Halloween dirt cups are an easy, make-ahead dessert made with the most delicious homemade chocolate pudding and dark chocolate Oreo crumbs. A fun and spooky Halloween dessert to serve at Halloween parties!
First, can we all agree that dirt cups aren’t just for kids?! Kids love to make them, but this rich and creamy dessert is for everyone! Adults love these, especially when made with homemade pudding, which is rich and creamy like a decadent dessert! I can’t stress enough how easy they are to make too.
My friends went crazy over how cute these dirt cups are. I love the added fresh flowers and the shovel spoons are my favorite! These fun treats will be a hit at your next party.
They are great for a Halloween movie night, pumpkin carving party or a vintage Halloween party!
Here’s everything you need to make this fun and festive Halloween dessert!
How to Make Halloween Dirt Cups
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Pudding – I am sharing my recipe for homemade chocolate pudding below. You can also use a pudding mix or pre-made pudding.
- Oreos – Any chocolate cookie will work. I love to use dark chocolate Oreos.
- Belvita Cookies – These are thin and crispy. Milano cookies will work too.
- Chocolate Chips – I melt these to write RIP on the graveyard cookies.
- Edible Flowers – These are to garnish the top of the pudding dirt cups.
Homemade Chocolate Pudding
I like to make homemade chocolate pudding for my Halloween dirt cups. I make a batch of my favorite chocolate pudding, a recipe that I use year-round, and leave it in the refrigerator overnight and assemble the dirt cups the next day.
We use heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, vanilla extract, and bittersweet chocolate for this recipe. The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
This is a creamy chocolate pudding and very delicious! If you don’t want to take the time to make homemade pudding, you can use store-bought chocolate pudding or instant chocolate pudding.
How to Store Chocolate Pudding
Here’s an expert tip! Push plastic wrap all the way down so it’s touching the pudding. You want the saran wrap to cover the actual top of the pudding and then put in the refrigerator.
This will stop a film from forming while the pudding thickens and sits in the refrigerator. It will keep it creamy just like it’s supposed to be!
Crushed Oreo Cookies
Oreo cookies act as dirt on top of the pudding. You’ll simply crush a package of dark chocolate Oreos, they are so good!
To crush the Oreos, use a food processor, or blender or just add a bunch to a ziplock bag and smack it with a spoon or rolling pin! Crush them until they become fine crumbs. You can use the leftover crushed Oreos to make Halloween oreo balls.
You can also use a different type of dark brown cookie. If you want a healthier version, try a low-sugar chocolate cookie.
Tips for Making Dirt Cups
- I like to use a small, fancy glass for Halloween dirt cups. It adds an elegant touch to the dessert. If you’re serving them to kids, you can use something that won’t break.
- This recipe is perfect to make ahead of time and assemble right before a party.
- Think outside the box with garnishes. Use items like mini chocolate pumpkins or edible flowers to give it a charming look.
Crushed Oreo Cookies
Oreo cookies act as dirt on top of the pudding. You’ll simply crush a package of dark chocolate Oreos, they are so good!
To crush the Oreos, use a food processor, or blender or just add a bunch to a ziplock bag and smack it with a spoon or rolling pin! Crush them until they become fine crumbs. You can use the leftover crushed Oreos to make Halloween oreo balls.
You can also use a different type of dark brown cookie. If you want a healthier version, try a low-sugar chocolate cookie.
DIY Cookie Tombstones for Halloween Graveyard Dirt Cups
To create the cookie tombstones to go in the chocolate dirt cups, we used Belvita cookies. These were perfect because they’re also thin and crispy. You can also use Milano cookies.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave and then add them to a piping bag.
Cut a very small hole at the end of the piping bag and then pipe RIP on the cookie.
Before adding the cookie to the Oreo crumble, break the bottom off so it fits nicely in the Oreo dirt cup.
Assembling Halloween Dirt Pudding Cups
- Scoop pudding into a small glass. A 4-ounce or 6-ounce glass works great. The amount of pudding you add will vary depending on your glass size.
- Leave room at the top for the Oreo cookie crumbs.
- Add a nice layer of crumbled Oreos over the top of the pudding.
- Wiggle the tombstone into the pudding.
- Add some small edible flowers to the Oreo dirt.
- Serve with a gold mini shovel spoon. We just adore these and they are perfect for a dirt cup dessert! You can buy them here!
Halloween Dirt Cup Garnishes
There are several edible garnishes and toppers you can add to the top of the dirt cup.
- Candy Pumpkins
- Gummy Worms
- Chocolate Cookies
- Edible Flowers
- Chocolate Pumpkin Candy
When to Serve Halloween Dirt Cups
Serve this tasty dessert at your next Halloween party or special occasion. Here are a few of my favorite celebrations to serve this dirt dessert recipe:
Spooky Movie Night
Festive October Dessert
How to Store Dirt Cups
Dirt cups can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days when assembled. The cookies will start to become soggy and lose their crunchy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
We suggest making the pudding the night before, crushing the Oreos but keeping them in a tightly sealed container, and then making the tombstone cookies the night before as well. Assemble them on the day of the party so that the cookies are as fresh as possible.
A fun dessert that has been around for years! Dirt cups are made out of chocolate pudding, and crushed chocolate cookies and are commonly decorated with gummy worms and tombstone cookies. They are made to look like you’re eating a cup of dirt, but really it’s a creamy chocolate treat!
These dirt cups make a great Halloween dessert for an adult party. They’re charming with just enough “spookiness” to them. The gold shovel really adds to the presentation too.
Check out these Halloween Treats!
If you love these fun dirt cups, then try any of these Halloween treats!
Brown Butter Mummy Rice Krispie Treats
Halloween Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods – For more information, read our full tutorial on Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods.
How to Make Marbled Candy Apples
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Chocolate Pudding Dirt Cups
Ingredients
Chocolate Pudding
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstartch
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 ounces bitterweet chocolate bar , chopped
Dirt Cups
- 1 package dark chocolate Oreos , crushed
- 1 box Belvita cookies
- 1 cup chocolate chips, melted
Instructions
- Chop the bittersweet chocolate bar and set it aside.
- In a medium saucepan mix the cornstarch, sugar and salt.
- Combine the milk and heavy cream in a measuring cup with a spout.
- Over medium heat, slowly stream in the milk and cream while whisking until it starts to thicken. This part is important as the milk and cream can burn quickly, you have to watch and whisk the entire time until it’s thick.
- Add the chocolate to the mixture and continue to stir.
- Add in the vanilla extract and keep whisking. Once the mixture is thicker and coats the back of a spoon, the pudding is done. Pour into a heat-proof bowl.
- Push saran wrap all the way down so it’s touching the pudding. You want the saran wrap to cover the actual top of the pudding and then put it in the refrigerator.
- Let it cool and thicken for a few hours or overnight.
- Scoop pudding into a small glass. A 4-ounce or 6-ounce glass works great. The amount of pudding you add will vary depending on your glass size.
- Leave room at the top for the Oreo cookie crumble.
- Add a nice layer of crumbled Oreos over the top of the pudding.
- Wiggle the tombstone into the pudding.
Notes
Nutrition
