Oreo Dirt Cake Recipe | The Best Cake Recipes (2024)

When you need a no bake dessert in a jiffy, try this Oreo Dirt Cake. A fluffy cheesecake pudding center and Oreos on the outside.

Oreo Dirt Cake is a recipe that has stood the test of time. I’ve been making it for years and remember eating it as a child. People love it. But where did it come from?

This no bake dessert was born in the Midwest and is sometimes called dirt pudding. The earliest mention of a recipe like this was printed in an Arkansas newspaper in 1988. It’s a cross between a refrigerator cake and a no bake cheesecake. This is one recipe you’re going to want to keep handy!

What ingredients do I need for dirt cake?

• Oreos. One family size package of Oreos will work for this. Double stuff or regular stuff…whichever you’d like.
• Butter. I like to use salted because I keep it on hand. The salt also adds flavor.
• Cream Cheese. The cream cheese should be soft at room temperature so it mixes in easily.
• Powdered Sugar.
• Vanilla Extract.
• Cool Whip.
• Pudding. Two small boxes of instant pudding mix is the perfect amount. I prefer vanilla, but you can use french vanilla pudding or instant chocolate pudding.
• Milk. Whole milk adds richness, but you can use a lower fat milk if you’d like.

How to Make Oreo Dirt Cake

• In a food processor, crush the Oreo cookies until they are fine crumbs. You can also put them in a zippered plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
• Set aside ⅓ of the cookie crumbs for the topping.
• Press the rest of the cookie crumbs in the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix again.
• Fold in the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture. Set aside.
• In another bowl, combine the vanilla pudding mixes and milk. Whisk until smooth and then allow the pudding mixture to set for 3-4 minutes to set.
• Fold the pudding into the whipped mixture until it is evenly mixed.
• Spread this fluffy filling over the Oreos in the baking pan. Smooth the top so it is even.
• Sprinkle the remaining cookie crumbs over the top of the filling. Press down very lightly to press them into the top.

You’ll need to plan at least 4 hours for this dessert to chill in the fridge before cutting and serving.

Recipe Variations

• You can make this with any flavor of Oreo and also Nutter Butters. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
• Make this lower in calories by using low fat cream cheese, fat free Cool Whip and sugar free pudding. You can also use a lower fat milk.
• Switch up the flavor of pudding. Cheesecake, chocolate or white chocolate would be great.

Serving Ideas

• Serve the dirt cake in a large bowl and put gummy worms throughout so it really looks like dirt!
• Make the dessert in individual serving cups.
• Layer the dessert in a flower pot or bucket. Make several layers of Oreos and filling so that you get Oreos and pudding in every bite. Serve with a small shovel. Kids will love this treat.