Dirt Cake Recipe

My fun dirt cake recipe is sure to be a summer hit in your house too! Check out how simple it is to turn your favorite ingredients into a no bake dessert everyone loves!

This no bake Oreo dirt cake is so fun and festive. It’s great for sharing…which is good because otherwise you’ll be tempted to eat it all on your own.

If you need some other Oreo and no bake desserts to try check out No Bake Christmas Cookies, Halloween Dirt Pudding Dessert, Cookies and Cream No Bake Dessert, and Cookies and Cream Fudge!

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We make this recipe for Oreo dirt cake in the summer a lot. It’s a great recipe to take to parties and picnics. It’s a fun one to share at family gatherings and you can spice it up with some gummy worms for the kids (and kids at heart) to enjoy.

You can make this one any time of year, it’s super easy, requires zero baking, and has easy to find ingredients. Everyone will love it so be prepared to give out the recipe or make a double batch!

This dirt cake recipe is also really versatile so you can totally swap out the plain Oreo cookies for flavored ones if you want to make a unique version with your favorite flavors.

Can I make this pudding cake gluten free?

There are so many types to choose from now in the Oreo isle and that includes Gluten Free Oreo’s which is great if you need to make this one with allergies in mind!

All of the other ingredients are naturally gluten free so you wouldn’t have any trouble if you just swapped out the regular cookies for the gluten free ones! Hooray!

What do I need to make a no bake dirt cake?

This recipe uses Oreos, cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, cool whip, instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding, and cold milk! That’s all you need to make this tasty treat in a flash.

You can change up the type of pudding or cookies if you want. The flavors won’t impact the overall turnout so feel free to mix things up and go as crazy as you want.

I like to get the bug or worm shaped gummy candies and throw them on top for a little extra fun when I know there will be kids in attendance. It just really adds to the whole “dirt” cake vibe!

Why is this called a “dirt” cake?

This recipe and others like it are designed to look like dirt! The crushed Oreos give the pudding cake a soil texture and look that makes it seem like something you wouldn’t necessarily want to eat.

In reality it’s just the chocolate cookies that make it look like soil. It’s not really dirt and there’s no dirt in the recipe so grab a little shovel for serving and dig in!

Kitchen essentials for tasty no bake recipes:

When you head into the kitchen to make some of these great recipes you’ll want to have the best tools on hand.

Of course mixing bowls, a mixer, spatula, and some whisks should be on your list if you don’t have ones that you love. I also like to have a set of cooling racks so that my recipes can properly cool before they’re scarfed down by my family!

I like these casserole dishes from Pyrex which are great for no bake recipes and for all your favorite dinners, brownies, cakes, and more.

You can’t go wrong with some good sharp knives and a cutting board. They will always come in handy in the kitchen for recipes of any kind, even desserts!

How to make a delicious dirt cake recipe:

Put 16 of the Oreos in either a food processor or Ziploc bag and crush them. You can either use a mallet or a rolling pin. You will only need them to be broken up. You won’t need finely grind them. 

In a small bowl, combine the pudding and milk and set aside. 

In a medium sized bowl, using a hand mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together until it’s light and fluffy. Then add in the powdered sugar. Turn the mixer off. 

Fold in the cool whip and then set aside. 

Next, add in the pudding and milk mixture and gently combine. Do not overmix. 

Pour this mixture over the crushed Oreos. 

Crush the rest of the Oreos and add them on top of the mixture. 

Place in the refrigerator and let chill for 3 hours. 

Tips for success with this recipe:

Do NOT use melted butter.

Do NOT use salted butter.

Do NOT use skim milk or milk alternatives to make the pudding, it will not set. 2% or Whole milk is my recommendation.

Do NOT grind the Oreos too fine. You want them to still have texture to them. 

Do you separate the Oreos? No, you don’t need to.

Can I use chocolate pudding instead? Yes, you can. 

Why did my mixture turn out too soupy? If you didn’t use instant pudding, your mixture will turn out too runny. 

Looking for more delicious cookie recipes to try?

Here are some other recipes that feature everyone’s favorite cookie and some more no bake choices as well. There’s something for everyone and we hope you’ll have fun trying them all!

• No Bake Christmas Cookies
• Halloween Dirt Pudding Dessert
• Nutella Cheesecake
• No Bake Chocolate Pudding Dessert
• Cookies and Cream No Bake Dessert
• Cookies and Cream Fudge

Printable Dirt Cake Recipe: