Healthy Halloween Dirt Cups (Refined Sugar Free)

Worms in Dirt Never Tasted So Good

Who knew healthy Halloween Dirt cups were even possible? You know, those rich-looking chocolate desserts you see on Pinterest that are adorable and filled with refined sugar? Well, this recipe is just as adorable but without any of the refined sugar!

And also, let me just begin by saying that these dirt and worms cups are absolutely amazing. No kid would ever guess that they are made entirely without processed sugar (and no alternative sweeteners either).

They are rich, they are creamy, they are packed full of chocolate flavor and the homemade gummy worms on top? Let’s just say I have to literally hide them from my children in order to make two batches last more than a day.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that these healthy Halloween dirt cups taste anything but healthy and kids absolutely cannot resist them. Plus, they are some of the cutest decorations you can place on a Halloween party table.

I will admit that these are going to require more time to make than your typical Halloween dirt and worms cups that are made with Oreos and prepackaged chocolate pudding since each element is made from scratch. But if you are a planner and make your chocolate date cookies and fruit gummies ahead of time, it is completely manageable.

The hardest part about these chocolate dirt cups is trying not to eat them up before the kids get to them. Not even kidding, I’ve been eating up my recently-made batch faster than my kids 😀

I will also mention that my 3-year-old was pretty upset that I was going to making the chocolate cookies into “dirt”. But once she tasted the result, she was thrilled to eat dirt for dessert.

If you are looking for super cute healthy Halloween desserts for kids that can win over the eyeballs, the tummies and the health-conscious parents, these healthy Halloween dirt cups are the full package 🙂

When to Make Healthy Dirt Cups

As I already mentioned, you will need to plan ahead a bit if you want to follow my recommendation to make your own refined sugar free gummy worms and chocolate cookies.

Since both will stay good in the fridge for quite a while, I suggest making the gummies one day and making the cookies another day a week or several days before you want to assemble the dirt and worms cups. This way everything is broken down into three make-ahead recipes instead of trying to do it all in a short period of time.

You can also assemble the healthy Halloween dirt cups themselves several days ahead of time as they will also stay fresh in the fridge. I know I always prefer to make things ahead whenever I can, especially if I’m preparing for a party that is already so much work at the last minute.

But on the other hand, if you just don’t have the time to make the gummy worms and chocolate cookies, you can buy those and still make the chocolate cream in this recipe to lighten up on the refined sugar.

And speaking of parties, these dirt

And something else I have to mention is that this easy cut out cookie recipe is so simple and quick to make that it’s absolutely perfect for busy holiday seasons when you already have a million other things to do and a million other recipes to make in a short time.

There is no chill time required for this easy sugar cookie recipe, which means that if you are free for the next 30 minutes, you can fully mix up, roll out and cut out these cookies! And then you can move on to your other holiday recipes while they bake. How perfect is that?

These are also such a great way to bake with little kids. My toddler loves to help me cut out and taste test these cookies every single time I make them. And I love that I don’t have to stress over her eating too much refined sugar in the process.

Ingredients

• Chocolate Cookies: My recipe for date-sweetened chocolate cookies for the dirt crumbles makes this healthy Halloween dirt cups recipe a much more wholesome alternative to the typical recipe that uses Oreos.

• Homemade Gummies: Homemade gummies are easy to make, unbelievably desirable to kids and also keep this decadent treat refined-sugar-free.

• Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy whipping cream is the base of the healthier chocolate filling in these dirt cups. Instead of processed chocolate pudding, this chocolate filling is made with wholefood ingredients. I try to buy organic when possible.

• Raw Honey: Raw honey is the unprocessed, immune-boosting sweetener in the chocolate filling.

• Cocoa Powder: Coca powder or cacao powder is the source of rich chocolate flavor in the rich filling.

• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds just a bit more flavor to the filling. Make sure you have genuine 100% vanilla extract rather than vanilla flavoring.

Instructions

Step 1

Blend up the entire batch of cocoa cookies in a food processor or small blender (I love my Ninja Express Chop for this).

Divide cookie crumbs evenly between three bowls. Each bowl will be for one layer of cookie crumbs in your dirt cups. Set aside until you have your other ingredients ready.

Step 2

Add heavy cream, honey, cocoa powder and vanilla to a chilled mixing bowl and use the whisk attachment to whip the chocolate cream until stiff peaks form.

Step 3

Set out your plastic cups. Using one bowl of cookie crumbs, spoon the crumbs into the cups, dividing the amount between all the cups.

Step 4

Fill a piping bag with the chocolate whipped cream and pipe a circle of cream on top of the layer of cookie crumbs in each cup, ending by filling the center.

Step 5

Use the next bowl of cookie crumbs to spoon on top of the chocolate cream layer in each cup.

Repeat the chocolate cream and cookie crumb layers one more time to end with cookie crumb “dirt” on top.

Step 6

Lay 4 gummy worms on the top layer of cookie crumbs in each cup.

Cover each cup with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Substitutions & Tips

• To make these dirt and worms cups easier to put together, you could buy some healthier chocolate cookies to crumble and/or buy some healthier organic gummy worms. Although it won’t be a refined-sugar-free treat, you will still have a healthier, less processed treat that is quicker and easier to make.

• If you are going to make your own chocolate cookies and gummy worms (which I highly recommend because it is so worth it!), break up the recipes between several days. Everything can be made ahead of time, so you can make the cookies one day and the gummy worms another day even a week before you need to assemble the dirt cups.

• You can even assemble these dirt cups for kids ahead of time. They will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week. So go ahead and take a load off of your last-minute to-do list for your Halloween kids party.

• These are very chocolatey treats. If you want to cut back on the chocolate/caffeine, you can make your cream filling vanilla instead of chocolate. To do this, simply omit the cocoa powder and cut the honey amount down to 173 grams.