Easy Dirt Cake Recipe

Close up of a piece of dirt cake with a gold fork.

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This easy-to-make dirt cake recipe is decadent and rich, thanks to the cream cheese/Cool Whip combination. The Oreo crumbs add double the chocolatey goodness the whole family will love.

Prep Time15

Chill Time2

Total Time2 15

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 109kcal

Author: Samantha Erb

Equipment

13x9 baking dish

Ingredients

1 18.12-ounce package Oreos regular, 45 cookies
2 3.4-ounce packages instant chocolate pudding mix
3 cups whole milk
¼ cup butter unsalted, room temperature
8- ounce cream cheese brick-style, room temperature
⅔ cup powdered sugar
1 8-ounce container Cool Whip thawed
gummy worms optional

Instructions

Place the whole Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse them until they turn into crumbs and start to resemble dirt.
Place half of the Oreo crumbs in a 13x9-inch baking dish, flattening the layer with a spoon to make it even.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chocolate pudding powder and whole milk. Whisk it until it's thickened then set it aside.
In a second mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese with the butter using a handheld mixer, then add the powdered sugar. Mix them until they're light and fluffy.
Add the cream cheese mixture to the chocolate pudding, mixing it on low speed until incorporated.
Fold in the Cool Whip until there are no more white streaks in the chocolate.
Using a soft silicone spatula, dollop the chocolate mixture on top of the Oreo crumbs, being careful not to move the layer of crumbs around too much.
Smooth out the top of the chocolate layer as evenly as possible, and then spoon the remaining Oreo crumbs on top.
Place the baking dish in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours and serve.

Video

Notes

Use room temperature butter and cream cheese to avoid chunks of them in the cake.
The Oreos are supposed to look like dirt, so make sure not to pulse until completely smooth. A few bigger chunks are more than welcome!
Do not use Double Stuf Oreos for this recipe as it doesn’t need all of that extra frosting.
When preparing the instant pudding, don’t follow the directions on the box. Just use the powdered mix.
Use a silicone spatula to carefully smooth the chocolate pudding layer over the Oreos. The goal is to keep the “dirt” intact.
Don’t rush the chilling step! The cake needs to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours. Overnight or for an extra day is fine too.
Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition