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Homemade Halloween graveyard dirt cups with creamy chocolate pudding, crushed chocolate cookie dirt, gummy worms and cookie tombstones.

Halloween Graveyard Dirt Cups with Oreo Crumbs & Gummy Worms

Creamy homemade chocolate pudding layered with crushed chocolate sandwich cookie "dirt," then decorated with gummy worms and simple cookie tombstones. These easy no-bake-style Halloween dirt cups can be prepared ahead and served individually for parties.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 dirt cups
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Chocolate Pudding
  • 3 cups 720 ml whole milk
  • ½ cup 100 g granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup 22 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup 32 g cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 4 oz 113 g semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon 14 g unsalted butter
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Graveyard Decorations
  • About 24 chocolate sandwich cookies crushed
  • 8 rectangular cookies for tombstones
  • 12 –16 gummy worms
  • 1 oz 28 g melted dark chocolate, optional, for decorating tombstones

Method
 

  1. Prepare eight 6–8-ounce clear dessert cups.
  2. Finely chop the semisweet chocolate.
  3. Whisk sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.
  4. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth.
  5. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently.
  6. Once gently bubbling and thickened, cook for about 1 additional minute while whisking.
  7. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate.
  8. Whisk until completely melted.
  9. Stir in butter and vanilla.
  10. Transfer to a bowl, cover the surface, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  11. Roughly crush the chocolate sandwich cookies.
  12. If desired, decorate rectangular tombstone cookies with a small amount of melted chocolate and allow them to set.
  13. Add a layer of chocolate pudding to each serving cup.
  14. Sprinkle with crushed cookie dirt.
  15. Add another layer of pudding.
  16. Cover the surface with additional crushed cookies.
  17. Insert one tombstone cookie into each cup.
  18. Partially bury one or two gummy worms in the cookie crumbs.
  19. Add a final scattering of coarse cookie crumbs.
  20. Refrigerate until serving.

Notes

  • Crush the whole sandwich cookies, including their cream filling.
  • Leave some coarse cookie pieces for a more convincing dirt texture.
  • Homemade pudding can be prepared one day ahead.
  • Add tombstone cookies closer to serving so they remain firmer.
  • Clear 6–8-ounce cups show the layers particularly well.
  • Instant chocolate pudding can be substituted when you need a faster version.
  • Don't aggressively boil the pudding.
  • Keep the finished cups refrigerated until serving.