Dirt cakes / dirt cups are just one of those summer treats that brings back great memories. Having fudge pops from the ice cream truck is another. I want my boys to have these memories as well, so I was planning some fun treats and that’s when it hit me…what if I combined both desserts into one delicious Frozen Dirt Cake Fudge Pops dessert?
Have you ever had those strawberry crunch bars? Oh man, those have been one of my guilty pleasures for years. I love the crunchy coating on the outside of those, so I wanted to sort of mimic that for this frozen summer treat.
These pudding pops are so much fun for the kids because they have a dirty little secret…hidden gummy worms! Dig into the edible “dirt” and “mud” until you find these squirmy worms. Note: the worms do freeze a bit, so they won’t be quite as slinky and squishy, but they will be delicious!
When summer is over, try these Pumpkin Patch Pudding Cups!
Prepare yourself, though. Summer wouldn’t be truly complete without getting a bit messy and these Frozen Dirt Cake Fudge Pops can get a bit messy. Bring the kids outside, have them wear play clothing or swimsuits, and let them just have at it.
Use this delicious “muddy” treat as a sensory activity. Describe the different textures. Get a bit messy. Excavate for the worms. Just have fun! Involve the kids in making these fun Frozen Dirt Cake Fudge Pops. Let them choose which color worms they want to hide!
Frozen Dirt Cake Fudge Pops
Ingredients
- Chocolate pudding
- Chocolate sandwich cookies, ground up (I use this brand food processor)
- Gummy worms
Directions
1. Prepare the chocolate pudding according to package instructions (or your recipe, if you prefer homemade). I used pretty much the recommended amount of milk to make regular pudding, but you may want to add just a tiny bit more for a little wetter consistency.
2. Scoop a small amount of pudding into your ice pop mold. I used the cheapo kind and they did not want to detach and pull out of that plastic, but I’ve seen great results with this type of mold, so I recommend using that.
Want another fun pudding cup idea? How about these Ladybug Dirt Cups?
3. Add a gummy worm.
4. Add another thin layer of pudding then another gummy worm. Push it in.
5. Include one last layer of pudding to cover the gummy worms. If desired, you can leave a little of the worm sticking out. Be sure not to over-fill your ice pop molds; the higher the filling goes, the more difficult they will be to remove (you can see mine are a little over-filled…I wouldn’t go too far past that plastic bit holding them all together.).
6. Using a butter knife or craft stick, push the pudding down on the sides so it fills the whole mold. Give them a little tap, tap, tap on the counter so everything settles and you don’t have large air bubbles.
7. Using press and seal plastic wrap, cover the top of the molds, pressing the wrap down along the top edges of the molds. If your mold comes with a lid, you can use this, however the plastic wrap was easier for me to remove as I chose not to use the plastic bases mine came with.
8. Cut a small slit in the center of the cling wrap over each pudding pop.
9. Insert a clean craft stick through this opening (I used these wider craft sticks so they are easier for the kids to hold), pushing down nearly to the bottom, but not all the way. You’ll want to leave enough space for little (and big) hands to hold the delicious frozen treat to eat it.
10. Freeze the pops for at least 4 hours, until frozen solid.
11. Remove the pops from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and remove them from the container by submerging the mold into warm water. Your mold should give you great instructions to follow for this.
12. While the outside of the fudge pops is still a bit soft from being melted out of the containers, you’ll want to coat them in the crushed sandwich cookies. You can grind these cookies so they are finer like mine, or you can make them a little heartier like that delicious strawberry crunch bar I mentioned earlier.
Put the crushed cookie on a plate then dip each Frozen Dirt Cake Fudge Pop into the chocolaty goodness until the front, top, and back are covered. If it’s a little messy and didn’t quite pull out perfectly, no worries!
Mine were a mess; they just look more natural, right? totally fitting for “dirt” cakes.
13. Place these coated fudge pops onto a plate covered in wax paper and pop them back into the freezer for at least 15 minutes so they harden back up.
You’ll love these delicious (and nutritious) Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake Bites.
Serve the frozen pops immediately. Because they are made with pudding, they will soften a bit more quickly than other types of ice pops. Freeze a little extra if necessary.
Invite friends over to join in on the fun! Make it a summer tradition! Have wipes and paper towels (or a sprinkler and beach towels) handy for clean-up.
Get your hands dirty with actual dirt and try out this DIY Succulent Fairy Garden activity!
Are there any treats that bring back summer memories for you? What was your favorite frozen treat to get from the ice cream truck?
Read also: Summer Vacation Packing Tips | Utilize Your Smartphone and Emoji Fruit Cup Craft (Plus a FREE Printable)
These look like fun! I’m sure the kids would love them.
Pudding and cookie crumbs seems too easy to be true.
These look tasty. I always liked getting the crunchy strawberry ones from the ice cream truck when I was younger. Or the Mickey Mouse or Dubble Bubble ones.
This is such a cute idea and I bet kids love them! I always loved Nutty Buddy cones.
Ooh those are good! Yes, the kids had so much fun with these. They had a friend over when we made them and the whole treat and activity was a hit!
My son loves to make things in the kitchen lately. He would absolutely love these!!
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