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!

a piece of oreo dirt cake on a plate with a fork

Why you’ll love this Oreo Dirt Cake recipe:

Crushed Oreos, cream cheese, pudding and Cool Whip. Need I say more?
Takes only 20 minutes to put together.
A great make ahead dessert.
Cool and refreshing for warm summer months.

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.

cream cheese and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl

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.

Oreo Dirt Cake

4.56 from 88 votes

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.

Servings 15

Prep Time 20

Chill Time 4

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Ingredients

19.1 ounces Oreo cookies (family size package)
½ cup salted butter (softened)
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces frozen whipped topping (thawed)
6.8 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix (2 small boxes)
3 cups whole milk

Instructions

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 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.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours before cutting and serving.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**