Like most kids, mine are all about the sweets. Dirt Pie, also known as Dirt Cake, is always a request during birthdays and special events. You’d think they’d get tired of this sickeningly sweet dessert. Lucky for them, I love to make it. I don’t think I’ve made the same style two times in a row. The following 7 tips on making Dirt Pie include some decorating ideas, as well as a few tips on the actual making of this yummy treat.
Photo Credit: mrvklaw
I used to place all the cookies in a gallon baggie and take the rolling pin to them. I ended up poking holes in the bag a number of times and ended up with a bit of a mess at the end. I found it easier to crush the cookies a few at a time in a bowl with my potato masher. I ended up with a lot less chunks of cookies leftover too. The ‘dirt’ was much more uniform in texture and color.
Photo Credit: larkspur8
Have you ever been ready to make a dessert, but then find out you are missing one little thing? More than once I’ve forgotten to check the pantry for powdered sugar. I almost always have white and brown sugar, since I bake with these often. However, the only thing I use powdered sugar for is Dirt Pie so I can’t always make this dessert in the spur of the moment.
Photo Credit: Herbert Harper
I remember the first time I made this dessert and didn’t put in the gummy worms. Boy, did I ever hear about it! It seems that the kids are even happy if the worms are the smaller versions as well, since it seems gummy worms are getting shorter and shorter as the years go on. I’ve placed a few gummy bugs on top of the pie and this is acceptable with the kids as well.
Photo Credit: meandmybadself
Making Dirt Pie requires an accurate estimate of not only the amount of dessert you are making, but also finding the right size of container for the pie. When I made Dirt Pie for my son’s class in elementary school, I used clear disposable cups that only held about 7 spoonfuls of dessert. This was the perfect size for kids and easy to decorate with a small fake flower cut off of a larger bouquet.
Photo Credit: isaacizlov
The first few times I made this recipe, I stuck with the traditional design; flower pot with fake flowers in the center. I begin to look at the Dirt Pie as more than just dirt. I layered the mixes together in a 9 x 13 pan and created a flower garden. I filled a cauldron and placed rubber fingers and ears in the top layers. If you add the creamy mixture on last, it looks more like a white froth and perfect for the whole boiling cauldron effect.
Photo Credit: stillh20s
I’ve ended up with lots of leftover ‘dirt’ because I didn’t make the layers thick enough. I was worried about making the dessert too dry and slathered on the creamy layers, but forgot to compensate with the cookie mixture. This situation left me with about two and a half cups of extra crushed cookies.
Photo Credit: Rosedale Annie
Trying to speed up this dessert by lightly mixing the cream cheese, butter, and sugar together leaves a lot of chunks in the mix. I found that even if I hand mix these ingredients together, I still need to make sure and get the consistency as creamy as possible. It was kind of a downer to get a mouthful of cookie crumbs with a glob of cream cheese.
The 7 tips on making Dirt Pie that I’ve provided are just some personal ones that have helped me during my many creations. I’m sure you’ve come up with your own ideas that work best for you. Hopefully you’ll discover a new technique or idea that you like in my list! Do you have any different variations for making Dirt Pie that you’d like to share? Did you find this recipe to be time consuming the first time you made it?
Top Photo Credit: kjenkinsduffy