This kitty litter cake may look unpleasantly realistic with its crumbled “litter” and chocolate “surprises,” but beneath the icky appearance is a soft, moist dirt cake tossed with pudding and cookies!
Why this recipe works
I know, kitty litter cake may look gag-worthy, but it’s actually a tasty treat! It’s essentially a dirt cake made with cake mix, vanilla pudding, crumbled cookies, and Tootsie Rolls. I’ve made this quite a few times over the past 10 years, and without fail, it’s the talk of every Halloween party I’ve brought it to!
One of the main reasons this kitty litter cake looks so real is due to the small amount of cookie crumbs that are colored with a smidge of green food coloring. This makes it look like the green chlorophyll in cat litter. The more realistic, the better! It’s a fun little switch-up from the swarm of cutesy Halloween party foods out there if you’re going for more of a classic spooky or “gross” vibe.
RELATED – These Boogers on a Stick are another good but gross Halloween party idea that’s super easy to make!
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
CAKE – Pick two flavors of cake mix. Either yellow and chocolate, or white and chocolate. Having the two stark color differences helps give the cake a more realistic look.
COOKIES – Golden Oreos are perfect here, but you can easily substitute with off-brand vanilla sandwich cookies with the same results.
PUDDING – Make sure to grab instant vanilla pudding. Feel free to use other pudding flavors as well. I’ve previously made this cake with pistachio pudding, and it came out just as good!
SERVING – You can grab a small, cheap kitty litter box to serve it in, same goes for the pooper scooper. I found mine at the dollar store, and it was the smallest one they offered. It goes without saying that the box should be brand new! Give it a good wash before using. You don’t want too large of a cat box as the cake won’t take up that much space. Try to find one that’s rather shallow if possible. The photos here show this cake made in an 18x14x5 box.
How to Make Kitty Litter 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.
- Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions on the back of the box (any size pans, but 13×9 is easiest).
- Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.
- Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup.
- To the 1/4 cup of cookie crumbs, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix using your fingers until it reaches an even green color.
- When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into the new litter box. Toss with half the remaining cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don’t want it soggy. Combine gently.
- Put three unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave-safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls and bury in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of the cookie crumbs over the top.
- Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. (This is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.)
- Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; then sprinkle with cookie crumbs.
- Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Serve with a new pooper scooper.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store any leftovers covered tightly with plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes, you can prepare this kitty litter cake the day before serving. Simply wrap the top with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your kitty litter cake slightly above room temperature. You can make it a day in advance or prepare it the morning of, then store it in the fridge until about 30-40 minutes before serving to allow it some time to come down to room temperature. Happy Halloween!
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Kitty Litter 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 Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 15.25 ounce chocolate cake mix prepared
- 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix prepared
- 5.1 ounces vanilla instant pudding mix one large box, prepared
- 25 ounces vanilla sandwich cookies such as Golden Oreos
- Green food coloring
- 15 small Tootsie Rolls
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Pick two flavors of cake mix. Either yellow and chocolate, or white and chocolate. Having the two stark color differences helps give the cake a more realistic look. Be sure to grab the ingredients needed on the back of the boxes to prepare the cake mixes as well.
- Cake mix weights have changed over the years. It won’t make a drastic difference if your cake mix weighs in at 15.25 ounces or 13.25 ounces. Either will work.
- You can grab a small, cheap kitty litter box to serve it in, same goes for the pooper scooper. I found mine at the dollar store, and it was the smallest one they offered. It goes without saying that the box should be brand new! Give it a good wash before using. You don’t want too large of a cat box as the cake won’t take up that much space. Try to find one that’s rather shallow if possible. The photos here show this cake made in an 18x14x5 box.
Instructions
- Prepare cake mixes and bake according to box directions (any size pans, but 13×9 is easiest).15.25 ounce chocolate cake mix, 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.5.1 ounces vanilla instant pudding mix
- Crumble the sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup.25 ounces vanilla sandwich cookies
- To the 1/4 cup of cookie crumbs, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix using your fingers until it reaches an even green color.
- When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into the new litter box. Toss with half the remaining cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don’t want it soggy. Combine gently.
- Put three unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie Rolls and bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over the top.
- Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. (This is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.)
- Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; then sprinkle with cookie crumbs.
- Spread the remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Serve with a new pooper scooper.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store any leftovers covered tightly with plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- You can prepare this kitty litter cake the day before serving. Simply wrap the top with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This kitty litter cake originally appeared here on October 30th, 2011 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips. Below is the original image that gained popularity over the years!
Amanda Davis
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AC says
hi out there I have made this before but used tooties rolls it’s always a huge hit. we had the neighborhood throw parties. for the kids they always love it and mom’s always ask for the recipe… be safe and take care
Amanda Davis says
Yes we also use tootsie rolls! It’s definitely a super fun recipe!
Jeneal Duke says
The first time I served this at an office party, nobody would try it til they saw me have some. Then everyone enjoyed the cake and a good laugh.
Hilda Hickman` says
I have made and eaten the Kitty Litter cake for the past several years at Halloween. I have never had a bad reaction. My friends all have a great sense of humor so maybe that is the problem. If you can’t enjoy a good joke then forget about making or trying to eat the Kitty Litter cake.
Sherrie says
The presentation was so good people couldn’t get past the looks 🤢.
The taste was absolutely tasteless & disgusting!
If you manage to be courageous & get past the looks; the taste will still make you spit it out 🤮
I normally carry the title of dessert queen 👸.
My reputation took a hard hit on this recipe.
This is the first time I watched more kitty litter dessert going in the trash than in anybody’s mouths!!
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry to hear that! I’ve actually never had anyone say it tasted bad before. Are you sure you followed the directions and didn’t make any substitutions?
Shelby says
This is always a huge hit with my coworkers. I don’t understand what Sherrie’s issue was but clearly she didn’t get the premise of the cake. The cake tastes great and the whole point of the cake is to get a response out of people. I hope her tarnished reputation has recovered. LOL
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and for all the hard work you put into helping all of us. It does not go unnoticed. You are awesome!!!
P.S. For those that never received the lesson as a child, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” :)
Heidi F Oliver says
Need to post to refrigerate if you have an event the following day
Marie says
Shelby, What I don’t get is why you felt you had to belittle someone who was giving an honest review based on her experience. Just because you thought the cake tasted good doesn’t mean that was Sherrie’s experience. That is the whole purpose of a review, to give your opinion based on your experience, not what you think the author or others want to hear! By the way your PS is BS! That childhood saying has no context when it comes to giving a review!
Irene says
I’m a bit confused on how to serve it ???
I don’t see how crumbled cake can be cut into pieces .. do folks eat with a spoon after being served a ‘scoop’ full ???
Amanda Formaro says
Serve with a scoop and eat with a spoon or fork – the pudding makes the cake really moist. and while it can’t be cut, it does stick together
Heather R says
I am not sure how chocolate and vanilla cake and pistachio pudding with crumbled cookies could possibly be tasteless. I’m also baffled. This recipe is soooo good! Made it for my husband as a Halloween joke and it looks like I’ll be making this every year!