This recipe is one that is basically a requirement at all of our holiday gatherings. When I say requirement, I'm not kidding. Suzie, who has taken on the task of bringing this dessert to our holiday gatherings, didn't have time to make this dish one holiday and there was palpable heartbreak in the air emanating from children and adults alike.
BEWARE: If you choose to make this for your family once, you will probably be obligated to continue providing it at all holiday gatherings in perpetuity. You've been warned. 🤷♀️
What you'll need:
1 stick of soft/room temp butter (1/2 cup)
1 block of cream cheese (8 oz.)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 small packages of French Vanilla instant pudding (or one large)
3 cups of milk
2 regular size containers of Cool Whip (or one large)
1 Family size package of Oreos (or 1.5 regular packages)
1 package of gummy worms (optional)
2 medium sized bowls
1 large casserole dish or cake pan
1 hand mixer (optional)
To start, in a medium sized bowl, mix pudding mix with three cups of milk (I recommend using a hand mixer) for 1-3 minutes or until thickened.
In a second medium sized bowl, add the stick of butter, cream cheese block, and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Cream these three ingredients until it is a frosting-like texture (here again, a hand mixer is a big help!).
Combine the mixtures from both bowls and add the contents of the two cool whip containers. Mix well (a hand-mixer is very useful here as well). Set this mixture aside.
Next, comes some good ole' layering.
Crush* 1/3 package of Oreos and use the crumble to evenly line the bottom of a large casserole dish or cake pan. As evenly as possible, add 1/2 of the mixture you set aside to cover the crushed Oreo layer.
Crush the next 1/3 of Oreos and evenly distribute over the layer of mixture. As evenly as possible, add the remaining 1/2 of your mixture over the second Oreo layer.
Last, you will crush the final 1/3 of Oreos and evenly sprinkle over the top of your dish.
After that, keep your dirt pudding in the fridge over night (or at least for a few hours) before serving.
NOTE: Some people like to add gummy worms to the top (or throughout some of the layers) to make it look like worms in dirt. Our family does not usually do this, but it is a fun addition, particularly if you are using the recipe for a kid's or Halloween party.
*Tip/Trick: You can put your Oreo cookies in a big ziplock bag and use a heavy metal spoon to crush them against your counter top. Using your hands to crush a whole package of Oreos can be both messy and the texture of the cookies can ware on your skin, so this is a great way to spare the mess and your hands.