Halloween Graveyard Dirt Cups - a fun, easy activity to do with the kids. These chocolate cookie crumble pudding cups come together in minutes and you can customize it with your favorite candies.

halloween graveyard dirt cups surrounded by toppings in front of a pumpkin

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Ingredients you'll need for Halloween Graveyard Dirt Cups

Jello Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
Milk
Oreos
Graham Cracker Crumbs
Dark Chocolate Milano Cookies
Edible Gel Ink / Icing Writer (I use Wilton brand) - found in the baking aisle
Gummy Worms
Mellowcreme Pumpkins

How to make Halloween Graveyard Dirt Cups

Detailed instructions and measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Make your pudding by adding the pudding mix to a large mixing bowl. Add in the milk.
Using an electric mixer, beat until the mixture begins to thicken. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine your crushed Oreo and graham cracker crumbs. Mix until they are evenly distributed with each other. Set aside.
Using your edible gel ink icing writer, decorate your Milano cookies as headstones. We simply wrote "RIP" on ours. Set aside to dry.
Spoon your pudding mixture into your cups and smooth the top surface.
Evenly distribute the Oreo mixture on top of the pudding.
Stand your Milano cookies into the pudding mix like a headstone.
Decorate with your favorite spooky candies. We went with mellow crème pumpkins and gummy worms! Serve immediately.

Tips and Tricks

Purchase the ready made graham cracker crumbs to save a step.
In place of the graham crackers, you could do a combination of regular Oreos and golden Oreos.
Try to find the Wilton Icing Writing Black Pen. It works really well.
Don't put your pudding in the fridge before scooping it into your cups. Sometimes it can get too thick and then it's more difficult to get into the cups. Put it in the cups first and then refrigerate.
If you don't want to make your pudding, don't! Buy the premade pudding and scoop it into your cups.

FAQs

Can I make these ahead of time? If I were going to make them ahead of time, I would place the pudding in the cups and refrigerate them by themselves. You could prep the toppings but I would leave them separate so they wouldn't get soggy.

Where do I find the edible gel ink? You can find it right in your baking aisle of your grocery store, Target, WalMart, etc. It's usually with the sprinkles and frosting.

Do I have to use Milano cookies? No. You could also use graham crackers or any other oval/rectangle style cookie.

halloween graveyard dirt cups surrounded by toppings

Alterations for picky eaters

When it comes to alterations for this, you can quite literally swap out any of the ingredients for ones your picky eaters love. Choose the candy toppings they love, choose a cookie they love, and if they don't like chocolate just use whichever flavor they like.

Alterations to lower the calories or WW points in Halloween Graveyard Dirt Cups

Use the sugar free version of pudding mix
Use fat free milk
Top with sugar free candy or the healthier alternative candies (a lot calories come from the candy)
Use Oreo thins and low fat graham crackers