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Treasure Pudding Cake is a delicious and FUN Pirate Treasure Cake that kids will LOVE!! It’s a simple and tasty treat!

While Candy Bar Trifle is filled with candy treasures, Treasure pudding cake has it’s booty on top! Fun and festive cakes and desserts are perfect for parties and special occasion!

Treasure Pudding Cake in a glass baking dish


My kids love parties!

Last week we actually had a combined birthday party for Lily and Gavin. Their birthdays are under 3 weeks away from each other so they usually combine and have a Halloween-themed party in October. They decided to change things up and wanted a Pirate Party. They did most of the planning and decided on the games we’d play. They picked out a Pin the eye patch on the Pirate Game, along with a piñata and a treasure hunt.

I couldn’t find exactly what we wanted, so I decided to make one up. I ended up making this Treasure Pudding Cake, and it was a HIT!! I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d do at first, but I thought I’d turn our family favorite of Dirt Cake into a Sand Cake with crushed Golden Oreos, but also wanted to add some treasure to it. I headed to Party City and picked up some Chocolate Gold Coins and Ring Pops. For added effects I also added fake jewels and necklaces. It was SIMPLE and was the perfect addition to our Pirate Party!!

We actually used this Treasure Map Activity and had it lead to the fridge at the end with the Treasure Cake inside. We made the last clue: There’s one last place to search for gold, it’s the place we keep food to keep it cold! 😉 The kids LOVED it!! It’s one of those treats that looked like it took a ton of effort but actually didn’t. 😉

Treasure Pudding Cake with Oreo crust

Making Treasure Pudding Cake

CRUST. Crush 1 package of Oreos and place in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Set aside.

FILLING. Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar and fold in whipped topping. Set aside. In a separate bowl mix pudding, milk and vanilla. Fold this mixture in with the cream cheese mixture. Pour over crumb mixture.

TOPPING. Crush the last package of Oreos and sprinkle all over the top to look like sand. Let set for a few hours.

SERVE. Before serving, top with treasure candy and jewels.

Treasure Pudding Cake layered in a glass baking dish

Tips for the best texture

  • Make sure you buy INSTANT pudding mix.
  • Mix the pudding and milk until it takes on a creamy pudding consistency. 
  • Use whole milk
  • FOLD do not Mix: When you add the whip cream to the cream cheese mix and then again when you add the pudding make sure you are gently folding the ingredients together.
  • Make sure your butter is not too soft and definitely not melted
  • Chill for at least 2 hours before serving
Oreos for treasure pudding cake

Variations

  • Make this into a layered trifle or into individual cups.
  • Use French vanilla pudding mix
Oreo crumbs for treasure pudding cake

Storing Info

STORE this covered in the fridge for 3-5 days. The Oreos will gradually get softer the longer it is stored, but still taste delicious.

To make ahead: Crush the Oreos ahead of time and keep them in a bag on the counter. You can also prepare the pudding mixture ahead of time and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container until you combine it with the Oreos. On several occasions I have successfully made this the day before serving. Just cover and keep in the fridge.

Treasure Pudding Cake topped with crushed oreo
Treasure Pudding Cake with ring pops on top
Treasure Pudding Cake in a glass baking dish
Treasure Pudding Cake topped with crushed oreo
Treasure Pudding Cake topped with crushed oreo

I’m all about simple and awesome recipes and this one turned out great!!

You don’t even need to add treasure on top – you can just enjoy it as a regular dessert. In this case, I’m calling it White Chocolate Dirt Cake. It’s pretty much a white chocolate version of the regular Dirt Cake. 😉 If you don’t want it to look as sand you won’t need as many Oreos which means you’ll only use one package and add 3/4 to the bottom of the pan and then sprinkle the reserve on top. 😉

For more great pudding cakes, check out these favorites:

5 from 3 votes

Treasure Pudding Cake Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Treasure Pudding Cake is a delicious and FUN Pirate Treasure Cake that kids will LOVE!! It's a simple and tasty treat!
Servings: 12
Prep: 10 minutes
Set: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 packages Golden Oreos
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 16 oz cool whip
  • 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding or white chocolate
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Treasure Candy (chocolate coins, Ring Pops, etc.)

Instructions 

  • Crush 1 package of Oreos and place in the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Set aside.
  • Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar and fold in whipped topping. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl mix pudding, milk and vanilla. Fold this mixture in with the cream cheese mixture.
  • Pour over crumb mixture.
  • Crush the last package of Oreos and sprinkle all over the top to look like sand. Let set for a few hours.
  • Before serving, top with treasure candy and jewels

Nutrition

Calories: 719kcal, Carbohydrates: 92g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 546mg, Potassium: 216mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 64g, Vitamin A: 615IU, Calcium: 137mg, Iron: 1.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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10 Comments

  1. My son in law inadvertently started a family tradition at their house one Christmas. After all the presents had been opened Christmas morning he and my daughter realized they had forgotten to present the kids with their most important gifts. (I can’t remember now what it was but it was something they especially wanted) Rather than run to bring the gifts out, he composed a treasure hunt similar to yours. The children loved the concept and now look forward to it every year. Instead of opening the last gift and saying, “Is that all?” They look forward to the last gift and the challenge of finding it. Since they are both teenagers now, they have separate hunts and actually help compose the clues for the other sibling. They actually want to be times to see who finds their gift in the least amount of time. Sometimes it may even be late in the day before the hunt begins but it just expands the holiday a little longer for everyone.

  2. What a super cute and fun idea!! Love the ring pops and necklaces on the top. Adding a treasure map to fridge was perfect. Awesome!!

  3. This cake is the cutest! There’s just something about pirates and hidden treasure that’s always super exciting! Happy Birthday Lily and Gavin! I thought for sure I was going to see Lily’s name behind this post! Can’t wait to see her next creation!

  4. My kids would have a total blast with this! They’re all about maps and treasures right now and would love helping make this, and then devouring it 🙂

  5. I sure do wish my kids were small again so I could make them this cake, they would have loved it! Such a cute idea!