Easter Dirt Cups are a fun, festive dessert perfect for celebrating spring and the Easter holiday. These treats are easy to assemble with kids and are just as fun to eat. You’ll need a few simple ingredients: instant vanilla pudding, whipped topping, crushed cookies (like Oreos), pastel gel food coloring, Peeps marshmallows, mini egg candies, and sprinkles for decoration.
My kids love Peeps, so we use them for decorating many seasonal desserts—from poke cakes to s’mores. These dirt cups come together quickly and are a joyful, colorful treat for Easter gatherings or an easy weekend activity with the family.
From start to finish these cups can be ready in about 15 minutes. Pick pastel gel colors you like for the pudding layers, and top each cup with a Peep and a few mini eggs or sprinkles for a festive look.
Key Ingredients
- Oreos: Crushed Oreo cookies create the “dirt” layers. You can substitute golden Oreos, nilla wafers, or any favorite cookie.
- Instant pudding: Use a 6-ounce package of instant vanilla pudding. Do not use cook-and-serve pudding mixes, which require heating and won’t set correctly when combined with cold milk.
- Whipped topping: One 8-ounce tub of thawed whipped topping (such as Cool Whip) adds lightness to the pudding.
- Peeps: Marshmallow Peeps in bunny or chick shapes make a cheerful Easter garnish.
- Mini eggs and sprinkles: For finishing touches and extra color.
The full ingredient list with precise quantities and a printable recipe card is located in the recipe section below.
How To Make Easter Dirt Cups
- Crush the Oreo cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or place cookies in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin. Divide the crumbs into three bowls.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the vanilla instant pudding mix and 3 cups cold milk until it begins to thicken, about one minute. Fold in the thawed whipped topping until combined and smooth.
- Place a portion of the crushed Oreo crumbs into the bottom of six plastic cups to form the first “dirt” layer.
- Split the pudding mixture: put one-third into a smaller bowl and the remaining two-thirds into another. Add a few drops of purple gel food coloring to the smaller bowl and mix until you reach the desired shade. Spoon the purple pudding evenly into each cup, filling them about one-third full.
- Add another layer of crushed Oreo crumbs on top of the purple pudding, dividing the second bowl of crumbs evenly among the six cups.
- Color the remaining pudding with a few drops of pink gel food coloring, then divide the pink pudding between the cups, leaving a little space at the top for a final cookie layer. Reserve or reuse any leftover pudding for another dessert.
- Top each cup with the final portion of crushed Oreos. Finish by decorating with green sprinkles, a Peep marshmallow, and a couple of mini egg candies. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Tips For Making Dirt Cups
- Switch up the cookie base to change flavor or color—chocolate grahams, golden Oreos, or nilla wafers all work well. Pair golden cookies with banana or lemon pudding for a different twist.
- Try different instant pudding flavors: chocolate, banana, lemon, white chocolate, or cheesecake can create interesting variations.
- Chill the assembled cups if you have time; this helps the pudding firm up and improves the texture.
- For the best presentation, aim for even layers when assembling the cups.
Enjoy creating and sharing these colorful Easter pudding cups—the kids will love the fun layers and bright decorations. Happy Easter!
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Easter Dirt Cups
Equipment
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Food processor (or zip-top bag and rolling pin)
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Whisk
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Mixing bowls
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6 9oz plastic cups
Ingredients
- 36 Oreo cookies filling removed
- 1 6 oz. package vanilla instant pudding
- 3 cups milk cold
- 8 ounces whipped topping thawed
- Green sprinkles
- 9 Peeps marshmallows
- Mini egg candies
- Pink and purple gel food coloring
Instructions
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Crush the Oreo cookies to crumbs using a food processor or a rolling pin in a zip-top bag.
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Divide the crushed cookies into three bowls.
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Whisk the instant pudding mix with 3 cups cold milk until it begins to thicken, about one minute.
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Fold the thawed whipped topping into the pudding until smooth.
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Place a portion of cookie crumbs into the bottom of each cup.
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Split the pudding: one-third into a small bowl and two-thirds into a larger bowl.
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Color the smaller portion purple and spoon it evenly into the cups to fill about one-third of each cup.
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Add another layer of cookie crumbs over the purple pudding.
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Color the remaining pudding pink and divide it among the cups, leaving space for a final cookie layer.
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Top with the final cookie crumbs, then decorate with sprinkles, a Peep, and mini eggs. Chill or serve immediately.
Notes
- Use your favorite cookie for the crumbs—chocolate grahams, golden Oreos, or nilla wafers all work well.
- Try alternative instant pudding flavors like chocolate, banana, lemon, white chocolate, or cheesecake for variety.
- Chill the finished cups if possible to help set the pudding and improve texture.
- Layer evenly for a neat presentation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and provided for convenience only.
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