Dirt Cake Cookies
Make Dirt Cake Cookies for your kids or just to treat your own inner child! Rich, fudgy cookies are topped with a swirl of chocolate buttercream frosting with crushed Oreos and gummy worms. If you loved dirt cake as a kid, you’ll love this elevated version of those classic chocolatey flavors.
Dirt Cake Cookies
Any excuse to incorporate gummy worms into homemade recipes is always a win! If there’s one major way to get your kids involved in the kitchen, it’s with gummy worms… Or really any candy. Kids will love helping you decorate Dirt Cake Cookies almost as much as they’ll love eating them! To be honest, adults love these adorably decorated cookies just as much as the kids do.
They’re a spin on my favorite Dirt Pudding recipe but with more texture and portability!
After all, who could resist a thick, soft, and sweet homemade chocolate cookie topped with buttercream, Oreo crumbs, and gummy worms?! There’s just too much to love about Dirt Cake Cookies to resist a bite or two… or three. However, I totally get if you can’t eat more than one cookie in a single sitting. They’re super rich with lots of chocolate flavor and much bigger than your average cookie!
Both the cookies themselves and the buttercream frosting are homemade. Don’t let that scare you off, though! Just because this recipe is pretty thoroughly homemade doesn’t mean that making these cookies is a hassle. Dirt Cake Cookies are really very easy to make, and like I said – really fun to decorate, especially if you have little ones running around the house!
How to Make Dirt Cake Cookies
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Make the cookie dough. In a mixing bowl combine the cocoa powder, white sugar, butter and vegetable oil until well mixed. Next, beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until a thick dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
- Chill the dough. Divide the dough into 6 balls and place onto the cookie sheet. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Bake and cool. Bake for 12 minutes. You want the cookies just baked so they stay soft. Cool on a cooling rack.
- Make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer whip the butter until fluffy. To the butter, add your powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Mix on low until it starts to come together. Add in the vanilla and milk. Whip until light and fluffy.
- Decorate the Dirt Cake Cookies! Place the frosting in a piping bag or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off. Pipe in a swirl pattern on top of each cookie. In another baggie, crush up your Oreos. Sprinkle the Oreo crumbs on each cookie. Top with a gummy worm or two.
Tips and Variations to Try
- You must refrigerate the cookie dough before baking to keep the cookies chewy. This also helps prevent the dough from spreading out and forming a thinner cookie in the hot oven.
- This recipe makes 6 large cookies, but you can divide the dough into 12 regular size cookies if you like. You can even make mini ones! Just alter the cooking time as needed, and keep a close eye on your cookies as they bake.
- You swap out the chocolate chunks for chocolate chips if you like.
- Any chocolate sandwich cookie will work for the crumbs. You can even find pre-crushed chocolate cookies in the baking aisle.
Storage
Homemade Dirt Cake Cookies will stay fresh for about 3-5 days if stored properly. Just keep them in an airtight container at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. You can keep them in the fridge if you’d like, but your gummy worms will harden a bit from the cold temperature.
More frosted cookie recipes? Yes, please!
For more easy dessert ideas, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Get the Recipe: Dirt Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chunks
For the Chocolate Buttercream
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons milk
- Gummy worms
- 10 oreos
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- In a mixing bowl combine the cocoa powder, white sugar, butter and vegetable oil until well mixed.
- Next beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until a thick dough forms.
- Stir in the chocolate chunks.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls and place onto the cookie sheet.
- Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 12 minutes. You want the cookies just baked so they stay soft.
- Cool on a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile make the frosting.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer whip the butter until fluffy.
- To the butter add your powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
- Mix on low until it starts to come together.
- Add in the vanilla and milk.
- Whip until light and fluffy.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag or ziploc bag with the corner cut off.
- Pipe in a swirl pattern on top of each cookie.
- In another baggie crush up your oreos.
- Sprinkle the oreo crumbs on each cookie.
- Top with a gummy worm or two.
- Serve!!