delicious.
6. Marshmallow Chicks Dirt Cup Recipe — Use shredded coconut and Peeps Marshmallow Chicks to turn plain cups of dirt into adorable Easter treat.
7. Easter Bunny Cookie Pudding Cups — Turn Milano Cookies into adorable edible Easter Bunnies to pop up out of these Easter Bunny-themed dirt pudding cups.
8. Summer Sand Pudding Snack — Use vanilla pudding, graham cracker crumbs, and little paper drink umbrellas to make some sand pudding snacks perfect for Summertime.
9. Sandy Beach Pudding Cups — Swap chocolate dirt pudding for a blue-tinted vanilla pudding ocean. Then, add Swedish Fish and graham cracker sand to make these Sandy Beach Pudding Cups.
10. Pumpkin Patch Dirt Pudding Treats — Use candy pumpkins to turn your dirt pudding cup into a pumpkin patch pudding treat that’s perfect for an Autumn Harvest Festival.
11. Vanilla Dirt Pudding Halloween Desserts — These cute dirt pudding Halloween desserts use vanilla pudding to make green zombie and orange jack o’ lantern desserts.
12. Halloween Graveyard Dirt Cups — Make spooky Halloween dirt cups for your next Halloween party using candy bones, candy ghosts, and tombstone cookies made out Milano Cookies.
13. TeePee Thanksgiving Dirt Cup Recipe — Turn ice cream sugar cones into little teepees for this cute teepee pudding cup recipe perfect for Thanksgiving.
14. Christmas Tree Cup of Dirt Desserts — Or, turn those sugar cones into cute little Christmas trees for festive Christmas dirt cups.
Grownup Dirt Pudding Desserts
15. Mint Oreo Dirt Cup Recipe — Make a sophisticated Oreo mint dirt pudding dessert using Mint Oreos and York Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pudding Mix. Then, add sprigs of fresh mint and cute wooden spoons stamped to look like plant markers, too.
16. Chocolate Hazelnut Cup of Dirt — Swap out plain Oreos with Chocolate Hazelnut Oreos. Then, top your treat off with a fancy Ferrero Rocher Candy.
17. Grownups’ Gourmet Dirt Pudding Dessert — Make a gourmet treat for grownups with Dove Bourbon Vanilla Dark Chocolate Pudding. Then, add some chunks of Bourbon Vanilla Macadamia Nut Brittle on top.
18. Adult Halloween Dirt Pudding Cups — Gummy worms soaked in alcoholic Sour Apple Pucker make these Halloween dirt pudding cups for adults-only.
Fun Dirt Pudding Ideas for Kids
19. Fruit Flower Dirt Pudding Cups — Make sweet flowers out of fruit to “plant” in these dirt pudding cups that are perfect for Spring.
20. Dino Dirt Snacks — Cute candy dinosaurs and ChocoRocks turn typical dirt pudding into adorable dino dirt snacks perfect for a dinosaur-themed Birthday party.
21. Toy Story Sheriff Woody Dirt Pudding Treats — Use gummy snakes and printable “There’s a snake in my boot!” signs to make a Sheriff Woody-inspired dirt pudding treat perfect for a Toy Story Birthday Party.
22. Shark Beach Pudding Snack — This beachy vanilla pudding snack features crushed Vanilla Wafer sand and gummy sharks inside a cute sand castle bucket.
23. Wiggle Worm Dirt Pudding Snacks — Grab this free Wiggle Worm Dirt Pudding printable to turn pudding cups into cute dirt pudding snacks.
24. Yummy Mud Pie Dessert — Instead of individual cups, invite your kids to make a family Mud Pie dessert!
25. Worms in Dirt Chocolate Bark — Or, skip the chocolate pudding altogether and make Worms in Dirt Chocolate Bark instead.
Full Recipe:
Easy Dirt Cups Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cup milk (very cold)
- 1 (3.9 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix
- 15 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie (or other chocolate sandwich cookies)
- 1 tub (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip (or other whipped topping, thawed)
- 24 gummy worm
Instructions
- Add 2 cup milk to mixing bowl and sprinkle 1 (3.9 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix over it. Then, whisk for 2 minutes or until thoroughly combined. Set aside to thicken.
- Place 15 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie inside zip-top plastic bag and close bag securely. Roll over the bag with a rolling pin until the cookies are crushed to resemble "dirt." (Or, use a food processor for more finely ground "dirt.")
- Gently fold 1 tub (8 ounce) tub Cool Whip into pudding until combined.
- Assemble dirt cups by layering ingredients in clear cups as follows: cookie crumbs, pudding, 24 gummy worm, and cookie crumbs. (Make sure some gummy worms are peaking out from the "dirt!")
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Get Ingredients & Supplies on Amazon:
Get everything you need right on Amazon…
HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Pudding MixKaya Plastic Crystal CupsBlack Forest Gummies-Gummy WormsOREO Chocolate Sandwich CookiesFresh Mint LeavesBaketivity 31 Pcs Kids Cooking & Baking SetZiploc Freezer Bags
Find more kid-friendly cooking and baking tools in B-Inspired Mama’s Amazon Shop: Fun Finds for Kids in the Kitchen
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More Kids Treat Ideas from B-Inspired Mama:
- Kids in the Kitchen: Banana Bear Pudding
- Super Cute One-Minute Rice Pudding Snowman Snack
- Spring Flower Pot Rice Krispies Treats
Melinda@LookWhatMomFound...andDadtoo says
yum! come share this please on our #kidsinthekitchen series
http://lookwhatmomfound.com/2013/04/starting-a-garden-with-the-kids-kidsinthekitchen.html
christin says
how many does one batch make?
Robin Konopka says
According to Kraft website if you use the small box of pudding mix, it will make 10 cups. And, if you use vanilla pudding with vanilla sandwich cookies, it is called “sand”. Have fun and yummy eating!