Can I make Beach Bear Dirt Cups ahead of time?

Yes, you can make Beach Bear Dirt Cups ahead of time, but the best method is to prep the parts separately. Make the blue pudding and crush the Golden Oreos up to 1 day in advance, then store the pudding in the refrigerator and the crumbs in an airtight container at room temperature. A few hours before serving, layer the cups and chill them. Add the Teddy Grahams, gummy Life Savers, umbrellas, and other candy right before serving so the cookies stay crisp and the decorations look fresh.

Can I use vanilla pudding instead of white chocolate pudding?

Yes, vanilla pudding works very well in this recipe, and it gives Beach Bear Dirt Cups a classic pudding-cup flavor. White chocolate pudding adds a slightly richer, creamier taste, but vanilla pudding blends nicely with Golden Oreo crumbs and whipped topping. You can also use cheesecake pudding for a tangy flavor or premade vanilla pudding cups when you need a very quick shortcut. Just stir in a little blue food coloring, then layer the pudding with crumbs and decorate as usual.

What can I use instead of Golden Oreos?

You can use graham crackers, vanilla wafers, shortbread cookies, or golden sandwich cookies instead of Golden Oreos. Graham cracker crumbs create a lighter, less sweet sand, while vanilla wafers give the cups a buttery flavor. If you want the sand to look more realistic, crush the cookies finely and mix in a spoonful of slightly darker crumbs. Avoid very soft cookies because they turn pasty once crushed. No matter which crumb you choose, keep the texture fine so the top looks like a sandy beach.

Beach Bear Dirt Cups: Easy 8-Serving Summer Treat

Description

Beach Bear Dirt Cups are cute no-bake summer pudding cups made with blue pudding, Golden Oreo sand, Teddy Grahams, and gummy Life Saver floaties. They are perfect for pool parties, birthdays, classroom treats, and beach-themed gatherings.

Ingredients

1 package, 3.4 ounces, instant white chocolate pudding mix
2 cups cold milk
Blue gel food coloring, as needed
4 ounces whipped topping, thawed
20 Golden Oreos, crushed into fine crumbs
16 Teddy Grahams
16 gummy Life Savers
8 clear plastic cups, 5 to 9 ounces each
Optional: paper drink umbrellas, sunshine toppers, Swedish fish, or sour candy strips

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Instructions

Place the Golden Oreos in a food processor and pulse until they look like fine beach sand. You can also crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin.
Add the pudding mix and cold milk to a large bowl. Whisk for about 2 minutes, or until the pudding begins to thicken.
Add blue gel food coloring a little at a time and stir until the pudding looks like bright ocean water.
Gently fold in the whipped topping until the pudding mixture looks smooth, fluffy, and evenly colored.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of Golden Oreo crumbs into the bottom of each clear cup.
Add a generous layer of blue pudding over the crumbs, filling each cup about two-thirds full.
Spoon more Golden Oreo crumbs over only half of the top of each cup to create a sand-and-water beach look.
Press each Teddy Graham gently into a gummy Life Saver so it looks like a bear floating in a tube.
Place two Teddy Graham floaties on the blue pudding in each cup.
Add optional umbrellas, sunshine toppers, Swedish fish, or sour candy strips right before serving.
Chill until ready to serve and enjoy cold.

Notes

For the crispest Teddy Grahams, add the cookie bears and candy decorations shortly before serving.
Use whole milk for a richer pudding texture.
Vanilla pudding can replace white chocolate pudding.
Graham cracker crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs can replace Golden Oreo crumbs.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but expect the cookie decorations to soften.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: No-Bake
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 pudding cup
Calories: 265
Sugar: 26
Sodium: 260
Fat: 10
Saturated Fat: 5
Unsaturated Fat: 4
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 41
Fiber: 1
Protein: 3
Cholesterol: 8