Oreo Dirt Cake

This Oreo pudding dessert is a family favorite! Our Oreo Dirt Cake recipe is super easy and calls for layers of crushed Oreos alternating with pudding, cream cheese and Cool Whip.

Dirt Cake in a 9×13 Pan

This classic dirt cake or dirt pudding dessert is almost always brought to big family parties or potlucks because it’s always a winner that kids and adults love! Just like Chocolate Delight you expect to find at least one of these two pudding dessert recipes on the buffet table.

Oreo cookies are a family favorite dessert. Rather we mix them in Oreo Crispy Cookie Treats or make a pie crust for our Oreo Peanut Butter Pie we LOVE them! I try to keep a hidden pack somewhere when I want to make this recipe. Otherwise the Oreos are likely to disappear!

Pudding is so good on it’s own, but when it’s enhanced with powdered sugar and whipped topping and topped with Oreos vanilla pudding becomes irresistible! A similar filling mixture in our Cream Puff Cake reminds me of how amazing a pudding filling can be.

Using a basic 9×13 pan is my preference because it’s the quickest way to make this recipe. I always use a clear 9 x 13″ pan so you can see the layers.

A 9×13 glass dish with a lid is so simple to fit in the refrigerator and easy to transport. Plastic wrap or foil are better than leaving the dish uncovered, but a firm plastic lid makes the dish stackable and it is reusable too.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Since our recipe for dirt cake with Oreos is always popular with all age groups it is fun to share!
• This no-bake dessert is great to make because it is easy, popular and can be decorated so many ways: with Peeps for Easter, gummy worms or artificial flowers growing out of the “dirt” in the summer, or like a graveyard for Halloween.
• Can be layered in a taller trifle dish or glass bowl with very little extra effort.
• Can be made up to 24 hours ahead of serving.

Ingredients Needed To Make Dirt Cake

• Oreos – or another generic chocolate sandwich cookie that’s tastes great.
• Instant vanilla pudding – be sure to use the instant pudding as cook and serve pudding won’t work well in this no-bake recipe. We love vanilla, French vanilla and even cheesecake instant pudding.
• Cool Whip – is the most common, but a generic frozen whipped topping works fine too.
• Powdered Sugar – also known as confectioners sugar this will sweet the pudding mixture even more. Some recipes call for sweetened condensed milk in place of powdered sugar and that filling is a bit sweeter than this option.
• Milk – we typically use 2% milk, but 1% or whole milk also work fine
• Cream Cheese – I notice a slight improvement in flavor when using Philadelphia brand, but generic will help save a little money.
• Butter – because all the dairy flavors in this pudding dessert are what make it the best!

These are the exact ingredient needed to make Dirt Cake for a Crowd. You just need a much bigger mixing bowl to make the filling.

Decorating Dirt Pudding

I made this recipe for a 4-H cooking contest and put a couple more layers of cookies and cream in a sand bucket, added gummy worms on top and served with a little shovel. A garden pot can be used and artificial flowers added to the top for a fun flair.

Gummy worms are often added to this dirt themed dessert. Gummy worms can be laid in the cream layer, laid on top of the Oreo “dirt” or mixed in a couple layers with only part of the gummy worm sticking out of the cookie crumbs.  After testing we find that laying them on top is the easiest option!

Peep bunnies are super cute at Easter. There are many more spooky options using Halloween candy to vary the theme based on the holiday.

This dessert is also beautiful served in a trifle dish or large glass bowl where multiple layers are visible from the side.

You are only limited by your imagination when thinking of fun ways to display and serve this no bake dessert dirt cake.

Variations of Dirt Cake Ingredients

As a chocolate lover the first version I tried as an adult uses chocolate pudding instead of instant vanilla pudding mix. Chocolate pudding and Oreos taste fine. Future trials confirmed the contrast between the vanilla pudding and chocolate Oreos tastes AMAZING!

I wondered if the powdered sugar and butter were necessary in an already sweet dessert, so I also tested variations of dirt cake ingredients. The butter gives more depth of flavor and the powdered sugar brings a sweet balance to the entire creamy mixture.

The filling in our Banana Pudding is very similar except for substituting a can of sweetened condensed milk for the confectioners sugar and butter. This option is a little sweeter than our dirt dessert recipe.

Since Cool Whip comes in regular 8 ounces and large 16 ounce tubs I wondered why not pick an existing container size? Cool Whip makes the dessert more light and airy and decreases the sweetness factor. So using only a small tub results in a slightly heavier pudding mixture and using a large tub makes the dessert lighter. This adjustment is the most minor flavor change that we tested.

Using whipped cream is a possibility too, but it takes a lot more effort to prepare that whipped topping. We like easy, so Cool Whip is the winner for us.

Dirt Cups

In this day and age where buffet lines at a potluck or sharing serving utensils raise more concerns, this layer dessert can easily be served in individual cups of any size.  Clear cups are best to use because you can see the layers and we eat with our eyes!  

When making dirt pudding cups I like to have an extra pack of Oreos handy so that I don’t have to worry about measuring exact proportions.  If there’s extra cream left just crush some more Oreos to make a few more cups.  

Tips For Making Dirt Cake

• Oreo cookies can be crushed with a rolling pin or food processor. We find the machine makes the most consistent crushed cookie product.
• Start with softened cream cheese and butter or pudding mixture will likely be lumpy.
• Tastes best when chilled. Mixture will be cool after an hour in the refrigerator, but 4 hours of refrigeration is optimum.
• Flavors meld together and taste great the first 2 days, but the Oreos begin to get soggy. Dirt cake lasts for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
• Always store in the refrigerator. Recipe does not freeze well.
• Be sure to use instant pudding because the cook and serve pudding does NOT work at all in this recipe.
• Our family didn’t notice a flavor difference between vanilla and French vanilla pudding. We noticed that the regular vanilla is more cream-colored where the French vanilla is more yellowish. Both are enjoyable in this dish!

Step By Step Instructions

Finely crush Oreos.  Using a food processor is the easiest way to make the “dirt” uniform.

Pour about half of the crushed cookies into a 9 x 13 dish. There is no need to grease the dish.

Use clean fingers to spread out and press down a bit. This will help prevent the layer from moving as the cream layer is poured on top.

Ensure layer of Oreos is level and visible all the way around the edge so you can see the layers.

Add softened cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth. 

Then stir in powdered sugar and mix well. 

In a separate large mixing bowl whisk together instant pudding and milk.

Fold the whipped topping or Cool Whip into the pudding mixture.

Keep stirring until the color is consistent and there are no variations.

Add spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture. Continue to stir gently and mix well.

Using a large spoon gently place spoonfuls of the creamy mixture across the bottom layer of Oreos. Take care to spread the mixture out evenly without disturbing too many Oreos on the bottom.

Sprinkle remaining Oreo crumbs on top. Cover dish and refrigerated until chilled, about 4 hours.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Other Easy Desserts with Pudding

• Pistachio Pudding Cake
• Banana Cream Delight
• Candy Land Dessert 
• Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake
• Smores Dessert Cake

Printable Dirt Pudding Recipe

Originally published 7/17/20 and updated on 4/27/22 with pictures added on 5/31/23.