Dirt Cake Cookie Recipe
Dirt Cake Cookie Recipe with Oreo crumbs and gummy worms!
A rich, crumbly soft chocolate base made with espresso powder, topped with a thick, mousse and chewy gummy worms and Oreo crumbs!
Background
A crumbl cookie inspired recipe and a take on the classic dirt cake that I used to love as a kid. The rich cookie balances out perfectly with the thick and smooth chocolate mousse. As well as the gummy worms and Oreos giving the cookie the classic kid-friendly taste that everyone adores ( I know I do).
What makes it unique
What sets my recipe apart from the others is adding in espresso powder into my base which gives it that rich dark chocolate flavor nostalgic to a classic dirt cake. As well as using instant chocolate pudding mix for my mousse topping gives the cookie an extra delicate flavor leaving you wanting more.
What you will need:
Butter- Salted or unsalted will do just make sure to soften the butter either by leaving on the counter until easily spreadable or (what I prefer) nuking my cold butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
Brown Sugar- Dark or light brown sugar will do, I prefer using light to make the cookie extra chewy and fluffy.
Granulated Sugar- Regular granulated sugar is perfect if on a budget (like myself) opt for the great value brand granulated sugar from Walmart.
Egg- Any eggs will do just make sure to leave out for a bit so the eggs are room temperature (make sure to scoop out any egg shells that have fallen into the mixture!)
Vanilla- Two teaspoons of pure vanilla extract are needed for the cookies and one teaspoon for the frosting.
Flour- All-purpose flour is recommended for this recipe which I severely recommend for any cookie recipe for the least crumbly and most chewy cookies.
Espresso Powder- All you need is 1/2 teaspoon and your cookies will have a rich, dark bite to them.
Cocoa Powder- You can use black cocoa if you prefer a darker, bitter taste to your chocolate. I like sweeter, lighter chocolate so I use Hershey’s brand cocoa powder.
Baking Soda- I recommend the Arm & Hammer brand.
Salt- Any regular salt will do but I prefer kosher sea salt as it balances the sweetness of the cookies wonderfully. If using salted butter you can leave the extra salt out so as to avoid salt overload!
Oreos- You will need about 5 Oreos crumbs for the cookie base and the topping.
Semi-sweet Chocolate- Chips or a bar will do just make sure to chop up the bar enough that it melts nicely in the cookie.
Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix- I prefer using Jello brand mix!
Powdered Sugar- Any brand of your trusty confectioner’s sugar will do.
Milk- Any milk will do as you will need a tablespoon each for stirring the melted chocolate and thickening the mousse topping.
Gummy Worms- Any brand gummy worms will do, you could use sour for an extra added flavor!
Q&A about these cookies:
How long do these cookies take to make?
Total time I would say about an hour including prep, cook, cool, and assembly time.
Can I store these cookies in the fridge/freezer?
Of course! I personally prefer my cookies chilled in the fridge. When storing in the freezer make sure to leave them at room temp for at least an hour before serving.
How many cookies does this recipe yield? Can I make smaller cookies?
This recipe makes 9 cookies when using a large cookie scooper (3 tbsp). Of course, you can! To make about 18 small cookies use a small cookie scooper and bake them for about 8 minutes or until crispy on the bottom and edges.
Recipe
Chocolate Cookie Base
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of light brown sugar
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder
1 and 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
5 Oreo’s without the filling, crushed
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of kosher sea salt
Mousse Topping
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (softened)
3/4 cup of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
9 gummy worms
Notes:
*Let cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes or I prefer letting them cool for 5 mins then placing in the fridge to cool completely for another 5-10 min.
Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 12 min
Cool time: 20 min
Servings: 9
Instructions
In a stand mixer with the beater attachment cream together the 1/2 cup of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 2 tbsp of sugar until light and creamy.
Add 1 egg and 1 tsp of vanilla until fully combined. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder until combined.
Add in 1 and 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 cup of cocoa, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix together until fully combined.
Take your 5 Oreos, remove the filling and crush up until they are crumbs. Place onto a plate to roll cookies on.
Using a large cookie scooper scoop out 9 equally sized balls, roll into balls, roll in Oreo crumbs until coated, and place on a large prepared baking sheet. (save some crumbs for topping) Make sure to spread them out evenly so as to not run together. Using your hand or the bottom of a measuring cup flatten the cookies slightly.
Bake the cookies in a 350F preheated oven for about 12 minutes. Let them cool for 15 minutes (see notes).
For the mousse attach your stand mixer with the whisk and cream together the 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
In the microwave melt the 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate until melted about 2 minutes (add in a tablespoon of milk to make smoother) set aside to cool a bit.
Add in the 1 tsp of vanilla, 2 tablespoons of pudding mix, and 1 tbsp of milk until combined. Lastly, mix in the melted chocolate until smooth..
When cookies are fully cooled scoop an even amount of mousse onto each cookie and smooth out. Repeat for each cookie.
Place gummy worms and remainder of Oreo crumbs on top of each cookie.
Allow cookies to chill before serving.
