Healthy Dirt Cups with Avocado Pudding
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Published Oct 21, 2019, Updated Oct 06, 2023
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Healthy dirt cups made with creamy avocado chocolate pudding, chocolate granola and organic gummy worms. Adult-approved and super fun for kids. This post is sponsored by Kroger.
Ready for the ultimate throwback recipe? Dirt cups! Did you used to eat these as a kid? Or maybe you still make them for your kids! I’m so excited to share this healthy Halloween treat that everyone will love. Forget about stealing your kids Halloween candy, you can enjoy your own treat this year!
These were one of my favorite desserts growing up, but now that I’m an adult and realize what was in them, I cringe a little. But not anymore! I’ve upgraded traditional dirt cups to a healthy version that you and your kids will love! The perfect Halloween treat that won’t leave them bouncing off the wall. 😉 You’re welcome!
What’s in a Dirt Cup?
Traditionally, dirt cups have a base of instant chocolate pudding, cool whip and milk. In the classic recipe, you layer the pudding mixture with crushed Oreos and then top with gummy worms and other treats. Talk about a dairy and sugar bomb! Makes my stomach ache just thinking about it.
My upgraded version has a base of avocado chocolate pudding! It’s super creamy and better yet: good for you. You mix avocado, almond milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup and vanilla in a food processor or blender and you’ve got a healthy base for your dirt cups. I know making pudding from avocado seems a little different, but I personally love using avocado for sweet desserts, like this avocado ice cream and this avocado tart. And trust me… you don’t taste the avocado at all and it makes the pudding incredibly creamy.
The best part? I bought all of these ingredients at my local Kroger! I love that Kroger has become my one-stop shop for grocery shopping. They have a great selection of natural candy brands and fresh ingredients that make up this dessert. They also offer in-store pickup or delivery if you’re crazy busy or like shopping from the comfort of your home like me.
Can I Make Them in Advance?
Yes, you can totally prep these dirt cups ahead of time for birthday parties, Halloween parties… or just an average Saturday. I recommend making the pudding in advance and storing it in a sealed container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve, but you can also store the pudding individual cups. Just before serving add the crushed granola and worms on top. You can certainly add the granola and worms earlier, but they tend to get soft if they’re sitting in the pudding for too long.
The Best Dirt Cup Toppings
Most dirt cups are topped with chocolate cookies to mimic the dirt, but we’re using crushed chocolate granola to keep things a bit healthier. I used Purely Elizabeth’s sea salt chocolate granola, but you can use your favorite store-bought chocolate granola or use my recipe for my grain-free chocolate granola.
And for the worms, I found organic candy worms at Kroger that are naturally colored with beet and carrot juice.
Like This Recipe? Here Are More Healthy Kid-Friendly Treats:
- Chocolate Covered Snickers Stuffed Dates
- Healthy No Bake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Banana Pudding
- Healthy Peanut Butter Balls
Healthy Dirt Cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups mashed avocado, about 4 medium avocados
- ½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, plus more if needed
- 5 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup homemade or store-bought chocolate granola*
- 12 organic gummy worms*
Instructions
- Add avocado, almond milk, cocoa powder, maple syrup and vanilla into a food processor or high power blender. Blend until mixture is smooth and there are no visible pieces of avocado. You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of your machine or the blender’s tamper, just to make sure the mixture is combining. If the pudding seems too thick, you can add additional almond milk, one Tablespoon at a time, to get the pudding consistency you like. Once smooth, taste and add more sweetener, if necessary.
- Portion pudding into four cups and place in the refrigerator to chill, about 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, crush the granola. You can use your food processor for this or simply place the granola in a plastic bag and crush it using the bottom of a glass. This step is optional, but crushed granola looks more like dirt than granola chunks.
- Once pudding is chilled, top with crushed granola and gummy worms. I did three worms per cup and placed some into the pudding and some on top. Serve immediately.
- The avocado pudding is best served the day you make it, but will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just store the pudding separately from the granola and worms as they will get soft if they’re stored with the pudding.
Notes
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To ensure this recipe is vegan and gluten-free, just be sure to check the ingredient list on your granola and gummy worms.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I may have to try this, thanks! We don’t have Kroger, but candy without fake dye and such is encouraging! I will look for it.
I am planning on making these with my almost-4-year-old this weekend as a Halloween treat. He will be so excited!
Awww! I love it. You’ll have to let me know what he thinks of the avo pudding, Caroline!