Dirt Pudding Cake Recipe – Shugary Sweets

Dirt Cake Dessert – A whipped cream pudding cake topped with crushed Oreos and gummy worms. This easy no bake dessert is a kid favorite!

If you love easy no bake desserts, be sure to try our favorite Banana Pudding recipe! Or give our delicious chocolate pudding cupcakes a try next.

What is Dirt Cake

If childhood were a dessert, I think it would be this Dirt Pudding Cake. While this S’mores Icebox Cake is delicious, and this Eclair cake is amazing, Dirt Cake takes the cake (ha see what I did there?).

Did you ever make dirt pudding cups when you were a kid? You put crushed oreos and gummy worms on top of your pudding snack cup to make it look like dirt crawling with worms.

I’m not sure what about eating something that looks like a pile of dirt is so much fun, but you have to admit it puts a smile on your face.

Even as an adult, I get a kick out of dirt pudding, especially when it’s made in cake form!

This Dirt Cake recipe is easy and ideal for summer. Unlike my pudding cake recipe, this requires no baking and sets up in the fridge for a cool and creamy warm weather treat. Your family is going to go wild for Dirt Cake!

Ingredient Notes

If you’ve never made dirt cake before, it consists of three important elements:

1. Pudding and whipped cream layer
2. Crushed Oreos
3. Gummi Worms

You layer some Oreos in the bottom of a cake pan, pour the pudding mixture over it, then add even more Oreos on top. The finishing touch is the gummi worms, which I like to arrange to look like they’re crawling up through the cake.

Technically, the gummy worms are optional. Dirt cake with just the pudding and Oreos tastes just as good. . . but the worms really sell the whole “dirt” concept, you know?

I suppose if you wanted to be more sophisticated you could just call this an “Oreo Pudding Cake” and leave off the gummi worms. But you only live once! Why not have some fun and feel like a kid again?

Step by Step Instructions

For the base of this cake, I first made something similar to a cheesecake filling by creaming together butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy.

Next I added chocolate pudding (made from a mix) to the cream cheese mixture and blended everything together. Cool whip goes in next to make the whole mixture light, fluffy and creamy!

Crush Oreos with a rolling pin or by pulsing them in the food processor to your desired size, then you’re ready to assemble your Dirt Cake!

You can serve the dirt cake either in a trifle bowl or a 13 x 9 cake pan.

To arrange dirt pudding cake in a bowl: Pour half the pudding mixture in the bowl, top with half the crushed Oreos.

Repeat with another layer of pudding mixture and a final layer of Oreos. Garnish with gummi worms if desired.

To arrange the dirt cake in a pan: Pour 2/3 of the Oreos onto the bottom of the pan, spreading evenly.

Add all the pudding mixture then top with the remaining Oreos. Garnish with gummi worms if desired.

Put your delightfully dirty looking “cake” in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.

Serve cold by using a serving spoon or spatula to scoop portions onto plates or bowls.

Recipe FAQs

Dirt Cake Variations

• Garnish: The gummi worms make a fun garnish fitting with the “dirt” theme. Other additions like chopped up peanut butter cups, mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts would taste delicious here too.
• Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate lovers might enjoy the taste of dark chocolate Oreos in the crumb layer as an alternative to the traditional cookies.
• Gummi worms: Use any kind of flavor and color of gummi worms you want to, or mix and match. Some favorites of mine are cherry, strawberry and orange. I don’t recommend sour gummis here, for obvious reasons.
• Halloween Dirt Cake and Easter dirt cake are fun and festive alternatives!

Dirt Cake is a runaway hit with kids and adults will love it too! With a luscious chocolate pudding filling flecked by plenty of Oreo cookies, this easy summertime dessert makes any family meal or celebration more fun.