Ghost in the Graveyard Dessert
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This quick and easy no-bake Halloween dessert is so fun! A layer of fluffy chocolate pudding that’s topped with crushed Oreo cookies and decorated with Halloween candy and treats make this Ghost in the Graveyard Dessert delicious and spooky.

Spooky season is underway, and you’ll need this perfect spooky and sweet ghost in the graveyard dessert this year! This Halloween twist on the classic dirt pudding cups is the best. Not only will kids love it, but adults will too. It’s just so yummy and it looks so cool.
This Halloween graveyard dessert is perfect for parties in your home, and even as a kid-friendly dessert for classroom Halloween parties. If you’ve got a bake-sale around October, these would be an absolute hit! Every season deserves to have a fun themed dessert that taste amazing. Halloween just go so much better with this easy ghost in the graveyard recipe.
Why You’ll Love this Ghost in the Graveyard Dessert
- You can make this easy recipe in just over half an hour. Quick and easy to throw together for parties or even a fun dessert for the family.
- This recipe is easily customizable and adaptable to fit your preferences or dietary restrictions.
- Since these pudding cups are single serve, this is a great shareable treat for parties! No cutting or slicing to do at all.
Ingredients for Ghost in the Graveyard Dessert
- Chocolate pudding mix – Chocolate pudding goes best with the Oreos and cookie decor. But it is also the only pudding that mimics the color of mud/dirt!
- Oreo cookies – For an extra dirt colored look, get the Oreo cookies that have the chocolate filling instead of the traditional cream filling.
- Whipped topping – Whipped topping makes the fluffiest pudding ever! You can also use homemade whipped cream if you want.
- Milk – For the tastiest results, use whole milk instead of skim milk.
- Decorations – Pepperidge farm milano cookies and keebler fudge grahams are the perfect cookies to use to mimic tombstones! Grab some gummy worms as your creepy crawlers, and a few candy eyeballs for added spookiness. A little squeeze tube of gel icing will be useful too! Grab some melting chocolate to create homemade decorations.
How to Make this Ghost in the Graveyard Recipe
Start by whisking together the pudding mix and milk in a large mixing bowl until creamy and smooth. Then place mixture in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the fridge and fold in the whipped topping. Then place it back in the fridge to chill for 10-15 minutes.
While you wait for the whipped pudding to set, begin making the decorations.
But first, toss all of the Oreo cookies into the food processor and pulse until they form a dirt-like mixture to place on the top of the ghost in the graveyard dessert.
Make Decorations
Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. This is what you’ll build your decoration on. The baking sheet ensures you have a flat surface and will keep the parchment paper from sliding around everywhere.
Place 2-3 blocks of melting chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Stir the melted chocolate well, and if it needs more time then microwave it for 10-20 second intervals until melted.
Transfer the chocolate into a piping bag and snip the tip off of the bag.
Create dead trees by piping the chocolate onto the parchment paper in little tree shapes (see above picture).
Allow the chocolate to set for 10-15 minutes until hardened.
To make spooky tombstones, use gel frosting, or mix together powdered sugar and milk to make white frosting.
Write really old years or RIP onto the milano cookie or fudge grahams.
Build the Ghost Pudding Cups
Scoop chocolate pudding into each pudding cup and then sprinkle Oreo dirt over the top.
Pipe some whipped cream into a little ghost shape on top of each ghost in the graveyard dessert cup. Then push candy eyes into each mound.
Add a gummy worm or two to the cups, then a tree, and one or two tombstones.
There you have it! This halloween graveyard dessert is complete!
How to Store Ghost in the Graveyard Dessert
For best results, I recommend making this quick dessert the day of. However, if you need to make them ahead of time you can make each cup the day before you plan to serve them.
Cover each cup in plastic wrap and store the cookies and chocolate trees separately from the cups. Store in the refrigerator and build the cups before you plan to serve.
Can I still make this dessert if I don’t have parfait cups?
Yes! If you do not have any parfait/pudding cups you can still make this yummy dessert. Scoop pudding into a 9×13 casserole dish and then sprinkle the top with Oreo cookie crumbles. Then decorate just as you would each cup! Arrange the cookie tombstones in a random order and add a few trees, ghosts, and gummy worms.
What else can I add to ghost in the graveyard dessert cups?
Candy corn pumpkins would be a great addition to these fun ghost pudding cups. You can also make ghosts out of marshmallows instead of whipped cream! Just add some gel icing or candy eyes onto the marshmallow and place it on top of the pudding cups.
Around Halloween, you can sometimes even find candy bugs. Add a few candy spiders to these creepy dessert cups for extra spook!
Pro Tips
- If you need the trees to set more quickly, place the baking sheet in the fridge for a couple of minutes.
- Store the cups in the refrigerator until you are ready to place them on the dessert table and serve!
- Make each cup look a little different so that no two are alike!
Enjoy this fun Halloween graveyard dessert! It’s such a fun twist to make for this spooky holiday.
More Easy Pudding Recipes You’ll Love
- Beach Pudding Shots are the perfect boozy treat for you summer parties!
- Dirt cups for every holiday! Make these Red, White and Blue Dirt Cups for all of the patriotic holidays.
- This Oreo Poke Cake is the most moist and delicious cake and it’s so easy to make.
- Make Oreo Fluff for any occasion! Just a few simple ingredients and easy steps.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Ghost in the Graveyard Dessert
Ingredients
DESSERT
- 2 boxes instant chocolate pudding mix 3.9 ounces each
- 3 cups cold milk
- 2 tubs Cool Whip 8 oz each, thawed – part of one for decorations
- Oreo Cookies crumbs
DECORATIONS
- Milano cookies
- Chocolate covered graham crackers
- Gummy worms
- Chocolate Almond Bark – to make trees optional
- Black writing gel
- White writing gel or powdered sugar and milk **see instructions
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk until smooth. Place bowl in refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from refrigerator and fold in whipped topping. Place back in refrigerator to chill about 10-15 minutes (longer is fine).
- Create decorations while pudding mixture is chilling **instructions below
- Divide pudding mixture into serving dishes or 13×9 glass dish **see notes
- Add 6-8 Oreo cookies to food processor and crush into crumbs. Sprinkle cookie crumbs over pudding mixture.
- Add decorations (directions below) and gummy worms to pudding mixture.
Tree Decorations
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add 2-3 blocks of Almond Bark to microwave safe bowl.
- Heat in the microwave for 1 minute, remove and stir. Continue cooking for 10-20 seconds at a time until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until completely melted and smooth.
- Transfer chocolate to plastic decorator bag or resealable bag and snip off a very small amount of end of bag.
- Create trees by piping melted chocolate onto parchment paper.
- Let set for 10-15 minutes until hard
Tombstones
- For white frosting for writing, mix together 1 cup powdered sugar and about 1-2 teaspoons of milk until smooth. You need the frosting to be very thick so begin with a very small amount of milk and gradually add a tiny bit at a time until consistency is good for writing.
- Write years and/or RIP on Milano cookies or chocolate covered graham cracker.
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