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This easy Dirt Pudding Recipe layers creamy chocolate pudding with crushed Oreo cookies for a fun no-bake dessert everyone loves. Top it with gummy worms for the classic Dirt Cake look or dress it up for Halloween, Easter, birthdays or summer parties. Best of all, you can make it ahead, which makes this one of my favorite easy desserts for entertaining.
Table of Contents
- Kellie’s Note Getting Dirty
- Why You’ll Love My Dirt Pudding Recipe
- Ingredients for Dirt Pudding
- How to Make Dirt Pudding
- Kellie’s Tips for the Best Dirt Pudding
- Ways to Serve Dirt Pudding
- How To Make Dirt Pudding From Scratch
- Variations on Dirt Pudding
- Make Ahead and Storage
- More Easy No Bake Desserts
- Dirt Pudding Recipe
Kellie’s Note
Getting Dirty
I’ve been making Dirt and Worms for years because it’s one of those desserts that’s almost impossible not to smile at. Kids love decorating it, adults mysteriously keep going back for another scoop, and you can serve it in everything from individual cups to a big trifle bowl.
Dirt Pudding, also called Dirt Cake, Oreo Dirt Cake or Dirt and Worms, is a classic no-bake dessert made with layers of crushed Oreo cookies and creamy pudding. My version combines chocolate pudding with cream cheese and whipped topping for an extra rich, fluffy filling.
For my Halloween Dirt Pudding Cups, I added some fun zombie cake picks to make things extra scary. (Horrifying, right?)
The Oreo crumbs look like dirt, which is where the dessert gets its name. Gummy worms are optional, but they’re definitely part of the fun.
Why You’ll Love My Dirt Pudding Recipe
- Easy and no bake: About 15 minutes of hands-on work and no oven required.
- Make-ahead friendly: Assemble it ahead of time and chill until you’re ready to serve.
- Creamy + chocolatey: Chocolate pudding, cream cheese and Cool Whip make the filling extra fluffy and rich.
- Fun for any occasion: Gummy worms are classic, but you can decorate Dirt Cake for just about any holiday.
- Serve it your way: Make individual Dirt Pudding Cups or layer everything in a trifle bowl or baking dish.
Ingredients for Dirt Pudding
- Oreos: Classic chocolate sandwich cookies create the classic “dirt.” You don’t need to remove the filling.
- Instant chocolate pudding: Be sure you’re buying instant pudding rather than cook-and-serve.
- Milk: Whole or 2% milk gives the pudding the creamiest texture.
- Cream cheese: Let it soften to room temperature so your filling stays smooth.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the cream cheese mixture without making it grainy.
- Cool Whip: Makes the filling light and fluffy. Homemade whipped cream works, too.
- Gummy worms: Totally optional, but always fun.
Easy substitutions: Swap chocolate pudding for vanilla, French vanilla or butterscotch. Golden Oreos make an adorable “sand” version, and homemade whipped cream can replace Cool Whip.
How to Make Dirt Pudding
- Crush the Oreos. Pulse them in a food processor until mostly fine crumbs. Leave a few slightly larger pieces for texture.
- Make the pudding. Whisk the instant pudding and cold milk until smooth and beginning to thicken. Let it stand for about 5 minutes.
- Make the filling. Beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until light and smooth. Fold into the pudding, then gently fold in the Cool Whip.
- Layer. Alternate Oreo crumbs and pudding in cups, a trifle dish or baking dish, starting and ending with the cookie crumbs.
- Chill. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Decorate. Add gummy worms, sprinkles or seasonal candy just before serving.
Kellie’s Tips for the Best Dirt Pudding
- Bring the cream cheese completely to room temperature so it blends without lumps.
- Give the instant pudding time to thicken before combining it with the cream cheese.
- Fold the Cool Whip in gently to keep the filling light and fluffy.
- Don’t worry about making every Oreo crumb identical—a mixture of fine crumbs and a few slightly larger pieces gives you better texture.
- Chill for at least 4 hours. If you’re planning ahead for a party, making it the night before is even easier.
Ways to Serve Dirt Pudding
Dirt Pudding doesn’t have to be served in individual cups. Try layering it in:
- Clear dessert cups for easy party servings
- A glass trifle bowl to show off the layers
- A 9×13 baking dish for potlucks
- A clean sand bucket with a small shovel for a fun birthday-party presentation
If you’re serving younger kids, smaller cups are usually plenty because the pudding is rich.
How To Make Dirt Pudding From Scratch
If you want to make Dirt Pudding from scratch, it’s really not that much harder than using convenience items like instant pudding.
- Simply replace the chocolate pudding with my easy homemade chocolate pudding (it’s made without eggs!) and proceed with the remainder of the recipe for the pudding layer.
- Replace the Cool Whip with homemade whipped cream (it’s ready in under 2 minutes….I’m not kidding!) You can even adjust the sweetness of the whipped cream by adding more sugar or less depending on your preference.
Variations on Dirt Pudding
I made my Dirt Pudding Cups with chocolate pudding and chocolate sandwich cookies but you can make it with just about any flavor combination you want.
We also like it with this Butterscotch pudding because it kind of looks like the dirt near the beach that’s not quite brown but more golden and clay like. Then, top with vanilla sandwich cookies for more of a sandy dirt pudding.
You can also make it with a vanilla pudding base if you’re not a chocolate pudding fan.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead: Assemble Dirt Pudding at least 4 hours before serving or make it up to 24 hours ahead. It’s an especially convenient dessert when you’re entertaining because it needs refrigerator time anyway.
- Store: Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The Oreos will soften more as they sit, but the pudding will still taste great.
- Freezing: I recommend testing your exact recipe before giving readers freezing instructions, since whipped topping and cream cheese mixtures can change texture after thawing.
More Easy No Bake Desserts
If you like this no bake Dirt Cake recipe, you may also like this NO BAKE Black Forest Trifle. It’s so easy to make and you can, also, make it in advance.
Or try our favorite No Bake Cheesecake, it’s made in the BLENDER! We also love this easy Chocolate Mousse Pie!
For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Dirt Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- bowl
Ingredients
- 14.3 ounce Oreo Cookies
- 5.9 ounce instant chocolate pudding packet
- 3 cups milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounce container Cool Whip
- 1 cup Gummy worms, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the instant pudding and the milk for 2 minutes or until beginning to thicken. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the cream cheese mixture into the chocolate pudding.
- Then fold in the Cool Whip (or whipped cream) until completely combined.
- You can layer the dessert a number of ways, we used individual cups but you can use a trifle dish or rectangular baking dish.
- Layer the dessert with alternating layers of cookie crumbs and pudding mixture, starting and ending with the crushed cookies.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving.
- Decorate with gummy worms, sprinkles and zombie hands before serving, if desired.
Notes
- Use instant chocolate pudding, not cook-and-serve pudding.
- Make sure the cream cheese is completely softened before mixing to prevent lumps.
- Homemade whipped cream can be substituted for Cool Whip.
- Dirt Pudding can be assembled up to 24 hours ahead.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- The recipe can be assembled in individual cups, a trifle dish or a 9×13 baking dish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made for my daughters birthday, was a hit!
So happy to hear that! Happy Birthday!
Doesn’t tell you the quantity of ingredients you need
The recipe card at the bottom has everything you need.