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This delicious Halloween dirt cups recipe is made without Cool Whip or instant pudding mix for a healthier take on this classic Halloween dessert. These spooky treats are so customizable and are a perfect option for your Halloween party!
Fun & Easy Halloween Dirt Cups Recipe
Dirt pudding has been a classic no bake dessert for decades, and they are still one of the best party treats for Halloween night! Bring that childhood nostalgia back with these Halloween dirt cups that you can assemble in no time at all.
This healthier version is made without instant pudding milk or any dairy at all. You’ll blend avocados with unsweetened cocoa powder and almond milk for a creamy chocolate pudding that tastes decadent but is full of healthy fats.
Invite the kids to get involved and have them decorate the dirt cups of crushed Oreos and gummy worms. They’ll love this tasty dessert!
Why We Love These Halloween Pudding Cups without Cool Whip
- So easy: Add all the ingredients for the chocolate pudding in the food processor or blender and blend! Once the pudding is ready, assemble the treats for your Halloween party table.
- Healthier: We know kids will eat a ton of fun treats on Halloween, so why not sneak in a few healthier recipes when you can? Instead of using instant chocolate pudding mix made with lots of sugar, let’s make a homemade avocado chocolate pudding and top it with cookie crumbs and other fun toppings for healthy dirt cups you can feel good about serving.
- Easy to modify: Take this easy recipe to the next level! Use Milano cookies to make cookie tombstones, or add pumpkin candies and gummy worms to make it really look like a cup of dirt!
Ingredient Notes
- Avocados: These rich, creamy fruits give your homemade pudding a smooth texture just like real chocolate pudding. They’re also incredibly nutritious and full of key vitamins and healthy fats!
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor with a burst of antioxidants.
- Maple syrup: Add syrup to taste to get a subtle sweetness. Since the Oreo crumbs are so high in sugar, you won’t need much for these Halloween treats.
- Unsweetened almond milk: Use regular whole or plant-based milk to think out your homemade pudding mix.
- Vanilla extract: Add a splash of pure vanilla extract to give the pudding a sweet scent that makes it so enticing to eat.
- Oreo cookie crumbs: Purchase Oreo crumbs at the grocery store or pulverize whole Oreo cookies to make your own crumbs. Crush them with a rolling pin or blitz them in the food processor until they are fine crumbs.
- Candy: Start with gummy worms and candy pumpkins. You can add different types of candy or icing to create a unique scene on each cup!
How to Make Fun Halloween Dessert Cups – Step by Step
Step 1 – Make the Pudding Mixture
- Add the avocados to your food processor and blend them on high until the avocado is broken down and smooth.
- Add the other ingredients and blend on high. Scrape down the sides of the food processor until the pudding is thoroughly mixed and has reached a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Taste and adjust the ingredients based on your preference.
Step 2 – Layer the Dirt Pudding Cups
- Add 2 heaping tablespoons of the chocolate pudding mix to the bottom of each cup or jar.
- Top with 1 tablespoon Oreo cookie crumbs for the “dirt.” Divide the remaining pudding equally among each of the 6 cups and top each one with another tablespoon of cookie crumbs.
- Decorate with gummy worms, candy pumpkins, or other toppings if desired.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
RECIPE TIPS
- Choose very ripe avocados as they will have a creamier consistency. Under-ripe avocados will lead to a chunky pudding, which isn’t very pleasant to eat.
- Blend the avocados really well before adding the other ingredients to make sure the pudding is smooth and luxurious.
- Tweak the ingredients to your taste. Add more maple syrup or extra cacao powder as needed.
- Instead of storebought cookie crumbs, use some of this healthy chocolate granola or finely chopped dark chocolate.
- Look for low-sugar gummy worms to reduce the sugar content in these fancy dirt and worms dessert cups
Recipe FAQs
It can be tricky to figure out how to adapt your childhood favorites into healthier versions to share with your kids! The most important part of dirt pudding cups is the Oreo crumbs, so I do recommend keeping those exactly as they are. You can also choose gluten-free or sugar-free chocolate cookies if you’d prefer.
The best trick is to make your homemade pudding using avocados since they’ll offer your kids antioxidants and fats that will help them feel full and satisfied.
I recommend using small plastic cups or wide-mouth half-pint mason jars. You typically need to hold about 8 ounces of pudding and Oreo crumbs, so something around 1 cup in volume is just right.
