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50-Minute Halloween Dirt Cups with Gummy Worms

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These Halloween Dirt Cups are a fun, nostalgic treat made with creamy chocolate pudding, a rich cream cheese layer, crushed Oreo ‘dirt,’ and gummy worms crawling out. Quick to assemble and perfect for parties, they’re a crowd-pleaser that looks impressive with minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 2 cups cold milk
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup frozen whipped topping (like Cool Whip), thawed
  • 1 package (14.3 ounces) Oreo cookies (about 20 cookies)
  • 1 cup gummy worms
  • Optional: 8 small clear plastic cups (5-7 ounce size)

Instructions

  1. Make the pudding (5 minutes): In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the instant chocolate pudding mix and 2 cups of cold milk. Whisk for about 2 minutes until it starts to thicken. Set it aside to set up while you work on the cream cheese layer.
  2. Beat the cream cheese (3 minutes): In a smaller bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until it is smooth and fluffy. Add the 1/4 cup of sugar and beat for another minute until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your spatula.
  3. Combine the mixtures (2 minutes): Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the pudding mixture using your spatula. Stir until it’s completely combined — no white streaks should remain. Then fold in the thawed whipped topping until everything is light, creamy, and uniform.
  4. Crush the Oreos (5 minutes): Place about 20 Oreo cookies into a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Seal it tightly, pressing out as much air as possible. Use a rolling pin to crush the cookies into fine crumbs with some small chunks. You want a texture that resembles potting soil — not too fine, not too chunky. Set the bag aside.
  5. Assemble the cups (5 minutes): Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the crushed Oreos into the bottom of each clear cup. This creates the first ‘dirt’ layer. Next, spoon or pipe the pudding mixture over the Oreo layer, filling each cup about halfway. Add another layer of crushed Oreos on top — about 2 tablespoons per cup. Reserve a small handful of crumbs for garnish.
  6. Add the worms (2 minutes): Gently press 2-3 gummy worms into the top Oreo layer of each cup, letting some of the worm stick out like it is crawling out of the dirt. Sprinkle the reserved Oreo crumbs around the base of the worms to hide where they enter the ‘dirt.’
  7. Chill (30 minutes minimum): Place the assembled dirt cups in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This allows the layers to set and the flavors to meld together. The cups can be made up to 24 hours in advance — just add the gummy worms right before serving so they don’t get soggy.

Notes

For best results, use room temperature cream cheese to avoid lumps. Crush Oreos in batches to prevent bag from bursting. Add gummy worms just before serving to keep them from getting soggy. Chill cups uncovered for first 15 minutes to keep top ‘dirt’ layer crunchy. Make extra Oreo crumbs for garnish.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween dirt cups, gummy worms, chocolate pudding, Oreo dirt, Halloween dessert, easy dessert, no-bake dessert

Find it online: https://freshforkful.com/50-minute-halloween-dirt-cups-with-gummy-worms/