These easy Halloween dirt cups (also known as graveyard pudding cups) are layers of chocolate pudding and crushed Oreos, topped however your kids want them. Gummy worms, cookie tombstones, and candy eyeballs are all fun options. They take about 15 minutes, need no baking, and hold up in the fridge overnight, which makes them perfect for a class party or a Halloween night dessert. Pair them with a few easy Halloween activities for kids and the whole afternoon is handled.
My daughter’s and I made a few cups, refrigerated the leftover pudding and then made these two more times over the next couple of days. They loved getting to decorate and eat their mini “graveyards” and I didn’t mind doing this at all, because they’re that easy. There’s almost no cleanup after you’ve already made your pudding and crushed the Oreo’s.
Why You’ll Love These Halloween Dirt Cups
- No baking required. Everything comes together with a whisk and a spoon, so kids can help with every step.
- Make them the night before. The pudding holds well in the fridge overnight, which can save you time the day of.
- Five simple ingredients. Pudding mix, milk, Cool Whip, Oreos, and whatever toppings you want on top.
- Kids decorate their own. Set the toppings out and let them build their own little graveyard. It buys you a solid twenty minutes – and a tasty treat. :)
What You Need
For the Pudding:
- Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
- Milk
- Cool Whip
- Crushed Oreo’s
Topping Ideas:
- Edible eyeballs
- Gummy worms
- Candy pumpkins
- Milano cookies, to make a tombstone
- Red icing gel, for a bloody effect
- Sprinkles
The toppings are where you can get really creative. I took a trip to Walmart and got everything pictured above. They had edible eyeballs, fun Halloween sprinkles with mini ghosts, pumpkin candy, Milano cookies to make the tombstones and, of course, the worms.
You could add so many different things to your cups. I thought some edible blood, or red gel frosting, would be a cool effect on these for older kids.
I recommend just taking a trip to your local Walmart, grocery store, or even Michael’s, to see what fun, edible Halloween treats they have. Make sure to check the baking aisle, where the cake and cupcake stuff is. Also, be sure to check any endcaps or aisle displays. (They had a big display at our local Walmart that was all Halloween baking stuff.)
How to Make Graveyard Pudding Cups
To start, make the pudding using the recipe on the recipe card below. Let it refrigerate for about an hour. (You can also make the pudding a day ahead, so it’s ready to go.)
While that’s in the fridge, you can crush the Oreo’s. First, scoop out the filling on the inside of about twenty cookies. Place the remaining chocolate cookie pieces in a large sealable bag and crush away! My daughter’s had fun with this part.
Once the pudding has chilled, take it out and scoop some into a clear cup about a third of the way full. Next, add a layer of crushed Oreo’s and then, repeat this step one more time.
Now, the fun part – decorating! Add the toppings any way you like and have fun with it! We made tombstones out of Milano cookies and black cookie icing to write “RIP”. We also made monsters out of Oreo’s and edible eyeballs.
Tips for Making the Best Halloween Dirt Cups
Crush the Oreos unevenly. A mix of fine crumbs and bigger chunks looks like real dirt. A zip-top bag and a rolling pin gives you better texture than a food processor, which tends to pulverize everything.
Take the Oreo filling out. It sounds time consuming but it’s quicker than you think. The cream makes the crumbs clump together instead of staying loose and sandy.
Let the pudding set fully before layering. If it’s still loose, it soaks into the cookie layer and you lose the layers entirely. The full hour in the fridge matters.
Use clear cups. The layers are the whole point, and they disappear in a solid-colored cup.
Top right before serving. Gummy worms get tacky and cookie tombstones go soft once they sit on damp pudding.
Halloween Dirt Cups
Ingredients
- 3.9 oz package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 8 oz Cool Whip topping
- 2 cups milk
- 20 Oreo's (crushed with filling removed)
Instructions
- Combine the milk and pudding mix in a medium size bowl and whisk together.
- Let it stand for about five minutes and then gently stir in the Cool Whip.
- Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
- Once the pudding has chilled, take it out and scoop some into a clear cup about a third of the way full. Next, add a layer of crushed Oreo's and then, repeat this step one more time.
- Decorate any way you like, and enjoy! Scroll above to see decorating ideas and everything we used on ours.
FAQs
Yes, and they’re better for it. Assemble the pudding and Oreo layers up to two days ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Add the toppings right before serving so the gummy worms don’t get sticky and the cookies stay crisp.
Any chocolate sandwich cookie works, and chocolate graham crackers or crushed chocolate wafers work too. Gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies crush up the same way if you need them.
Use clear disposable cups with lids so they travel, assemble the night before, and bring the toppings in a separate bag for the kids to add themselves. Check with the teacher on allergies first, since Oreos and gummy candies vary by brand.
Absolutely but it will just change the look of the cups. You could use Golden Oreo’s with the vanilla pudding, and it will look more like sand in the cup than dirt.
More Halloween Fun for Kids
Got the treat handled? Here’s the rest of the afternoon:
- 8 Easy Halloween Activities for Kids – low-prep games and crafts, including ones that work for a class party
- 20 Free Halloween Coloring Pages for Kids – print and go, no signup
- Jack Skellington Toilet Paper Roll Craft – with a free printable template
