Dirt Cake Cookies

These dirt cake cookies make my little 90s-kid heart sing. When I was young, my elementary school always celebrated the end of the school year with a picnic in the park across the street. I’m not sure who made them, perhaps a kind-hearted lunch lady, but there were always individual dirt cake cups (served in Snack Pack pudding cups) for dessert. It’s a core memory I’ll never forget.

These dirt cake cookies are every bit as nostalgic as the childhood classic, but they are even easier to eat since you don’t need a spoon to indulge. The recipe begins with decadent chocolate cookies flavored with black cocoa powder and rolled in Oreo cookie crumbs before baking, resulting in treats that are crisp on the outside and fudgy on the inside. Then, each cookie is finished with a generous swirl of homemade chocolate pudding frosting, Oreo cookie crumbs and a gummy worm on top.

My husband took a batch to work recently for his office potluck, and let’s just say they were gone in a matter of minutes and his inbox was subsequently filled with requests for the recipe. Clearly, this dirt cake cookie recipe is a winner with both the young and the young-at-heart.

Ingredients for Dirt Cake Cookies

• Butter: Not all butter is created equal. Sometimes it’s worth splurging on a high quality butter brand for baking to yield the best possible results.
• Sugar: A combination of brown and white sugars makes the cookies wonderfully crisp on the outside and soft, moist and chewy on the inside.
• Eggs: To keep cookies soft and tender, an extra egg yolk is added to the dough.
• Vanilla extract: Even chocolate-heavy recipes benefit from a splash of vanilla extract, which adds depth and complexity to these fudgy cookies.
• Black cocoa powder: If you’re lucky, your local supermarket will carry it in the baking aisle, but you can also order black cocoa online. Black cocoa is the secret ingredient that gives these dirt cake cookies their intense color and robust, Oreo-like chocolate flavor.
• All-purpose flour: If there’s one ingredient that benefits from the use of a kitchen scale, it’s flour.
• Espresso powder: A small amount intensifies the chocolate flavor in these cookies even more. It’s a secret ingredient in many chocolate recipes that we love.
• Cornstarch: If you love soft-baked chewy cookies, then cornstarch is going to be your new best friend. This ingredient helps inhibit gluten development in flour, keeping cookies soft and ultra-tender.
• Baking soda: Baking for the first time in a while? Make sure to check the expiration date on your baking soda to make sure it is fresh. If you’re unsure, you can easily test your baking soda before using it.
• Salt: Even when making something sweet, you need a bit of salt to balance and enhance the flavors.
• Oreo cookie crumbs: Don’t forget the “dirt”! These cookies are rolled in Oreo crumbs before baking and then finished with a final sprinkle for decoration.
• Chocolate pudding frosting: This simple frosting is made by whisking instant pudding mix with confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream and a splash of milk. The pudding not only helps nail the flavor of dirt cake but also helps stabilize the frosting.
• Gummy worms: No dirt cake cookie recipe is complete without gummy worms. If you enjoy sour gummy worms, feel free to use them here. Or, stick to classic gummy worms as we did. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Directions

Step 1: Cream together the wet ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and sugars together until smooth and fluffy, three to five minutes. Next, add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, and then carefully mix in the black cocoa.

Editor’s Tip: I like mixing the black cocoa into the wet ingredients first, rather than combining it with the dry ingredients. This allows it to be evenly blended into the dough before the flour is added, helping ensure the gluten does not get overworked during mixing.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, espresso powder and salt.

Step 3: Combine and chill

With the mixer on its lowest setting, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Don’t overmix. Cover and chill the dough for at least one hour or overnight.

Editor’s Tip: In testing, we experimented with not chilling the cookie dough. While the cookies still turned out great, they spread a bit more than was ideal and the dough was a bit more difficult to roll and shape. For the best results, chill the dough before shaping into balls, rolling them in the Oreo crumbs and baking.

Step 4: Shape into balls and roll in Oreo crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line four 15x10x1-inch baking sheets with parchment. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and portion into 2-tablespoon balls. Roll each dough ball through the finely crushed Oreo cookies to coat on all sides. Return the cookie balls to the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: If you’d like to guarantee each cookie is the same size, you can weigh each cookie dough ball to make sure it’s 45 grams.

Step 5: Bake

Arrange the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (about six cookies per baking sheet). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the centers and edges are set.

Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes on the pan before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat the baking process with the remaining cookie dough balls.

Step 6: Make the frosting

While the cookies cool, prepare the chocolate pudding frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the pudding mix, milk, heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar. Mix on low until evenly blended, then increase to medium-high speed until thickened, two to three minutes.

Step 7: Decorate and serve

Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and then pipe a generous swirl on top of each cooled cookie. Sprinkle lightly with additional crushed Oreos and garnish with a gummy worm.

Dirt Cake Cookie Variations

• Add more toppings: Other toppings for dirt cake cookies include whole mini Oreos or colorful sprinkles.
• Use another flavor of pudding mix: Try making the frosting for dirt cake cookies with another flavor of pudding mix. Vanilla, cheesecake, pistachio, pumpkin spice, cookies and cream, or white chocolate would all be yummy choices.
• Give them a Halloween twist: Dirt cake is a popular Halloween treat. If you want to make this dirt cake cookie recipe for Halloween, add candy corn pumpkins, marshmallow ghosts and/or halved Milano cookies for tombstones. Don’t forget some festive, spooky-themed sprinkles for extra color.
• Make Easter-themed dirt cake cookies: Draw inspiration from this Easter dirt cake to make a bunny-approved dessert.

How to Store Dirt Cake Cookies

Because the frosting contains dairy, dirt cake cookies must be refrigerated once they’re fully decorated. Store them in a single layer in an airtight food storage container and keep refrigerated. Cookies will last four or five days.

Can you freeze dirt cake cookies?

Yes. Dirt cake cookies can be frozen at various stages of development:

• As cookie dough: Freeze the cookie dough balls once they have been rolled through the Oreo crumbs, but before baking. Store in a freezer-safe container, separating layers with parchment. Bake directly from frozen or thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Freeze for three to six months.
• As baked cookies: Baked cookies can be frozen, decorated with frosting or undecorated. If decorated, freeze the cookies on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container for up to three months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before enjoying. Leftover frosting can be frozen for up to three months. Defrost completely before using.

Dirt Cake Cookie Tips

How do you know when the cookies are baked enough?

Dark cookies flavored with cocoa, especially black cocoa, can be very difficult to gauge for doneness. For best results, keep a close eye on the centers and edges of the cookies. Once they appear set and no longer glossy, the cookies should be fully baked.

Why are my cookies dry and crumbly?

Dry, crumbly cookies are a travesty that no baker likes to experience. Dry cookies are most often caused by overbaking or by not measuring your flour or cocoa powder correctly. In this recipe, both the flour and cocoa absorb moisture, so adding too much can leave your dirt cake cookies dry and crumbly.