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This deliciously addicting dirt cake recipe preps 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 this dirt cake recipe has been one of my all-time favorite cakes since childhood.
Our mom has been making it since we were little, and it’s one of those TOP 10 recipes all the grandkids all request now. In fact, it’s become a must-have dessert for almost every family and holiday get-together because it’s so creamy and cool, beyond delicious and loved by EVERYONE!
Why we love it:
- Quick + easy. From start to finish, this easy dessert recipe for kids 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. Switch the pudding mix or the type of Oreos to make it the flavor you need for the event/holiday.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
CHILL TIME: 3 hours
- 1 (14.3-ounce) package Oreo cookies – 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 instant vanilla pudding or instant chocolate pudding (or any flavor of choice).
- 3 cups milk – we prefer to use 2% or higher
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make it Look 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.
How to Make Dirt Cake
- OREO. Crush 1 (14.3-ounce) package of Oreos (the entire Oreo) in a large resealable plastic bag with a rolling pin (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 8 ounces of cream cheese and ½ cup butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Mix in 1 cup powdered sugar. Fold in 16-ounce whipped topping until well combined and set aside.
- PUDDING MIXTURE. In a separate bowl, mix 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes of instant white chocolate pudding powder, 3 cups of milk, and 1 teaspoon of 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 Oreo crumbs. Refrigerate for 3–4 hours before serving.
Keep it Chilled!
We don’t recommend keeping this dirt cake at room temperature for more than an hour or so before putting it back in the fridge. Plus, this dessert tastes best when nice and chilled!
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Dirt Cake Recipe
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 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
– 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.
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.
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.
Just a tip for crushing the cookies. put them in a sealed baggie and then crush them to how you want them. no mess and clean hands. be sure to push the air out of the bag before crushing. i do this with a lot of things that need crushed. Hope this helpful.
That’s what I do 🙂 Thank you!
Butter…. soften or melted?????
Softened 🙂 Enjoy!!
Can this be made the night before serving?
Yes, it sure can 🙂 Hope you like it! It’s one of our favorites!
This mixture was really soupy……
I’m sorry it was soupy. It shouldn’t be, so I’m not sure what happened. Did you make the pudding, then added more milk? That might be the only thing what would make it soupy.
The Recipe was soupy, but it’s delicious. the only problem wiTh the recipe it just was not firm enOugh.
It shouldn’t be soupy. Did you make the pudding according to the box, then add ingredients? Some have done that, which would definitely make it soupy.
My husband and I made this back to back. His was soupy, mine was fluffy and great. The only DIFFERENce was I only used the electric mixer on the butter, cream cheese, cool whip and powdered sugar. then hand mixed the pudding mix,milk and vanilla (WHere he used the electric). Then hand mixed the TWO together ( he again electric mixed). I have noticed the same thing happens with cookies. Hope this helps
Glad yours was fluffy!! Thank you for sharing!
How many servings does this recipe yield??
It can feed quite a few, depending on how much you give. I bring it to family functions & we can get all of us 25-30 a scoop. Hope that helps!
I made this and it turned out to be a watery mess! Have any idea what I did wrong?
Not sure what you did, but you just add the pudding mix with 3 cups total of milk, and the vanilla. I know some have made the pudding according to directions and added the 3 c milk, which would make it runny. Hope that helps!!
these sound great
It’s one of our favorite!!! We use this recipe a lot and it’s always a hit! Thank you!!
I lived in kansas city all my life and never heard of kansas city dirt cake and i never been to any restaurant with it on the menu
Will make this tomorrow have several Oreo lovers in my home, will let u know the results.
Yes, please let me know how it goes. It’s a FAVORITE!! 😀
This recipe looks so good! I am going to make this for a BBQ tomorrow. I wanted to know if you use the large or small boxes of instant pudding?
I usually use 2 small boxes, since I’ve never seen white chocolate pudding in the large boxes. Would love to know how it goes! 😉
Did you use large or small boxes of instant pudding?