Easy Chocolate Dirt Pie Cups (With Variations!)

This super easy chocolate dirt pie recipe is made with Oreo Cookies, chocolate pudding and gummy worms in individual cups. Kids love this easy and super fun no-bake dessert!

 

These chocolate dirt pie cups take me straight back to being a kid! These gooey chocolate dirt pie cups are just the right amount of silly, gross and fun for a party or an extra special snack. It’s a family favorite!

Some people use cream cheese for dirt pie. They typically mix whipped topping or pudding and cream cheese to make a flavored cream cheese mixture.

I like to keep things simple and make this oreo dirt pudding recipe without cream cheese and use pudding. This keeps this dessert pretty simple to make and a little less rich. I can focus on decorating which is the most fun part of this easy recipe!

Why We Love Chocolate Dirt Pie Cups

• This recipe is made with a few super simple ingredients, and are fast to assemble.
• Lots of gooey chocolate makes this a delicious dessert!
• Fun for birthday parties, spring parties or summer beach parties. These pair well with any garden, bug or growing theme. See some of my variation ideas below for beach, dinosaur, construction and Halloween theme ideas for this dirt pie recipe!
• Kids can help to make this recipe easily, especially for young kids or mixed-age households.
• You score extra silly points with your kids! Kids often think it’s pretty funny to eat dirt pie.

Ingredients For Your Shopping List

• instant chocolate pudding mix – must be instant!
• Milk
• whipped topping (like Cool Whip) or whipped cream
• sandwich cookies (like crushed Oreos)
• gummy worms 3-5 gummy worms per cup

You can find the cups I used here: 9 Ounce Clear Cups.

How To Make Dirt Pie Cups

Start by mixing together milk and instant chocolate pudding for this dirt pie recipe. Use a whisk for this step to make sure the pudding fully dissolves in the milk. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and allow the pudding to begin to set.

Mix together softened whipped topping and the chocolate pudding. Divide the pudding mixture between the cups and place in the refrigerator for twenty minutes to allow the pudding to finish setting.

Once the pudding layer has chilled for about 20 minutes, you can decorate with crushed cookies which is our “pie crust” and gummy worms!

Variations And Other Fun Ideas!

There are so many different ways you can make this classic dirt cup recipe extra fun for other themes!

Halloween Dirt Pie Cups– Make dirt cups for Halloween and add plenty of gummy bugs. You can also add colorful pumpkin candies to decorate to make it a pumpkin patch, candy eyeballs for a spooky effect or mini tombstones and ghosts peaking out of the dirt pudding.

Large Chocolate Dirt Pie Version– Make this chocolate dirt pie all in a large pie dish for a dish to share instead of in an individual cup. Add the chocolate layer, then sprinkle on the Oreo crumbs and decorate with gummy worms.

Serve In a Flower Pot– This really adds to the feeling that these pudding cups are real dirt! Use brand new terra cota pots, and clean them well before filling so they are food safe. This is my favorite fun idea because the kids sometimes can’t tell at first it’s chocolate.

Strawberry Patch Dirt Pie Cups – Add a fresh Strawberry or two to the top of each dirt cup to make a strawberry patch. Pieces of candy “grass” can also be added to decorate. Sometimes I add a layer of crumbled chocolate cake in the middle.

Beach “Sand” Cups– swap Golden Oreos or a similar vanilla sandwich cookie and vanilla pudding for chocolate. Vanilla pudding can be dyed blue with food coloring for “water” if you prefer to have ocean. Add teddy bear graham crackers and a tiny beach umbrella (like for tropical drinks) to decorate. Add gummy rings as beach “inflatables” for the bears, or swedish fish if making blue ocean water. Trader Joe’s also sometimes carries gummy lobsters that would be adorable in these cups.

Dinosaur Excavation Cups- We did this when I used to work at museums and the kids had a blast! We’d make the same cups but would make layers of Oreos, pudding and gummy dinosaurs. Give the kids a spoon to “excavate” the dinosaurs and decorate the top with an extra dinosaur.

Construction Themed Dirt Pie Cups– Layer the pudding and the Oreos, then add a small construction digger to each cup. These will likely have to be plastic toys and not edible but will look like super cute mud cups! Sometimes I add a layer of crumbled chocolate cake in the middle for a little extra mud pie!

You can add rocks to the top of your dirt cups, you just have to learn How to Make Rock Candy with the kids. Don’t worry, it’s a pretty easy process, and you can’ make them in any color!

Easter Dirt Cake Cups – Make the dirt cups for Easter and decorate with a marshmallow bunny (like Peeps), candy eggs or even a little bit of candy grass. Graham cracker bunnies are also adorable and are available in different flavors. Sometimes for Easter I add a layer of crumbled chocolate cake in the middle.

Halloween Dirt Pie Cups – Make dirt cups for Halloween and add plenty of gummy bugs. You can also add colorful pumpkin candies to decorate to make it a pumpkin patch, or candy eyeballs for a spooky effect. This version of Halloween Dirt Cups are so cute!

How Long Can I Make Dirt Pie Cups In Advance?

Chocolate pudding can last for 5-7 days in a refrigerator. You can easily make the pudding two or even three days in advance. If making the pudding in advance, add plastic wrap over the top or the pudding can start to develop a thin chewy “skin” layer on top. This layer won’t hurt you, but the texture is just a little weird.

I recommend adding the chocolate Oreo crumbs to the pudding no more than 24 hours in advance. Leaving the Oreo crumbs on top of the pudding longer can cause the Oreo cookie to become extra mushy. The Oreo will absorb moisture from the pudding.

Other Chocolate Dessert Recipes You Will Love

No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars – Chewy oat bars have a chocolate peanut butter layer in the center and a drizzle of chocolate on top. Best of all they are no bake!

Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas – Crunchy chocolate covers a sweet frozen banana, top with nuts or sprinkles!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats – Gooey peanut butter rice krispie treats topped with a layer of chocolate on top.

Bug Kabobs- Make Fruit and chocolate bug kabobs for a fun party treat.