Growing up, my mom always made us cups of dirt, and it was one of my favorite desserts as a kid. Part of it was the flavor combo of chocolate pudding and crushed Oreos, but honestly, the bigger part was probably the fact that it looked gross. Something about eating gummy worms sticking out of “dirt” was just the coolest thing ever when you were little. These dirt cake Oreo cookies have all those same nostalgic flavors but with a fun twist. The cookies are thick and soft with that rich chocolate pudding flavor, then topped with creamy chocolate frosting, crushed Oreos, and, of course, the gummy worm on top to finish off the whole dirt cup vibe.
If you’re building out a full dessert table, these fit right in with all the treats. S’mores Bars are great when you want something Summer-flavored without the need for a campfire. Peach Cobbler Dump Cake is always an easy crowd favorite, and Cornflake Cookies bring that simple old-school dessert vibe that somehow never gets old.
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon
- Whisk
- Two sheet pans
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer or Hand mixer
- Cooling rack
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Ingredients
Cookies
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Instant chocolate pudding mix
Frosting
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder
- Sweet cream coffee creamer
- Chocolate cream Oreo cookies
- Gummy worms
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and instant chocolate pudding mix to a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cookies are set and no longer gooey in the center.
Immediately press the tops down slightly with the back of a spatula to create more of a flat dirt cake “disk” shape. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Beat together the butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and coffee creamer until smooth and fluffy.
Spread frosting over each cooled cookie using a butter knife or small spatula.
Press the frosted side of the cookies into the Oreo crumbs until coated.
Top each cookie with a gummy worm.
How do I serve my Dirt Cake Cookies?
- These are perfect for birthday parties, summer cookouts, Halloween treats, or just making something fun with the kids. Serve them cold or at room temperature with a glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream.
FAQs (Because Life’s Too Busy for Guesswork)
Pressing them down slightly helps give them that flatter dirt cake look and also creates more space for the frosting and Oreo topping.
Yes, you can bake the cookies a day ahead and frost them later once you’re ready to serve.
You can freeze the unfrosted cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw and decorate when ready to serve.
They can stay at room temperature for a couple days, but I personally like them chilled because the frosting firms up a little and tastes even better cold.
What are substitutions that I can make?
- Unsalted butter – Salted butter can be used, just reduce added salt elsewhere if needed
- Sweet cream coffee creamer – Heavy cream or milk can work, but the creamer gives the frosting extra flavor and richness
- Chocolate cream Oreo cookies – Regular Oreos work perfectly too
- Gummy worms – Regular or dye-free gummy worms both work
How should I store my leftovers?
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- If stacking the cookies, place parchment paper between layers so the frosting stays intact.
Was this a win at your dinner table?
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Dirt Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 (3.9) ounce box instant chocolate pudding
- Frosting Ingredients:
- ½ cup)unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons sweet cream coffee creamer one made with REAL cream, such as Natural Bliss or chiboni
- 6 chocolate cream Oreo cookies pulsed into crumbs in a food processor
- 14-15 gummy worms if you want a dye-free option, these are great!
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and pudding mix to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat together the butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and slightly fluffy, about five minutes.
- Using a 3-tablespoon-size cookie scoop, scoop out balls of dough and place them, evenly spaced on the sheetpans.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until the cookies are no longer gooey, then immediately press them down slightly with the back of a spatula to create more of a “disk” shape.
- Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting/DecoratingDirections:
- Add the butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and coffee creamer to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
- Using a butter knife or small spatula, spread a generous amount of frosting on each cooled cookie.
- Press each cookie, frosting-side down, into the Oreo crumbs until the frosting is fully coated with the crumbs. Press a gummy worm gently onto the top of each cookie.
Notes
- Press the cookies down right after baking while they are still warm.
- Chill the cookies if you want the frosting firmer.
- Use a food processor for finer Oreo crumbs.
- Leave space between cookies since they spread while baking.
- Freeze unfrosted cookies for easy make-ahead desserts.
- The sweet cream coffee creamer gives the frosting a smoother flavor than plain milk.
