The sweetest no-bake dessert there ever was, this Easter dirt cake is hopping with adorable bunny Peeps, chocolate candies, and shredded coconut grass on top of a classic oreo dirt cake base.
Why this recipe works
This Easter dirt cake is a festive twist on classic dirt cake topped with bunny marshmallows, egg-shaped chocolate candies, and shredded coconut grass.
This sweet pudding dessert is one of our favorite Easter desserts to make, and it’s so easy! Perfect for your holiday dessert spread alongside some Easter bunny cupcakes or rice krispie nests.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
OREOS – Crush your Oreo cookies whole, cream included for both the topping and the crust. You can use a food processor to create a fine crumb or place them into a large ziptop bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Use regular stuffed Oreos, not double stuffed.
CAKE – Just like a classic dirt cake, you’ll use instant vanilla pudding. However, you can certainly switch up the flavor of the pudding to your liking! Chocolate, white chocolate, cheesecake, and even butterscotch pudding are all great options. Sugar-free instant pudding will work just fine as well in this cake.
TOPPING – Crushed oreo cookies, shredded coconut, bunny Peeps, and mini candy eggs are what make this dessert Easter-themed. Mix the shredded coconut with green food coloring to create grass on top of the “dirt”, but you can also use green sprinkles or candy grass. Cadbury, M&M, Hershey eggs, or any other Easter candies work well for decoration.
How to Make Easter Dirt Cake
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Add Oreos (filling included) to a food processor and blend until they reach a fine crumb. You can also place them in a large zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Set aside 1/3 (around 9-10 cookies worth) of the Oreo mixture for the top of the cake. Press the remaining Oreo crumbs evenly into the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish.
- With a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese, beating until smooth and creamy, about 25-45 seconds.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing to combine on low speed.
- Fold the cool whip into the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and instant vanilla pudding until smooth and the mixture begins to slightly thicken. Allow the mixture to set in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
- Fold the cream cheese mixture into the pudding mixture.
- Pour over the Oreo crust, spreading gently to evenly distribute.
- Add the remaining Oreo crumbs evenly on top of the dessert.
- Cover and refrigerate for at minimum 4 hours or overnight.
- For the topping, mix the shredded coconut with green food coloring to create “grass”. Sprinkle on top of cake.
- Gently place the Peeps on top of the cake, pressing down slightly to make sure they stick up right.
- Scatter chocolate eggs near the peeps and throughout any empty spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, you can freeze this dessert. If you plan on freezing this dessert for later, do not add the Peeps, chocolate eggs, or shredded coconut until you are ready to serve. Freeze covered with an air-tight lid or wrapped in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then decorate with remaining ingredients.
Absolutely. You can make this dessert a day in advance and store it tightly covered in the refrigerator. I prefer to use baking dishes that come with an air-tight lid, but you can wrap it with plastic wrap as well. Do not add the Peeps, shredded coconut, or mini eggs until you’re ready to serve – this way the chocolate doesn’t get too hard and the Peeps don’t go stale. You can pre-mix the shredded coconut with food coloring a day in advance as well.
Serving Suggestions
Pop the Easter dirt cake into the freezer for about an hour before serving for nice clean slices. After slicing, allow it to thaw for 15-20 minutes before enjoying.
As shown above, you can also use regular Peeps for decorating if you can’t find bunny Peeps near you. Have fun with the toppings and get creative. Use sprinkles or other Easter-themed candies to make it your own!
More Easter Dessert Recipes
- Carrot Cake Trifle
- Easter Poke Cake
- Bird Nest Cookies
- Bunny Butt Cupcakes
- Easter Muddy Buddies
- Bunny Butt Pancakes
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Easter Dirt Cake
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 19.1 oz Oreos regular stuffed, crushed and divided
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 Tbsp salted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar aka icing sugar or confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz Cool Whip thawed
- 6.8 oz instant vanilla pudding 2 – 3.4 oz boxes
- 3 cups milk cold
Topping
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 15 drops green food coloring or to desired color
- 9 Bunny Peeps 9-12 peeps
- 20-25 mini candy eggs Cadbury, M&M, or Hershey’s eggs
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Pop the dessert into the freezer for about an hour before serving for nice clean slices.
- Switch up the flavor of the pudding to your liking. Chocolate, white chocolate, cheesecake, and even butterscotch pudding are all great options. Sugar-free instant pudding will work just fine as well in this cake.
- It is truly up to you on how thick you’d like the crust and the top coat of Oreo crumbs to be. There is no wrong way, so eyeball it to your liking. We have made the layers both thin and thick, and it’s delicious either way! The only thing to note is that you’ll want the crust to be a bit thicker than the top coat so the base is fairly sturdy when removing a slice from the pan.
Instructions
- Add Oreos (filling included) to a food processor and blend until they reach a fine crumb. You can also place them in a large zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Set aside 1/3 (around 9-10 cookies worth) of the Oreo mixture for the top of the cake. Press the remaining Oreo crumbs evenly into the bottom of a 13×9 pan.
- With a hand mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese, beating until smooth and creamy, about 25-45 seconds.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing to combine on low speed.
- Fold the cool whip into the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and instant vanilla pudding until smooth and the mixture begins to slightly thicken. Allow the mixture to set in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
- Fold the cream cheese mixture into the pudding mixture.
- Pour over the Oreo crust, spreading gently to evenly distribute.
- Add the remaining Oreo crumbs evenly on top of the dessert.
- Cover and refrigerate for at minimum 4 hours or overnight.
- For the topping, mix the shredded coconut with green food coloring to create “grass”. Sprinkle on top of cake.
- Gently place the Peeps on top of the cake, pressing down slightly to make sure they stick up right.
- Scatter chocolate eggs near the peeps and throughout any empty spaces.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Trudy says
Made this years ago loved it