There are several different methods, so feel free to use whichever one works with the supplies you have at all. The easiest method is to add whole Oreos to your food processor and blitz them until you make crumbs. The filling can cause the crumbs to stick together, so it can be helpful to scrape it out of at least some of the cookies.
Another option is to place the cookies in a thick plastic bag and whack them with a rolling pin. Be careful – this can cause marks on softwood rolling pins. You’ll need to shake and adjust the bag to get consistent crumbs.
Storage Guidelines
- Since the cookie crumbs will absorb moisture, it’s best to serve this Halloween dirt cups recipe right after assembling the chocolate pudding layers. You can make them in advance for your Halloween party table by following these tips:
- Refrigerator: Top dirt pudding cups with plastic wrap or put them in an airtight container, and store them in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
- Freezer: Transfer your dirt pudding cup ingredients to an airtight container or mason jar, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. For the best results, leave off the tops until just before serving.
- To Serve: Allow the dirt cups to thaw in the fridge overnight. Top with your favorite toppings and serve!
Other Halloween Pudding Cup Ideas
There are many ways to add spooky fun to these Halloween dirt pudding cups for your next Halloween party. Try adding any of the following toppings to make them your own!
- Tombstone cookies (use melted chocolate in a piping bag to write “RIP” on Milano cookies)
- Marshmallow ghosts
- Candy eyeballs
- Other Halloween candy
- Whipped cream ghosts
- Fresh berries
- Banana slices or banana ghosts
Serving Suggestions
These Halloween pudding dirt cups are delicious and filling on their own, and they’re an easy dessert to add to your Halloween party menu.
Set your kids up for success and offer protein and filling whole grains before serving the sugary treats. These dishes would be great for your kid-friendly Halloween party!
- Healthy Mini Pizzas
- Broccoli And Cheese Pinwheels
- Air Fryer Chicken Nuggets
- 5-Ingredient Mac And Cheese
- Homemade Pizza Rolls In Air Fryer
- Mexican Fiestada Pizza Recipe
Recipe Variations
- Gluten-free dirt pudding cups for kids: Instead of Oreos, crush gluten-free chocolate cookies into cookie crumbs.
- Graveyard pudding cups: Make Halloween graveyard dirt cups by topping the individual cups with tombstone cookies made out of sandwich cookies.
- Pumpkin patch dirt cups: Add candy pumpkins and green frosting to look like pumpkin vines for a less spooky dessert. So cute!
- Make a dirt cake: Instead of filling individual cups, make an entire Halloween scene for your dessert table by layering pudding and Oreo crumbs in a baking dish. To serve, use a spoon to scoop into clear plastic cups.
More Similar Recipes
- Halloween Fruit Snacks
- 3-Ingredient Banana Brownies
- Mini Chocolate Cupcakes
- 3-Ingredient Cookies {No Egg, No Butter}
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Healthy Halloween Dirt Pudding Cups Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 very ripe avocados
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup plus two tablespoons milk (or milk alternative)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 12 tablespoon oreo cookie crumbs
- Gummy worms and/or pumpkin candies
Instructions
- Place the avocados in a food processor and blend on high until the avocado is broken down and mostly smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients and continue to blend on high, scraping down the sides of the food processor with a spatula, until the pudding mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust according to personal preference. You may wish to add more milk if you want the pudding to be a thinner consistency, more maple syrup if you'd like it to be sweeter or more cocoa powder if you want it to be richer in flavor.
- Place 2 heaping tablespoons of pudding mixture into each of the 6 cups. Top the pudding layer with 1 tablespoon oreo cookie crumbs to form the "dirt." Equally divide the remaining pudding among each of the 6 cups and top each cup with 1 more tablespoon of oreo cookie crumbs.
- Decorate with a few gummy worms and/or candy pumpkins, if desired. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for later.
Notes
- Choose very ripe avocados as they will have a creamier consistency. Under-ripe avocados will lead to a chunky pudding, which isn’t very pleasant to eat. Blend the avocados really well before adding the other ingredients to make sure the pudding is smooth and luxurious.
- Tweak the ingredients to your taste. Add more maple syrup or extra cacao powder as needed.
- Instead of storebought cookie crumbs, use some of this healthy chocolate granola or finely chopped dark chocolate.
- Look for low-sugar gummy worms to reduce the sugar content in these fancy dirt and worms dessert cups.
