Description
This Halloween Dirt Cake is a spooky and delicious no-bake dessert perfect for festive gatherings. Featuring a creamy chocolate pudding and cream cheese filling layered with Oreo cookie crumbs and topped with edible tombstone decorations and gummy worms, it’s both fun to make and serve. With a simple preparation and chilling time, it’s an ideal treat for Halloween parties.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling & Base
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 package room temperature)
- ½ cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 ounce container frozen whipped topping (thawed)
- 2 3.4 ounce boxes Instant Chocolate pudding mix
- 3 cups milk
- 1 15.5 ounce package Oreo Cookies (whole, with filling)
Tombstone Graveyard Decorations
- 8-10 Nutter Butter Cookies
- 6 ounces White Candy Melts
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (melted for writing RIP)
- 8-9 gummy worms or other Halloween candy
Instructions
- Prepare cream cheese mixture: Blend the softened cream cheese using a stand or hand mixer until smooth. Add the softened butter and mix until fully combined. Slowly add powdered sugar and thawed whipped topping, mixing at low speed until incorporated. Set aside.
- Make pudding: In a large bowl, prepare the instant chocolate pudding by combining pudding mix with milk according to package directions. Use a spatula to fold in the cream cheese mixture until well blended. Set aside.
- Crush Oreos: Place Oreo cookies (with filling) in a food processor and pulse until finely crushed. If needed, do this in batches for even crumbs. Alternatively, use a ziplock bag and kitchen mallet to crush the cookies.
- Form base: Press about half of the crushed Oreo crumbs firmly into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan to create the crust. Use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup for pressing.
- Layer pudding: Spread the prepared pudding mixture evenly over the Oreo crust layer.
- Add remaining crumbs: Sprinkle the remaining Oreo crumbs evenly over the pudding layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to set.
- Create tombstones: While the cake chills, melt the white candy melts in the microwave following package instructions. Dip each Nutter Butter cookie in the melted candy and let dry on parchment paper.
- Decorate tombstones: Melt chocolate chips in the microwave and place the melted chocolate in a small plastic bag with a cut corner. Pipe ‘RIP’ onto each coated cookie and allow to dry completely.
- Assemble decoration: Once the dirt cake is set, press the decorated Nutter Butter cookies upright into the top of the cake to represent tombstones. Add gummy worms and additional Halloween candy as desired for finishing touches.
- Serve or store: Serve immediately after decorating, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Notes
- Use instant pudding mix, not cook-and-serve, for this no-bake dessert.
- Soften cream cheese and whipped topping by leaving them at room temperature for about 30 minutes before mixing for better texture.
- If you don’t have a food processor, crush Oreos in a ziplock bag using a mallet or rolling pin to achieve uniform crumbs.
- Store leftover dirt cake covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Nutritional values are approximate and may vary depending on brand and preparation methods.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/20th of cake)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
