Vegan dirt cups made with creamy chocolate chia pudding, layered with rawnola dirt, and finished with a flower. It’s a cute healthy snack or dessert!
Dirt cups are the epitome of fun food. Chia Pudding Dirt Cups are the epitome of healthy fun food. So tasty and nutritious flowers are sprouting right out of that snacktime soil, and it all starts with a seed.
A chia seed that is. And it’s 1093874 closest tiny friends. Plus plant milk like rain to keep it hydrated. Dates like sun to keep it fed. And cacao powder because it turns out even flowers like chocolate. And just to be clear we are actually talking about pudding not plants, you know that right? Good. You don’t want any real gardening advice from this girl, trust me.
Dirt Cups Take 2
A long long time ago I posted this dirt cup recipe. It was one of my very first posts actually. Delicious as it is, the photos are so bad it actually pains me to link to it. My recipe style has changed a lot since then and I’ve learned a thing or two about photography, so some revamping was necessary. Also, I’ve discovered the magic that is rawnola which makes for the perfect dirt (no offense rawnola) and how to make chia pudding without the chia texture.
Squirmy Chocolate Worms
I know, I know, the worms are supposed to be made of gummy. But are you really mad about more chocolate instead? I didn’t think so.
If you want a true gummy worm, then check out this agar agar recipe from Love Me, Feed Me. Or use store-bought vegan gummy worms. Or if it’s springtime where you are, find a flower to top your treat!
Oh and just a word of warning, while you are rolling out your chocolatey worms don’t think about what else they look like 😉
Creamy Chocolate Chia Pudding
Now cute little flowers and worms that look a little bit like poo aside, let’s talk about the serious stuff. This pudding. Soaking then blending takes the pudding from seedy to silky, and the dates make it extra thick and rich. I couldn’t even eat both jars at once, it would’ve been chocolate overload. Chia seeds and dates may not scream decadence, but blended up just the right way they certainly can be!
And healthy decadence too! Chia seeds are power-packed little seedy specks, my pantry is never without them. More about their awesomeness -> here
And jar number two the next day after I smushed a lid on those worms and popped it in the fridge overnight was almost even better. Soggy pudding-soaked rawnola tastes a whole lot better than it sounds, I promise.
Oh and if you are not a chia pudding kinda person, this veggie version of chocolate pudding would work too.
Its a fiber-rich fruit-sweetened messy mason of chocolate fun!
Looks like dirt, tastes like dessert! Chia Pudding Dirt Cups that are sweetened with fruit, easy, and #veganClick To Tweet Print
Chia Pudding Dirt Cups
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Ingredients
Pudding
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 6 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 1/4 cup plant milk
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
Dirt
- 8–10 pitted Medjool dates
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsps cacao powder
Worms
- 5 pitted Medjool dates
- 1 tbsp cacao powder
- 1–2 tbsps oat flour
Instructions
- Pudding: Comine everything in a jar or bowl. Stir/shake to combine.
- Let sit for at least 30 mins to soak and soften the chia seeds.
- Blend on high till very smooth and creamy.
- Refrigerate overnight for a thicker consistency.
- Dirt: Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender.
- Blend on low speed or process until it starts to clump together. Add a couple more dates if necessary.
- Worms: Combine the dates and cacao powder in a food processor or blender. Blend.
- Add the oat flour 1 tbsp at a time to get a sticky but manageable dough.
- Roll into worms between your hands. Place on a plate lined with wax paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- To assemble: Start with a layer of dirt in the bottom of your cups. Then add a layer of pudding. Repeat to fill the cup.
- Add your worms or your flower then sprinkle on the final layer of dirt.
- Enjoy!
This might be my favorite thing you’ve posted since I’ve been following you! So cute, so delicious looking, so fun, and so healthy!
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I think it might be my favorite too 🙂
Oh man I’ve got such chocolate cravings and this is staring me in the face begging to happen! o.0 Seriously, it sounds amazing – the dirt especially with the chia pudding – nom!
xx
The worms are really just for cuteness, the rawnola + pudding is where it’s at ?
Oh my golly, look at these! They are so cute and fun and such a good idea! I love all the delicious, healthy ingredients you used in them and they would be so fun to eat!
The eating part happened much too fast, but the cute-ifying part was very fun! I think I need some small children so I don’t feel as weird making these sorts of things 😀
Nat! These dirt cups sound incredible! You had me giggling at the worm/poo reference hahaha – when I make the worms I’m sure all I’ll be able to think about is “poo” 😐 haha. Definitely going to make these though 😀
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For that mental image I say, you are welcome. Haha! 😀
This is the most adorable treat ever!!! Seriously, how do you do it? Half the time I look at your post I go “awwwww” 😀 and the other half i’m just drooling uncontrollably
Aww thanks girl! <3 I can't decide how to feel at this one, my first thought is cute but it's actually so ridiculously chocolatey and rich too. It hits all the buttons 🙂
oh my gosh this is GENIUS!!! I used to be obsessed with “dirt” as a kid! Need to make!
Well at least you weren’t one of those kids who was obsessed with actual dirt haha! Keep it to the stuff in quotations 🙂
What a cute idea!
Thanks Becky 🙂
These are SO cute Natalie! I made chocolate ago pudding dirt cups for my sons 2nd bday party but they had little plastic pigs in them so not nearly as cute as these. And your photography here is incredible!!!
