If you've ever had a craving to eat dirt and worms, you're in luck because this recipe is much more socially acceptable. Halloween worms and dirt cups are made with Oreo cookies, chocolate mousse, and gummy worms for the ultimate sweet treat.
One of our favorite no bake Halloween desserts is "dirt pudding," but we're taking it up a notch this year by making our own chocolate mousse instead of pudding. This makes it a little fancier and helps to make a few extra servings so that there's plenty to share!
This is one of those treats the kids love because they're so much fun. It's like a trick and a treat in every cup. Serve them up with some Peanut Butter Jelly Spider Sandwiches and Frozen Whipped Zombie Brains for an awesome lunch!
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- Minimal ingredients. We don't need much to make this recipe, so it comes together fairly easily and quickly.
- It's not real dirt. I promise that we only use crushed Oreo cookies for the "dirt" and that you won't actually have to go harvest a scoop from outside.
- You can customize it. Add sour gummy worms and candy eyeballs or any of your favorite Halloween candies. Even tiny pumpkins would look great in these cups of dirt.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Instant chocolate pudding- Make sure to use INSTANT pudding, or else you risk the dessert not setting up correctly.
Milk- You need milk to activate the pudding mix so that it turns out well. Low fat milk or nondairy milk may be used in smaller quantities, but the mousse may not set up as well as it will with whole milk.
Gummy worms- We used sour gummy worms but you can use regular ones! These are what make these dessert cups feel more like "dirt."
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Substitutions
Oreo cookies. You can use gluten free oreo cookies to make this recipe gluten free. You could also use off-brand oreo cookies if desired. Whatever is easier!
Pudding mix. You will need a box of prepared pudding mix, and while we like to use regular pudding, you can use sugar free pudding if you want to. Different size boxes will yield different amounts of pudding and request different amounts of milk. Just make sure to use instant pudding.
Whipping cream. If desired, you can swap out the whipped topping for homemade whipped cream. To do this, beat 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 3 Tablespoons of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Use in place of the whipped topping.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Add your oreo cookies to a food processor.
Step 2: Crush the oreo cookies until fine crumbs. Set aside.
Step 3: In a mixing bowl, combine the chocolate pudding mix with milk until blended.
Step 4: Let rest and set for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Fold in the thawed whipped topping.
Step 6: Mix until no streaks remain.
Step 7: Sprinkle a little oreo in the bottom of each parfait cup.
Step 8: Top with a little of your chocolate mousse mixture.
Step 9: Add more cookie crumbs over the top of the mousse, and then repeat the layers. Do this for all 6 of your cups until layers are complete.
Step 10: Top with 2 gummy worms each. Add some festive Halloween sprinkles, if desired.
Serve immediately or cover and let chill in the fridge until ready to eat.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Make sure that when mixing the pudding and milk, you work to get all or almost all of the dry mix clumps broken up. These clumps will not dissolve as the pudding sits.
🥣 Scaling
If desired, you can scale up this recipe and make it in a 9x13 baking dish for more servings. I would recommend tripling the recipe by using 3 tubs of whipped topping, 3 boxes of prepared pudding, and a full package of oreo cookies.
⏲️Make Ahead Instructions
Yes, you can whip up the chocolate pudding or the chocolate mousse in advance. You can even make the oreo cookie dirt in advance. This makes assembly faster later.
Go ahead and keep cookie crumbs in a Ziploc baggie for up to a few days or keep the pudding or mousse covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
This pudding and dirt combo can be kept covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
💭 FAQs
Yes, you can use any flavored oreo cookies! I like Java flavor or peanut butter pie but feel free to select any that you already enjoy. Keep in mind that the filling colors can affect the color of your dirt.
Oreo dirt cups are usually made with a chocolate pudding mixture, oreo cookies, and gummy worms. This can vary depending on the holidays, recipe creator, and desired results as there are many different ways to customize these treats.
The easiest way to crush oreo cookies is to use a food processor as that only takes a moment to do. That said, you can also place the cookies into a sealed plastic baggie and smack a rolling pin over the top to break them up.
❤️ More Delicious Halloween Recipes
If you tried this Halloween Worms and Dirt Cups, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Halloween Worms and Dirt Cups
Ingredients
- 20 whole Oreo cookies ($2.20)
- 1 box (3.9 ounce) Instant chocolate pudding ($0.98)
- 2 cups Milk ($0.38)
- 1 tub (8 ounce) Cool whip, thawed ($0.99)
- 12 whole Gummy worms ($1.00)
- Halloween sprinkles *optional
Instructions
- Crush the oreo cookies until fine crumbs. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chocolate pudding mix with milk until blended. Let rest and set for 5 minutes.
- Fold in the thawed whipped topping until no streaks remain.
- Sprinkle a little oreo in the bottom of each parfait cup. Top with a little of your chocolate mousse mixture.
- Add more cookie crumbs over the top of the mousse, and then repeat the layers. Do this for all 6 of your cups until layers are complete.
- Top with 2 gummy worms each. Add some festive Halloween sprinkles too, if desired.
- Serve immediately or cover and let chill in the fridge until ready to eat.
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