Dirt Pudding Cups

Easy to make and fun to serve, these dirt pudding cups only take 5 ingredients to make and can be customized with tons of different holiday-themed candies.

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About Dirt Pudding Cups

Quick, simple, and easy, these dirt cups are an internet classic that can help make any party or movie night for all ages just a little more fun (and delicious!)

What do you need to make these pudding cups?

The idea is to keep these pudding cups simple, so you’ll only need a few ingredients:

• Oreo cookies – Any type or flavor that you’d like.
• Chocolate pudding – This can be homemade, store-bought, or even the individually packaged puddings (like Snack Pack). If you’re making the pudding at home (such as instant chocolate pudding), you’ll also need the other ingredients listed on the box, like milk.
• Cool Whip – This ingreidnet is optional, but it can have a big impact on how the pudding cups turn out. The choice will be yours on whether or not you’ll want to mix (or layer between!) the Cool Whip in with the chocolate pudding.
• Gummy Worms – Any type or flavor that you’d like!

Do you have to use Cool Whip?

As mentioned above, using Cool Whip is optional. I personally prefer these pudding cups without it, but I’m also a huge fan of chocolate pudding in its purest form.

Without the Cool Whip, you’ll only have the dense, creamy texture of the chocolate pudding, and the recipe will make about four small pudding cups. If you mixed the Cool Whip in with the chocolate pudding, the texture would be fluffier, the chocolate color will be lighter, and the recipe yield will be larger, to be about six to eight pudding cups.

What other toppings can you use?

The fun thing about dirt is that, well, a lot of things can live or grow in it, from plants to fruits to gravestones. So while these pudding cups might have a creepy flair, they can be customized for any time of year, such as:

• Halloween and Fall – Classic gummy worms, candy pumpkins, gravestones, bones, candy eyes, etc.
• Easter and Spring – Gummy worms work well here too, as well as eggs, nests (think shredded coconut), candy flours, peeps, etc.
• Christmas and Winter – Cover the top with coconut or sprinkles or snow, candy trees, snowmen, M&M’s for ornaments, etc.
• Summer – Candy versions of summer fruits, like watermelon, green sprinkles for grass.

Can you make these pudding cups in advance?

Yes, you totally can! You can make these pudding cups up to 24 hours in advance. Store them in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

How long do pudding cups last?

Once prepared, these dirt pudding cups should remain good in the refrigerator for up to four to six days.

More fun creepy recipes

How to make dirt cups

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – Kick things off by preparing the instant pudding mix with the milk per the instructions on the box.

Step 2 – If you’re using Cool Whip, mix it in with the prepared chocolate pudding until nice and creamy.

Step 3 – When ready to assemble, add the pudding to a small glass or cup, filling it about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way. Top generously with crushed Oreo cookies, then drape a few gummy worms on top.

Step 4 – Serve and enjoy!