golden oreo dirt cups

Feel like a kid again with these fancy but fun Golden Oreo Dirt Cups! A from-scratch white chocolate pudding is combined with fresh whipped cream and topped with crushed vanilla sandwich cookies (and gummy worms, of course) for a sweet twist on the classic. Everyone will go crazy for these cups!

Um, hi, my name is Stephanie and I just made the most amazingly basic-but-totally-not-basic dessert recipe: Golden Oreo Dirt Cups. YES I DID.

This recipe came from one of those moments of inspiration that just smacks you in the face. You know what I mean? When you’re just sitting on the couch watching The Bachelor minding your own business when suddenly, BAM: the idea hits you? That’s exactly how it all happened for me.

My first thought was to make a fancy grown-up version of a dirt cup, maybe with dark chocolate or booze. Then my thoughts turned to white chocolate. Then I thought about white chocolate pudding, made from scratch. Then I thought about topping it with Golden Oreos. And then I drooled a bit (OK, a lot).

And well, friends, the rest is history. And here. we. are.

How To Make

Let’s be real, apart from the surprise pizza party days at school, or the times when you got to write on the overhead projector with those dry erase markers, or book fair days, the best memories of elementary school involved dirt cups — the kind where you crush a few Oreos on top of a pudding pack single and dip a gummy worm in it. YOU KNOW. Whenever a kid had a birthday and brought in dirt cups as a treat, it was like Christmas all over again.

I wanted to recreate that feeling of nostalgia plus deliciousness with these Golden Oreo dirt cups, but with even more yums thanks to a homemade white chocolate pudding and fresh whipped cream. Don’t be intimidated by homemade pudding: It’s actually very simple: so simple — and so flavorful — that you’ll be hard-pressed to go back to the instant version.

I folded homemade whipped cream into my dirt cups here, and I love the delicate creaminess it imparts to the pudding. However, it does make the pudding mixture a little thinner than what you may be used to with the classic instant pudding-whipped topping combo, so feel free to swap out the homemade whipped cream for 8 ounces of frozen whipped topping, if you prefer (I won’t judge).

Top the pudding with a generous sprinkling of crushed Golden Oreos (aka the best thing since, well, OG Oreos), refrigerate the cups for a few hours to set the pudding, then top them off with gummy worms. Then, DIG IN.

Tips and Tricks

Here are a few of my best tips for the best dirt cups of your life (lol):

1. If you can wait this long, I suggest letting the cups sit overnight. I found the pudding to be even more flavorful the next day, with a better texture. That said, they were still tasty just after a four-hour chill. Your call!

2. If you’re not a fan of vanilla/white chocolate, the answer is yes: You can make these dirt cups with regular Oreos and semisweet chocolate instead of white chocolate. Or, keep the white chocolate pudding and top it with regular Oreos for a double-chocolate situation; or, swap the white chocolate with semisweet chocolate and top it with Golden Oreos for a chocolate-vanilla combo. You really can’t lose here.  Or, try this Oreo Ice Cream Cake!

3. Don’t refrigerate the cups with the gummy worms in them, or the worms will end up hardened and inedible. Top the cups with the gummy worms just before serving (PS these are my fave gummy worms!).

Friends, if you need a little pick-me-up on this Monday morn, I highly suggest giving these fancy-fun Golden Oreo dirt cups a whirl. I really can’t think of a better way to start the week.

P.S. Need more Oreo desserts in your life? Of course, you do. Try my Cookies & Creme Dessert Pizza or No-Bake French Silk Oreo Pie.

Golden Oreo Dirt Cups

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

• Author: Girl Versus Dough
• Prep Time: 4 hours 15 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 4 hours 25 mins
• Yield: 9 to 10 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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For the white chocolate pudding:

• 6 ounces white chocolate
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 cups milk (at least 2%)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the whipped cream:

• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

For the dirt cups:

• 1 package (14.3 oz) Golden Oreos, finely crushed
• 18–20 gummy worms

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Instructions

1. Make the pudding: Melt white chocolate according to package directions (either in a microwave or double-boiler) until completely smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a medium saucepan, sift cornstarch, sugar and salt. Slowly whisk in half-and-half, heavy cream and egg yolks. Whisk in milk and melted white chocolate.
3. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring gently with a wooden spoon or spatula, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until pudding coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla.
4. Pour pudding into a large bowl. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely cooled.
5. Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Slowly beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until just combined. Refrigerate whipped cream until pudding is completely cooled.
6. Stir 1/2 cup crushed Oreos into cooled pudding. Gently fold in whipped cream until just combined. Pour or spoon pudding mixture evenly into 9-10 drinking glasses or dessert cups. Top evenly with remaining crushed cookies (about 1/4 cup each).
7. Cover cups and refrigerate at least 3 more hours up to overnight. Top each with 2 gummy worms just before serving.

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