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What could be a better dessert for Halloween than a Dirt Cup? Make it in a cake mix cookie cup and you have yourself the best darn Dirt Cup Cookie Bite EVER! No need for a plastic cup, the entire thing is edible which it totally awesome. That paired with the fact that it is a cookie and you have yourself one of the best Halloween dessert ideas I have ever seen.
The last time I made a Dirt Cup was years ago. My Taters and Tales are now 28 and 26 {how is that possible}, so it has been a little while since I had Halloween party duty.
These sweet little cups are layers of chocolate goodness. Plus they are super cute! Mini cookie bites always have a special place in my heart because of their sweet size. These Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites and my Snickers Cookie Cups have always been a hit!
At school we always make something fun for Halloween {like my Halloween Bundt Cake, for example!} and these Dirt Cup Cookie Bites might just be the recipe of choice.
What is in a Dirt Cup Cookie Bite?
Dirt Cups are a super fun dessert where you layer chocolate pudding with cookie crumbs and a gummy worm. The idea is to create the the look of dirt with worms.
Normally they are served in a plastic cup but we are baking a chocolate cookie cup with a cake mix instead. I love that the whole Dirt Cup is edible.
How to make Dirt Cup Cookie Bites with a Cake Mix
- Begin by combining chocolate cake mix {I used chocolate fudge, but you can use whatever you like in any of my chocolate cake mix recipes} with butter and two eggs. Using a hand held mixer works really nicely.
- The cookie dough will be a thick and beautiful chocolate dough.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop mounds of chocolate cake mix cookie dough into each mini muffin cup. Being sure that each cup is liberally sprayed with nonstick spray.
- Then use your fingers to lightly press each mound of dough down so that it is an even layer. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9-11 minutes.
- Or until they are puffed up and cooked through. It is important to instantly take a knife or off set spatula and loosen up each cookie immediately.
- Then take a tart shaper {or end of a wooden spoon} and press down the middle of each cookie.
- While the cookies are cooling you can make the chocolate pudding. It is super simple because we are using instant pudding mix. Combine the pudding mix with 1 1/2 cups of milk, mix until it is thick. Then fold in the whipped topping. To fill the cookie cups you can either spoon it into each cookie or fill a piping bag and pipe it into each cup {you can also use a Ziploc bag and cut off one corner}.
- The next step is to cover the top of the chocolate pudding with the chocolate cookie crumbs. I used my food processor to get the chocolate sandwich cookies into a very fine texture. You could also add them to a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Finally top them a mini gummy worm {or half of a regular sized gummy worm}.
How Far in Advance can you Make Them?
Making them more than a day in advance will create a super soft {almost soggy} cookie. My suggestion would be to make every element ahead of time.
Then you can assemble them the day you plan to eat/serve them.
Steps to Make Dirt Cup Cookie Bites:
- Bake cookie cups with a chocolate cake mix, using a mini muffin pan.
- Make chocolate pudding and fill each cookie.
- Top cookies with chocolate cookie crumbs and gummy worm.
Make these guys on Halloween and watch them disappear. Or better yet…make them today because they are awesome!
Do you love a good Cookie Cups recipe? Try these recipes…
- Boston Cream Pie Cookie Bites
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cookie Bites
- Ice Cream Sundae Cookie Bites
- Candy Corn Cookie Bites
- Halloween Brownie Bites
Dirt Cup Cookie Bites Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Cups
- 1-15.25 oz. box chocolate cake mix {I used chocolate fudge}
- 1/3 cup butter {softened}
- 2 eggs
Chocolate Pudding
- 1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 1/2 cups milk {I used 1%}
- 1 cup whipped topping
Toppings
- 1/2 cup chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
- 36 mini gummy worms {or 36 gummy worms halved}
Instructions
Chocolate Cookie Cups
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare mini muffin pan by spraying each cup liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Pour chocolate cake mix into a medium bowl and whisk {or sift} to remove any lumps. Add softened butter and eggs to the cake mix and combine with a hand held mixer until dough is thick and sticky. Using a small cookie scoop {or 1/2 tbsp.}, put a mound of cookie dough into each muffin cup. Using your fingers, go back and press the mound of dough down to create a level cookie. Bake for 9-11 minutes. {Do not over cook, they will set up as they cool.} Remove from oven and immediately run a knife around the edge of each cookie cup {I used an offset butter knife}. Go back and use a tart shaper {or end of a wooden spoon} to press middle of cookie down and create a indentation. Move cookies to cooling rack and let them cool completely. Continue to bake second batch if necessary.
Chocolate Pudding
- In a medium bowl combine instant chocolate pudding mix and milk. Using a mixer {or whisk}, incorporate ingredients until the mixture is thick. Add whipped topping and mix until combined. Spoon chocolate pudding or pipe a generous amount of pudding into each cookie indention. If you don't have a piping bag you can always use a Ziploc bag.
Toppings
- Add chocolate cookie crumbs over the top of the chocolate pudding so that it covers it. Then top with gummy worm. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were so cute for a class party and so easy to make!