Chocolate Dirt Cups with Ghost Meringue Toppers
Rich chocolate pudding cups topped with crushed cookies and airy ghost-shaped meringues for a spooky Halloween dessert. This American-inspired Halloween recipe, ready in about 70 minutes, pairs instant chocolate pudding mix, cold milk, whipped topping for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 330 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 cup whipped topping
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk 1 package (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix with 2 cups cold milk for 2 minutes until thickened; refrigerate for 5 minutes.
- Step 2: Fold 1 cup whipped topping into the pudding mixture until smooth and creamy.
- Step 3: Divide pudding evenly into 6 clear cups, then top each with 1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies to create the 'dirt' layer.
- Step 4: Preheat oven to 225°F. In a clean bowl, beat 2 large egg whites with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Step 5: Using a piping bag or spoon, shape the meringue into small ghost shapes on a parchment-lined baking sheet; use mini chocolate chips for eyes.
- Step 6: Bake meringue ghosts for 45 minutes until dry to the touch; cool completely.
- Step 7: Place one meringue ghost on top of each dirt cup before serving.








