Halloween Dirt Cups

Did you watch Hocus Pocus 2? That weekend it came out was fall perfection, minus the rain. To celebrate the sequel, we went over to our friend’s house for a viewing party. For dessert, we brought cute and spooky Halloween dirt cups.

I can’t remember the last time I made Oreo dirt cups. Literal decades. Yes, plural. This was one of my favorite Halloween desserts growing up. You typically layer crushed Oreos, chocolate pudding, and cool whip in a few alternating layers. Then top off with gummy worms or headstones made from Milano cookies.

When I told Fatima what I wanted to make these, she said, “Ok, but how do we elevate them for adults? How about mousse?” It sounded perfect.

Making the Halloween Dirt Cups

I ended up making three different pudding options for the dirt cups: mousse, fudgy chocolate pudding, and milk chocolate pudding. With the help of our friends, we made a bunch of really fun toppings: Milano cookie headstones, Reese’s Bats, white chocolate ghosts and webs, green Oreo monsters, and vodka-soaked gummy worms. I also included staples like pumpkin patch candy corn and sour gummy spiders.

I arranged the toppings on a board and we created some fun Halloween dirt cups. After that party, we had dirt cups every night for the week, ha!

Here’s how we made it all…

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The layers

• Crushed Oreos
• Mousse or pudding
• Cool Whip (optional)

Layered like this: some crushed Oreos, a scoop of pudding, cool whip, and repeat once more. If making mousse, fill a small cup halfway with mousse and pop in the fridge to set. Once the mousse is set, fill the remaining half with Cool Whip or whipped cream.

For the crushed Oreos, I bought a regular-sized pack, removed the cream from all of them, and crushed the cookies. I used to be able to buy a box of crushed Oreos, but I cannot find them anywhere! The recipe I used for the mousse is perfection. You’ll want to make this ahead of time. I love Cool Whip, and using it in these dirt cups reminded me how much I want to eat Cool Whip outside of Thanksgiving. Cool Whip is optional, but I love it to break up the heavy pudding and super-rich mousse. You’ll definitely want this or whipped cream for the mousse.

Toppings

Once you get your cup layered, it’s time for the fun toppings. The white chocolate ghosts went so well with the mousse. The vodka worms were strong, but not overbearing. The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup bats are my favorite.

Basics

• Gummy spiders
• Pumpkin Patch candy corn

Milano Cookie Headstones

• Milano cookies
• Black writer icing

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bats

• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Oreos
• Candy eyes
• Frosting to use as ‘glue’

Vodka-soaked Gummy Worms

Make these about 24 hours in advance. Put your gummy worms in a storage container. Pour vodka over the worms until they are just about covered. Let them soak for 24 hours and stir occasionally. Drain, pat dry, and set them on your board, or place them in a storage container.

White Chocolate Webs and Ghosts

• White chocolate wafers for melting
• Wilton squeeze bottle for webs
• Silicone ghost molds

When making the webs and the ghosts (or melted chocolate in general), do not refrigerate! Just leave the chocolate out in a cool, dry place to harden.

Green Oreo Monsters

• Mint Oreos
• Candy eyes
• Frosting for ‘glue’

Inspiration for your Halloween Dirt Cups