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Homemade Dirt Pudding Recipe


  • Author: Elara
  • Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Description

This Homemade Dirt Pudding Recipe is a fun and delicious dessert featuring creamy chocolate pudding layered with crushed Oreo cookies and gummy worms to create a playful ‘dirt and worms’ effect. Perfect for parties or a whimsical treat, it combines rich homemade pudding with crunchy cookie crumbs and chewy candy for a delightful texture contrast.


Ingredients

Scale

Pudding Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/3 cups (267g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup (40g) cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 and 1/2 cups (1,080ml) whole milk
  • 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Assembly Ingredients

  • 2430 Oreo cookies (or about 1 standard package)
  • 24 gummy worms

Instructions

  1. Make the pudding: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually pour in the whole milk while whisking continuously to combine.
  2. Cook the pudding: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally. This should take about 10 minutes. Once bubbles appear around the edges and then in the center, whisk constantly and boil for 1 full minute until the pudding thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon without dripping.
  3. Finish the pudding: Remove the saucepan from heat. Whisk in the softened butter and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the pudding into a heatproof bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
  4. Prevent skin formation: Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to stop a skin from forming. Refrigerate the pudding for 1 hour to chill and allow it to thicken slightly but remain pourable for assembly.
  5. Prepare the Oreo crumbs: Place the Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely crushed into crumbs.
  6. Assemble the dirt pudding cups: Use clear cups, a trifle bowl, or a 9-inch baking pan. Begin by layering 2 tablespoons of Oreo crumbs at the bottom, then spoon 1/4 cup of pudding over the crumbs. Repeat with another layer of Oreo crumbs, more pudding, and a final layer of Oreo crumbs on top. Embellish each top layer with a few gummy worms to resemble worms in the dirt.
  7. Chill before serving: Refrigerate the assembled pudding cups uncovered for at least 3 hours and up to 48 hours to allow flavors to meld and texture to set.
  8. Storage: Cover leftover cups and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for best freshness.

Notes

  • Use whole milk for the creamiest pudding; low-fat or non-dairy milks will alter the texture.
  • Make sure not to rush the boiling step to ensure proper thickening of the pudding.
  • Pressing plastic wrap directly on the pudding’s surface prevents a skin from forming.
  • You can adjust the number of gummy worms to your preference or omit for a less sweet version.
  • Assemble the dessert in any clear container for a fun presentation.
  • For a gluten-free version, substitute Oreo cookies with gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Homemade chocolate pudding, dirt pudding, Oreo dessert, gummy worm pudding, layered dessert, kid-friendly dessert