Get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth while spooking your taste buds with this wickedly delightful Halloween Dirt Cups. We’ve concocted a treat that combines the creamiest pudding, the crunchiest crushed Oreos, and a touch of ghostly creativity to create a dessert that’s so delicious, it’ll raise the spirits (and the eyebrows) of anyone who dares to take a bite. Graveyard never tasted so good – get ready to dig in!
Searching for more fun Halloween recipes for your celebration? Try my Halloween Punch (top rated), Spider Cookies, and Bat Cupcakes!
This post is not sponsored and in no way affiliated with Jell-O or the Kraft Heinz brand.
Why You’ll Love This Halloween Treat
- Super Simple: I prepared the cookie decorations the night before which made assembling these pudding cups quick and easy!
- Minimal Ingredients: The pudding cups themselves come together with just four simple ingredients!
- Customizable: While I opted for chocolate dipped cookies and gummy worms for decoration, you really can use any of your favorite holiday candies or sprinkles!
Listen, Halloween happens to be one of my all-time favorite holidays. I have over 30 fun recipes and treats that are themed specifically for this day, but these pudding cups have to be one of our favorites! They are so simple to make, have an almost fudge mousse type consistency, and are incredibly nostalgic. We tested several different variations, but his version was by far the very best.
Decorating happens to be the best part! You can get so creative with your toppings. I opted for a spooky graveyard vibe, but you can easily lean more towards a cute pumpkin patch or bat topping! Any way you decide to jazz these up they are sure to be the hit of your party!
Halloween Dirt Cup Ingredients
The ingredient list for this recipe may surprise you. You only need a few basic ingredients, and a few minutes, to whip these up. Here is what you will need:
- Chocolate Pudding: I use instant chocolate pudding.
- Milk: Cold milk, preferable 2% or higher. I have not attempted to make this dairy free. If you do, and it’s successful, please let us know in the comments below.
- Whipped Topping: One small container of thawed whipped topping is optional, but makes the pudding incredibly light and almost mousse like!
- Chocolate Sandwich Cookies: Oreo’s, JoJo’s, or really any of your favorite varieties of chocolate sandwich cookies. They get blended to create the “dirt” portion of this recipe.
- Decorations: Oval shaped cookies, candy melts, gummy worms, or sprinkles. Anything you want to make your pudding cups a fun halloween display.
How To Make Dirt Cups With Pudding
- PREP: Prepare the decorations and toppings, see the recipe card for how to decorate the tombstones and ghosts out of oval cookies.
- PUDDING: Combine the chocolate pudding mix with the 2 cups of cold milk. Whisk for 2 minutes, or until fully combined and it begins to slightly thicken. Set aside.
- CRUMBS: Place the cookies into a food processor or high powdered blender. Pulse for 30 seconds, or until they are a fine crumb. Set aside.
- MIX: Add the thawed whipped topping into the pudding mixture and gently fold in to combine.
- LAYER: Fill each of the cups, or dishes, about 1/3 full with pudding. Add a layer of cookie crumbs. Top with more pudding, leaving a small space on top for additional crumbs.
- DECORATE: Just before serving, top each cup with your decorations. I used little tombstone cookies, ghost cookies, gummy worms, and little chocolate bones.
Helpful Tools
- Halloween Sprinkles: This set (affiliate)is one of my favorites if I want a spooky vibe. These (affiliate) give a more happy whimsical vibe. And this set of candy bones (affiliate) is perfect for the graveyard!
- Mixing Bowls: You need a large mixing bowl to get this pulled together. I really love this set (affiliate). It comes with a few sizes and they all have secure lids, which means you can store the pasta salad in the same bowl you stir it in!
- Silicone Spatulas: If I can only recommend one kitchen tool, it would be a set of silicone spatulas (affiliate). These are so versatile and used daily in our kitchen. Great for baking AND cooking.
Recipe Notes:
Yes, you can use chocolate cookies or chocolate graham crackers for a similar effect and taste.
You can prepare them a few hours in advance and keep them refrigerated until serving for the best texture.
Sure! Try a homemade pudding, vanilla pudding or white chocolate pudding can be used for a different flavor twist.
If stored properly in the refrigerator, they should stay fresh for up to 2 days. Although, I do recommend waiting until just before serving to add the decorations.
Of course! Feel free to use your favorite Halloween candies to personalize the decorations.
Store unused pudding mix, crushed cookies, and candies in airtight containers in a cool, dry place for future use.
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Halloween Dirt Cups
Ingredients
- 1 (3.9oz) instant chocolate pudding
- 2 cup cold milk
- 24 chocolate sandwich cookies I used Oreo's
- 1 (8oz) whipped topping thawed
Optional Toppings
- 12 oval shaped cookies like Milano's
- white and black candy melts
- Halloween sprinkles
- gummy worms
Instructions
Pudding Cups
- Combine the chocolate pudding mix with the 2 cups of cold milk. Whisk for 2 minutes, or until fully combined and it begins to slightly thicken. Set aside.
- Place the cookies into a food processor or high powdered blender. Pulse for 30 seconds, or until they are a fine crumb. Set aside.
- Add the thawed whipped topping into the pudding mixture and gently fold in to combine.
- Fill each of the cups, or dishes, about 1/3 full with pudding. Add a layer of cookie crumbs. Top with more pudding, leaving a small space on top for additional crumbs.
Headstones
- Melt a mixture of white and black candy melts, about a 3:1 ratio white to black, according to the package directions.
- Dip half of an oval cookie in the mixture and set aside to set. Repeat with however many headstones you want on your pudding cups.
Ghosts
- Melt white candy melts according to the package directions. I used about half a bag for a dozen cupcakes. Dip half of an oval cookie in the mixture and set aside to set. Repeat with however many ghosts you want on your pudding cups.
- Once the chocolate on the cookies has firmed, melt a small handful of black candy melts in a zip top sandwich bag. Snip a very small slit in the bottom corner and write the lettering onto the headstones. Some great phrases are “RIP,” “BOO,” or “BYE.” Once done, carefully pipe two circles onto each white cookie to create the ghost eyes.
Decorate
- Just before serving, top each cup with your decorations. I used little tombstone cookies, ghost cookies, gummy worms, and little chocolate bones.
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