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This Dirt Cake is prepped in minutes for a cool, creamy, family-favorite treat perfect for Oreo lovers!
Long time family favorite
Oreos are one of my favorite ingredients to add to desserts. They make everything so yummy!!
That is probably why today’s recipe has been one of my all-time favorite desserts since I was a child. My mom has been making it for that long and now it’s a must-have dessert for almost every family and holiday get together.
Why we love it:
- Quick + Easy. From start to finish, this dirt cake recipe only takes about 10 minutes to prep.
- Good all year long. It’s cool and creamy and especially great for summer but great to enjoy all year long and for any holiday.
- Easy to change up. Change up the pudding mix or the type of Oreos to make it the flavor you need for the event/holiday.
Ingredients
- 1 (14.3-ounce) package Oreos – Change this up with your favorite Oreos
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened – If the cream cheese is too rich for you or it’s just not your favorite, simply leave it out! My family loves the richness that the cream cheese adds, but this dessert is delicious with or without.
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 (16-ounce) tub whipped topping (or 4 cups whipped cream)
- 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes instant white chocolate – You can also use vanilla pudding or any other kind of pudding you desire.
- 3 cups milk – we prefer to use 2% or higher
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make Dirt Cake
- OREO. Crush all the Oreos (the entire Oreo) in a large resealable plastic bag (for small and chunky pieces) or in the food processor (for super fine crumbs) until they are crumbs. Press two-thirds of the crushed cookies into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside. Reserve the remaining cookie crumbs.
- CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together with a hand mixer until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar. Fold in whipped topping until well combined and set aside.
- PUDDING MIXTURE. In a separate bowl, mix pudding, milk, and vanilla. Let sit until thickened.
- COMBINE. Fold this mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
- LAYER + CHILL. Carefully pour the pudding/cream cheese mixture over the crumb crust in the pan. Sprinkle with the reserved crushed Oreos. Refrigerate for 3–4 hours before serving.
We don’t recommend keeping this dirt cake at room temperature for more than 1-2 hours before you put it back in the fridge. Plus, this dessert tastes best when nice and chilled!
How to make it look more like dirt
Whether using this easy dirt cake recipe as written or replacing the white chocolate instant pudding mix with classic chocolate pudding, make this look and feel a little more like dirt:
- add some candy bugs and gummy worms
- serve it out of a bucket or flower pot
- divide the dirt cake mixture into plastic cups, place the plastic cups in mini terra cotta flower pots, and stick a mini shovel in each one to use as a spoon
More Oreo Goodness
- More Dirt Cakes: Easter Dirt Cake, Graveyard Dirt Cake, Dirt Cake Parfaits, Dirt Cake with Worms.
- More OREO goodness: Oreo Ice Cream Cake, Cookies and Cream Cupcakes, Oreo Pudding Pie, Oreo Snickers Pie
More COLLECTIONS: Easy Desserts, Summer Desserts, 4th of July Desserts
Dirt Cake Recipe
Deliciously addicting Oreo Dirt Cake preps in minutes for a cool, creamy, family-favorite treat perfect for Oreo lovers.
Ingredients
- 1 (14.3-ounce) package Oreos
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 (16-ounce) tub whipped topping (or 4 cups whipped cream)
- 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes instant white chocolate or vanilla pudding
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Crush all the Oreos in a large resealable plastic bag or in the food processor until they are crumbs. Press two-thirds of the crushed cookies into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside. Reserve the remaining crushed Oreos.
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together with a hand mixer until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar. Fold in whipped topping until well combined and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix pudding, milk, and vanilla. Let sit until thickened. Fold this mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
- Carefully pour the pudding/cream cheese mixture over the crumb crust in the pan.
- Sprinkle with the reserved crushed Oreos. Refrigerate for 3–4 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
Make Ahead: Crush the Oreos as directed and keep them in a closed resealable plastic bag. Make the filling as directed and place in a large airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, assemble as directed above. Make It Look Like Dirt: Use chocolate pudding instead of white chocolate pudding. Once assembled, add some candy bugs and gummy worms to the top. You Can Also Make This In Individual Cups: Add a scoop of crumbs to each cup, pipe in some filling, and top with more crumbs before adding the worms, dangling over the edges.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 146kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 26mg, Potassium: 95mg, Fiber: 0.003g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 336IU, Calcium: 78mg, Iron: 0.02mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe FAQ + TIPS
How to Prevent Soupy Dirt Cake?
- Make sure to use INSTANT pudding. Whisk the pudding and milk until it takes on a creamy pudding consistency. To be extra cautious, refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes before combining it with the other ingredients.
- Use chilled metal bowls to mix and fold the ingredients in.
- Use whole milk for the creamiest texture.
- FOLD do not mix: Fold gently when adding the Cool Whip to the cream cheese mix and then again when adding the pudding.
- Use softened butter and cream cheese, but not too soft and definitely not melted.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
How to Store Dirt Cake?
- Make ahead of time. We almost always make this Oreo dirt cake recipe ahead of time. We typically make this the morning of, but it can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Place the crushed Oreos on top right before serving – those can get a little soft with the moisture of the cake.
- STORE. Cover tightly with Saran Wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. We love to have this cake for leftovers, but admit we rarely have them. It’s just so good!
- FREEZE. I do not recommend freezing this ahead of time to serve on another day, it will not thaw well. However, leftovers can be divided and frozen to eat more like ice cream.
Do you use the 3.4 oz or the 5.1 oz boxes of pudding?
Two boxes of the 3.5 oz.
hello!
I’m on my way to purchase ingredients for the cake…but a question: the kansas city dirt cake recipe states white chocolate or vanilla pudding, is the pudding instant?
Yes. I will make sure to edit the recipe so it says that. 🙂
Yes. I will make sure to edit the recipe so it says that. 🙂
Is a large cool the16 ounce size or a reg. 8 oz size
I use the LARGE size. 🙂
Getting ready to make this recipe for my sons birthday tomorrow, does it matter if the cool whip is frozen or sofTened?
Sorry to have not gotten back to you sooner. It is usually softened. Hope everyone likes it!
if ypu freeze almost like homemade icecream
Yum! My husband would appreciate this post 😀
Looks fabulous! Unfortunately I just started a healthy diet and exercise routine this week, so I’ll have to file this away for the someday-when-I’m-skinny-and-oreos-are-calorie-free file… that day will come, right???
And I have to ask what’s probably a totally dumb question… as a Kansas Citian, I can’t figure out what on Earth makes this a “Kansas City” dirt cake… I was looking for BBQ sauce, or a side of beef, maybe something jazzy… but alas, I couldn’t find any Kansas City in the cake… so where’s the name from??? 🙂 🙂 🙂
~Jess
Good question!! I have NO idea!! Our fam got the recipe so long ago and when we did it was called this, so we’ve kept the name. I’m thinking maybe someone from Kansas City made it up. ??
Nom, nom, this looks amazing!!! I love the name too, it’s always fun to have a fun name for something we love to make (and eat!)
xoxo, Tanya
Looks so yummy! For the halloween version, you using the candy corn oreos? 😉
DROOOOOOOOOOOOL ——- DROOOOOOOOOOOOL ——— DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
MY HIPS THANK YOU