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Top-down view of a decorated graveyard pudding cake. White chocolate-covered tombstone cookies are placed into the Oreo topping, and candy corn and pumpkins are arranged around the tombstones.

Halloween Dirt Cake Recipe

This Graveyard Dirt Pudding Cake is the perfect spooky treat for Halloween or any time you want to have some fun with dessert! It's a creamy, indulgent layered pudding cake made with crushed Oreos, a smooth cream cheese and Cool Whip mixture, and rich chocolate pudding.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20
Calories 412 kcal

Equipment

  • 13x9-inch baking dish
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Parchment paper
  • Microwave-safe bowls (for melting chocolate)
  • Ziploc bag (for piping)
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Spoon or offset spatula (for spreading layers)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package Oreo cookies crushed (15.5 oz)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 package cream cheese softened (8 oz)
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 ¾ cups milk
  • 2 boxes instant chocolate pudding mix 3.4 oz each
  • 12 oz Cool Whip thawed

For the Graveyard Decoration:

  • 12 Nutter Butter cookies
  • 10 oz Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers
  • 1 cup assorted candy corn and pumpkins
  • ¼ cup melted Ghirardelli chocolate wafers for writing "RIP"

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the Cream Cheese Mixture: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until fluffy. Set aside.
    Top-down view of a large mixing bowl on a white marble cooktop. Inside the bowl, softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar are being creamed together with an electric mixer, forming a light and fluffy mixture.
  • Make the Pudding: In a separate bowl, whisk the milk with the instant chocolate pudding mix until smooth and no lumps remain. Let it sit for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.
    Top-down view of a mixing bowl on a white marble cooktop. Two boxes of chocolate pudding mix and milk are being whisked together, creating a smooth, velvety chocolate pudding mixture.
  • Combine Mixtures: Pour the pudding mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Beat until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in the Cool Whip until fully incorporated.
  • Assemble the Cake: In a 13 x 9-inch dish, spread half of the crushed Oreos evenly over the bottom. Pour the pudding filling on top, then sprinkle the remaining Oreos over the filling. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
    Top-down view of a 13 x 9-inch dish on a white marble cooktop. Half of the crushed Oreo cookies form the bottom layer, with a creamy pudding filling poured over it. The remaining crushed Oreos are sprinkled on top, forming a dirt-like topping for the graveyard cake
  • Create the Tombstones: Melt the white chocolate wafers according to the package instructions. Dip each Nutter Butter cookie into the white chocolate, covering almost the entire cookie. Lay them on parchment paper and allow them to set.
  • Add the RIP Writing: Melt the chocolate wafers and transfer the melted chocolate into a small Ziploc bag. Snip off a tiny corner of the bag and pipe “RIP” onto each white chocolate-dipped Nutter Butter.
    Top-down view of a decorated graveyard pudding cake. White chocolate-covered tombstone cookies are placed into the Oreo topping, and candy corn and pumpkins are arranged around the tombstones.
  • Decorate the Graveyard Scene: Once the tombstones are set, arrange them on top of the dirt pudding cake. Scatter candy corn and pumpkins around to create a spooky graveyard effect.

Serve and Enjoy:

  • Serve this creative dessert and enjoy the eerie but delicious fun!
    Top-down view of a slice of graveyard Oreo pudding cake on a white plate. The slice reveals layers of creamy filling and Oreo crumbs, topped with a Nutter Butter tombstone and candy pumpkins for decoration.

Notes

You can personalize your graveyard with additional candies like gummy worms for a creepy-crawly effect!
Be sure to assemble the graveyard scene just before serving to keep the cookies crunchy.