Vegan Dirt Cups From Scratch (Gluten-Free)

Dirt cups for Halloween decorated with small shovels, ghosts, and pumpkins.

Vegan Dirt Cups From Scratch (Gluten-Free)

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Chill time 4

Total Time 4 35

Servings:6 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

Dirt cups are a fun throwback, and we're giving them a homemade, vegan, and gluten-free twist! No Oreos, pudding mix, or whipped topping needed. Just as delicious and versatile as the original, they're perfect for Halloween or decorated for other themes throughout the year!

Yield: makes enough "dirt" and pudding for about six individual cups or one 8- or 9-inch square dirt cake.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

For the vanilla pudding:

2¾ cups unsweetened non-dairy milk - I like a combination of soy and oat milk
1 cup raw cashews - or blanched almonds or almond flour
½ cup sugar - see Notes for subs
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup cornstarch - or arrowroot

For the dirt:

½ cup blanched almond flour - packed
¼ cup oat flour - or additional almond flour
3 Tablespoons black cocoa powder
4 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
3 Tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Make the pudding:

Tip: For easier blending, cover the cashews with boiling water and soak 1 hour, then drain. If using a high speed bender, soaking isn't necessary.
Combine 1 cup of milk and the cashews in a high speed blender. Blend for about 1 minute or until smooth. Add the remaining 1¾ cups milk, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Blend again until completely smooth. Taste for sweetness and acidity and adjust as desired. Add the cornstarch and blend for a few seconds.
Pour the mixture into a heavy-bottomed pot. Over medium-low heat and whisking frequently, slowly heat the pudding until thick and creamy. This should take about 12–15 minutes. Heating it too quickly can scald the milk and cause lumps. Once thickened, remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl or glass container. Press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, 4 hours to overnight.

Make the "dirt:"

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175°C), and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, black cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Add the maple syrup, and use a fork to thoroughly mix it into the dry ingredients. It will look dry at first, but just keep mixing until it resembles crumbled Oreo cookies.
Spread evenly on the baking sheet, making sure it's not crowded. Bake for about 7 minutes or until it's just starting to seem crisp. It won't be fully crisp until it cools. Allow to cool completely before assembling the dirt cups or storing.

Assemble dirt cups:

There are no hard rules about how to layer dirt cups, other than finishing with dirt on top! I like to start with a layer of dirt on the bottom, followed by pudding, more dirt, more pudding, and dirt on top. Decorate as desired and serve now, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Notes

Curious about making this in a 13x9 dish? Please see that section above.

Make Ahead Tips & Storing:

Both components can both be made a day in advance, which makes these great for parties. Keep the pudding covered in the fridge, and store the crumb mixture at room temp in a covered container.

Assemble the dessert cups just before serving so the "dirt" stays crisp. Although, honestly it's still good even after softening a bit. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days

Variations & Decorating:

Halloween theme - vegan gummy worms are nearly impossible to find, but other shapes and types of candy are fun, too. I found the shovels and tombstones and plastic picks/cupcake toppers on Amazon.

Sand cups - For a vanilla "sand" cup look similar to recipes that use golden Oreos, omit the cocoa, add a generous pinch of vanilla powder to the almond flour mixture, and reduce the maple syrup to 2 Tbsp. It's perfect for beach themes, summer parties, or baby showers.

Other additions - Add crushed freeze-dried fruit to the sand or pudding for color. Sprinkle in chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips for extra texture. Add sliced banana for banana pudding vibes. Around the holidays, peppermint extract and crushed candy canes make them feel festive!

Nutrition