Halloween Dirt Cups
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These fun Halloween Dirt Cups are the perfect Halloween treat for home or school parties. They’re simple to make in individual servings, and you can decorate them yourself or set out add-ins for everyone to personalize their own!
Who doesn’t love a good Halloween Dirt Cup? My daughter came home from summer camp raving about these — and we both agreed they were too perfect not to bring back for Halloween this year!
These decadent little desserts are simple to make with just some chocolate instant pudding, whipped topping, and Oreo cookies, and don’t require a huge kitchen commitment.
You can adorn these cups with all sorts of fun add-ins and toppings, or set everything out so everyone can decorate their own (hello Halloween Party activity!)
Want more Halloween treats for kids? Add some Halloween Pretzel Sticks or Graveyard Brownies to the table—fun and easy for kids to decorate!”
Why Everyone Loves Halloween Dirt Cups
- Easy to make – These dirt pudding cups are a quick and easy way to serve a fun Halloween treat, without a ton of time in the kitchen. The longest step is waiting for the pudding to set!
- Perfect for decorating with kids – Kids (and adults) love taking these over the top with decorations to make them spooky and gross. And this dirt cup dessert is simple enough that the kids don’t lose interest quickly — it’s a fun activity for everyone!
- Always a crowd pleaser – Each pudding cup is one serving, so everyone gets their own individual dessert, and the cups are easy to hold without making a mess – perfect for Halloween parties or school parties!
Halloween Dirt Cups Recipe Ingredients
These fun and delicious desserts only need a handful of ingredients to make.
- Instant chocolate pudding mix – be sure to get instant pudding and not cook and serve.
- Milk – whole or 2% will work
- Cool Whip – or similar whipped cream topping, thawed
- Oreo cookies – crushed to fine crumbs
- Gummy worms – about 3-4 per cup
- Halloween candy decorations– this is optional, but add in other decorations like Halloween sprinkles, Milano cookie gravestones, or Nutter Butter Ghosts!
Substitutions & Variations
- Add all kinds of gummy bugs, chocolate spiders, and gummy body parts or candy eyeballs (ewwww, but so fun!).
- For something less spooky, add candy pumpkins, candy corn or Halloween themed sprinkles. You can even use the Halloween colored Oreos to add a little orange to the dirt.
- For festive black and orange Dirt Cups, prepare a package of vanilla pudding, color it with orange food coloring, and then layer it with crushed Oreos.
How to Make Dirt Cups
Follow the full instructions in the recipe card for best results.
Step 1
Combine the pudding mix and the milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Let it sit 5 minutes to set.
Gently fold the Cool Whip into the set pudding, mixing until no white streaks show and you have a mousse-like consistency.
Step 2
Line up 8 clear plastic cups. Add some crushed Oreos to the bottom of each cup.
Next, layer in about 3 tablespoons of the pudding mixture and smooth it into an even layer.
Top with 2 tablespoons of Oreo crumbs, then divide the remaining pudding between the dirt cups.
Step 3
Top each cup with more Oreo crumbs, gummy worms, and cookie tombstones or ghosts.
You can eat these immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
How to Store Oreo Dirt Cups
Store leftover dirt pudding cups in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
I do not recommend storing these in the freezer.
Dirt Cup Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Make sure to use instant pudding mix, not the cook-and-serve kind.
- I like to measure my layers out so that each cup has an even amount of pudding, Oreos, and the layers look even in the clear cups.
- You can crush your Oreos into cookie crumbs by pulsing them in a food processor or placing them in a large plastic bag and crushing the with a rolling pin.
- These Halloween dirt pudding cups can be made a day ahead of when you plan to serve them.
How to Serve Dirt Cups
These are perfect for Halloween! It’s a quick and easy way to serve a festive treat, without a huge amount of time in the kitchen.
You can decorate the dirt cups before serving or let people make their own. Kids have a ton of fun making these– my daughter likes to hide gummies and spooky sprinkles inside the cups for a fun surprise!
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Halloween Dirt Pudding Cups
Equipment
- 8 clear plastic cups (9 ounce size)
Ingredients
- 1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
- 2 cups milk, whole or 2%
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping Cool Whip, thawed
- 24 Oreo cookies crushed fine
- Gummy worms, 3-4 per cup
- Halloween decorations like sprinkles candy corn, cookie tombstones, Nutter Butter ghosts, and Halloween gummies.
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until smooth. Let it sit for about 5 minutes so it thickens into pudding.
- Gently fold in the Cool Whip until it’s fully mixed and no streaks remain.
- Line up 8 plastic cups. Add about 1 tablespoon of crushed Oreos to the bottom of each cup.
- Spoon 3 tablespoons of the pudding mixture into each cup and spread it out evenly.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of Oreo crumbs on top of the pudding layer.
- Divide the rest of the pudding evenly among the cups, smoothing the tops.
- Finish each cup with 1 tablespoon of Oreo crumbs, gummy worms, and cookie tombstones or ghosts.
- Serve right away or chill until ready to enjoy!
