Our Dirt and Worm Cups are made with velvety chocolate pudding, cookie crumbs, and your favorite gummy treats for a fun dessert everyone will love. An edible dirt dessert that is perfect for parties, Halloween, springtime gatherings or anytime you want a sweet and nostalgic treat! For an extra touch, customize them with different gummy candies, add extra cookies to have multiple layers of pudding and enjoy these individual portions of your new favorite no bake dessert!
This fun recipe is made by layering crushed chocolate cookies, creamy chocolate pudding, and topping it with gummy worms. Made to look like worms crawling and emerging through dirt, served in individual cups, it is the perfect and kid-friendly.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love Dirt and Worm Cups
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Dirt and Worms
- More Recipes You Will Love
- How to Store Dirt and Worm Cups
- What to Serve with Dirt and Worms
- Top Tips
- Dirt and Worms Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Dirt and Worm Cups Recipe
- More Desserts You Will Love
Here are some of my other favorite easy dessert recipes: Strawberry Rhubarb Dump Cake, Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars, Strawberry Brownies, Easter Bark, Christmas Cake Mix Cookies, Red, White, and Blue Trifle, 4th of July Fruit Cups, and my Red, White, and Blue Dump Cake.
Why You Will Love Dirt and Worm Cups
- No Bake: There is no need to heat up your oven for this easy dessert.
- Quick and Easy: This dessert comes together so quickly, so you won't have to wait too long before you get to dig in - pun intended.
- Great for Kids: A fun way to get the kids involved by giving them individual dirt cups and allow them to top with their favorite fun treats.
- Minimal Ingredients: You will only need to gather 5 ingredients to put together a delicious dessert.
- Fun Dessert: An adorable treat and fun idea for birthday parties, Halloween parties, or any festive gathering.
Ingredients
This is a pretty easy shopping list with everything being available at your local grocery store. You may even find that all these ingredients are already in your pantry so have a look before heading to the store.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Cold Milk: I prefer whole milk, but any type of milk will do.
- Chocolate Instant Pudding: Instant chocolate pudding mix is the easiest way to start this perfect dessert.
- Whipped Topping: Cool Whip tends to be our go-to option, but you can always make a homemade whipped cream.
- Oreo Cookies: We used classic Oreos, the chocolate sandwich cookies, but you can use any type of fine crumbs.
- Gummy Worms: Buy whichever brand you like best.
- Clear Cups: Any type of cup or vessel will work for these cute dirt cups!
For this recipe, you'll want to have on hand a hand mixer, food processor, individual clear plastic cups, measuring cups and spoons, and large bowl.
Substitutions and Variations
What we love most about this recipe is that it can be fully customized. This is a great dessert to be creative and let each person top their own dessert cups with their favorite treats.
- Your Favorite Cookie: Feel free to try this recipe with any cookie you love, or even a Gluten-Free substitute. We love using Gluten Free Oreos when needed!
- Vanilla Pudding: Try making a vanilla version by swapping in homemade vanilla pudding or vanilla pudding from a store-bought mix.
- Your Favorite Candy: Any sweet or sour option will do.
How to Make Dirt and Worms
Don’t get worried about the accuracy of this nostalgic dessert, playing around is the best part.
Make the chocolate pudding by vigorously beating the pudding and milk in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to thicken.
Add in 2 cups of whipped topping and mix well.
Divide evenly amongst 8 cups (approximately ¾ cup)
Top with about 2 tablespoons of Oreo crumbs, then set in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. Then add 2-3 gummy worms per cup and serve.
Hint: You can easily double the recipe by doubling the cookie crumbs. Then play around with making layers of cookie crumbs on the bottom, then pudding, followed by more cookie crumbs! The purpose of this dish is to have fun while making it and making a bit of a mess in the process — don't worry about making it look too perfect!
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How to Store Dirt and Worm Cups
This is a very simple recipe, we suggest making it as close as you can to serving them.
- Refrigerator: You can store them in the fridge for 24 hours, but the cookie crumbs start to pull moisture and get a soggy texture the longer they sit.
- Make Ahead: Make your pudding ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days prior to creating your dirt pudding cups. You can also make your fine crumbs and store them in a Ziploc bag, so they are ready to go.
What to Serve with Dirt and Worms
- Mini Pail: Serve in a mini pail with a lid for a fun presentation.
- Halloween Spoons: Add Halloween themed spoons for a festive twist.
- Milano Cookies: These make a great headstone if you want to try making graveyard dirt cups!
- Spider Rings: Top with toy spider rings for a fun Halloween twist (when age appropriate, as this could be a choking hazard).
Top Tips
Before you get started, here’s what you need to know to make this great make-ahead dessert.
- Chill Before Serving: This helps the pudding firm up and gives the flavors time to set.
- Crush Cookies Finely: A food processor works great, but a zip-top bag and rolling pin will do the trick.
- Layer for Effect: You can do a second layer of pudding and crumbs if you want a more dramatic “dirt” look.
- Add Candy Just Before Serving: This keeps them looking fresh and prevents them from getting sticky.
- Clear Cups: Using transparent cups shows off the fun layers and makes for a great visual.
Dirt and Worms Frequently Asked Questions
You can substitute homemade pudding in place of the instant pudding if the volume is the same. Be mindful that it will increase total preparation time.
For best result you should make them the same day you plan to serve them, but we have made them up to 3 days prior. While they are still delicious, the cookie crumbs to get a little “damp” feeling as they absorb the liquid from the pudding. We would recommend if you wanted to prep everything in advance, and assemble on the day you need them, that would give you the best result!
More Recipes You Will Love
Check out some more of our recipes you will want to try!
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Dirt and Worm Cups Recipe
Equipment
- Hand Mixer
- Food Processor
- Plastic Cups
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 4- ounce chocolate instant pudding
- 4 cups milk any type, cold
- 2 cups whipped topping
- 10 Oreo cookies crushed
- 1 package gummy worms at least 16
Instructions
- Make the chocolate pudding by vigorously beating the pudding and milk in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to thicken.
- Add in 2 cups of whipped topping and mix well.
- Divide evenly amongst 8 cups (approximately ¾ cup)
- Top with about 2 tablespoons of Oreo crumbs, then set in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. Then add 2-3 gummy worms per cup and serve.
Notes
- You can easily double the recipe by doubling the cookie crumbs. Then play around with making layers of cookie crumbs on the bottom, then pudding, followed by more cookie crumbs! The purpose of this dish is to have fun while making it and making a bit of a mess in the process — don't worry about making it look too perfect!
- Chilling helps the pudding firm up and gives the flavors time to set.
- A food processor works great, but a zip-top bag and rolling pin will do the trick.
- You can do a second layer of pudding and crumbs if you want a more dramatic “dirt” look.
- Add candy just before serving, this keeps them looking fresh and prevents them from getting sticky.
- Using transparent cups shows off the fun layers and makes for a great visual.
Nutrition
We would be so grateful for you to leave us a rating and review on any recipes you try. If you make any alterations, let us know how they turned out.
Sara says
The kiddo and I love making this one together! And eating it together too.
Eva Filer says
Thanks for the review - it is a fun one to make with kids (the little and big ones)!
Eva Filer says
Such a simple recipe, and so fun to make with the kiddos! Easy to customize and play around with too. It is actually one of my husband's favorites!