Gummy Work Dirt Cupcakes

Upclose image of batch of chocolate cupcakes topped with homemade chocolate frosting, Oreo cookie crumbs, and sour gummy worms.

5 from 12 votes

These Gummy Worm Dirt Cupcakes are super fun to make and delicious to eat! Easy to whip up using your favorite chocolate cake mix, topped with a chocolate cream cheese frosting, Oreo cookie crumbs, and your choice of gummy worms.

Author: Nikki Lee

Servings: cupcakes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Ingredients

Cupcakes

▢ 1 box Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (plus ingredients needed on package: 3 Eggs, 1 ¼ cup water or milk, ½ vegetable oil)

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

▢ ½ cup milk chocolate chips melted
▢ ½ cup butter (1 stick) softened - this can be salted or unsalted with ⅛ tsp salt added to recipe
▢ 8 ounces cream cheese block softened
▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
▢ 2 cups powder sugar
▢ ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Toppings

▢ 15 Oreo Cookies crushed
▢ 1-2 packs gummy worms of your choice

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Instructions

Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cupcake/muffin pans with paper liners. Then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, prepare the cake mix as per box instructions, being careful not to overmix. You can use whole milk or even chocolate milk in place of water to make the cupcakes for even more flavor.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. Stir with a spoon and place it back in the microwave for another 15 seconds if needed, stirring in between, until it is melted and smooth. Be careful not to overheat it as it will dry out the chocolate. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl using a stand or handheld mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Then add the melted chocolate and mix until it is well incorporated. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. You can add more sugar if you would like it to be sweeter. Then add the cocoa powder and mix again until it is fully incorporated. Make sure to scrape down the sides and mix as needed. Add in the vanilla extract and give it one more mix. Set aside.

Oreo Topping

Place Oreos into the food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs. No need to remove the centers. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cookies in a zip lock bag and crush it with a rolling pin until you get crumbs. Place into a bowl and set aside.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, you can decorate! You can spoon the frosting on top or use a piping bag. I used a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M tip. Dip each cupcake into the bowl of crushed Oreo crumbs or sprinkle one or two spoonfuls of Oreo dirt on top. Place a gummy worm on top of each. You can use whole worms or cut them in half and just stick the cut side into the frosting a bit so it sticks and looks as if they are coming out of the dirt.
Have fun and get creative with it. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Be sure butter and cream cheese are at room temperature so the frosting is smooth and lump-free.
If you want to skip the homemade frosting, you can buy already prepared frosting and make this even easier. The icing comes together really quickly however this can be a timesaving option.
You do not need a piping bag for the frosting - you may also put the chocolate icing in a plastic bag and cut one of the corners to pipe on or just use a spoon or knife to spread it on top of the cupcake. After all, it's going to be covered in the dirt anyway!
All oven temperatures vary so be mindful the first time you bake. You want a wooden pick to come out with a few crumbs. Don't overbake so that you will have a nice moist cupcake.

Nutrition

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