Are you kidding, those sound adorable! Plus little boys probably aren’t too keen on flowers 😀 And thank you!
Oh, my goodness! What a FUN recipe!!! We loooooooove chia pudding and I love it even more when it’s blended…that smooth texture is perfect! Your photos here are stunning, Natalie and I love how bright and simple the video was. Hehe, you don’t want gardening advice from me either…I manage to kill pretty much everything we’ve ever planted…except lavender! I really enjoyed this post! <3
Oooh well I need to get some lavender then, I need easy plants that make me feel successful at gardening haha! Seriously though it is crazy how good I am at killing plants. I’ll stick to dessert making, I seem to be better at that 😀 And the eating part comes much faster as opposed to actually having to wait for the fruit or veg to grow! Thanks for watching Mandy <3
First of all, stunning photos! Seriously so crisp and make me want to dive into my screen to eat these beautiful, chocolate cups of goodness! And I too cringe when I look at old photos…in fact that still happens sometimes when I can get the lighting to work with me haha. Such a brilliant idea! So cute and fun and perfect for spring!
It happens to me with new photos sometimes too, usually a lighting issue. It’s so annoying when during the shoot you are thinking “oh these will be awesome!!” and then you load them and nope! But now I know not to post those at least whereas then I didn’t haha 😀
Natalie, you are sooo funny!! I died at your comment about your old photos because I am that way too about some older ones…I’m like, “What was I thinking??” but we all have to start somewhere and we can always work to improve. I clicked over at your old post and they weren’t as terrible as you made them sound, but THESE…well they are freaking fantastic!!! The very first photo is my favorite. I’ve never seen “dirt” look so darn sexy, hahahaah! Such a fabulous recipe, post, everything! The layers in the jars are just perfection..seriously girl!!
I avoid the really old archives as much as possible, it’s just frightening. Old videos are even worse lol! Especially when you can tell that you were trying too hard to do some sort of “artistic” shot and it just failed miserably. Like please, don’t try. But the first pic here is my favorite pic too, with the flower facing forwards there weren’t really many other angle options…the top of a flower just looks weird 😀
I’m in love with these dirt cups! They are so beautiful and look so delicious! I can’t wait to make these for my family. Gorgeous photos, too!
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Thank you Melissa! I needed some kids around when I made these, they are so perfect for little ones 🙂
Adorable little jars of dirt! If only real dirt tasted like chocolate! Can you imagine?!
Dates and cocoa powder are my go to for a quick pick me up! I’ve never mixed them for pudding! This sounds yummy!
That would be amazing! Chocolate craving? Just walk outside and start digging haha 😀 Thank Emily!
I remember when I was young and in school, I used to love it when kids would bring in “dirt cups” for their birthday! Of course, those versions were always totally unhealthy (complete with sour gummy worms!). This version looks way healthier and better, I love it!! 😀
I remember that too!! Because what’s cake without a side of dirt haha 😀 The worms were actually always my favorite, but honestly I don’t know who thought fruity gummy + chocolate was a good idea flavor wise?? lol Thanks Sarah!
These are so darn cute! And I remember your old dirt cups — they weren’t so bad 😀 And yay for more chocolate and rawnola any day…
Well when the subject matter already has the potential to look like ? bad photography does not help lol!
These are the cutest chia puds I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen MANY! almost a million) 🙂 The little KID inside me (whom I meet every single day, she’s a fun girl!) gets so happy every time she sees someone play with food 🙂 And this is the BEST way to play – chocolate!!!!! flowers!!!!! And WORMS!!!!! Really really love your creativity <3 And the presentation is just simply stunning <3
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Hahaha I love your “she’s a fun girl!” part! At least you and her are close buds, I can see her influence in your treats often too 🙂 Chocolate pudding and worm play is so much fun, although easier to get in there and get all messy when you aren’t trying to use a camera at the same time…my poor camera it’s all chocolate-covered and sugar-coated. Oh well, I always just say that it is very VERY well used 🙂
LOL, it looks like there’s poop coming out of the dirt cups.
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I thought the same thing, that’s why I even mentioned it in the post lol! It’s an unfortunate resemblance, but much better taste ?
THIS IS SO SCRUMPTIOUSLY DELICIOUS!!!!
I’M ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW VEGAN CHOCOLATE RECIPES.
I MADE MINE W/ COCONUT CHOCOLATE MILK (I MAKE MY OWN), AND I USED 1 CUP INSTEAD OF 1¼, SO IT CAME OUT CREAMIER/THICKER…. THAT’S SO I DIDN’T HAVE TO WAIT OVERNIGHT, HAHA, JUST A FEW AFTERNOON HRS.
NOW, TELL ME WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY “plant milk”?
I IMAGINE YOU MEAN ANY OF THE ALTERNATIVE ONES– COCO, SUNFLOWER, CASHEW, RICE, SESAME, BRASIL NUT, HAZELNUT, ALMOND….. ETC.
AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS ACTUALLY A WHOLE MEAL, NOT JUST DESERT!
Yep, you got it! Plant milk is just any sort of nut or seed or grain based vegan milk. Your Coconut chocolate milk sounds fabulous! I would happily just drink that? Haha chocolate impatience–I can relate? I’m so glad you liked it, and yes definitely a meal?