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We may be slightly obsessed with these Elegant Chocolate Graveyard Dirt Cups. They are perfect for your next Halloween party.
Halloween has always given us the excuse to have more fun with different appetizers and drinks. We absolutely love the idea of making dirt cups for the holiday, however we wanted to make a sophisticated, adult-version. After all, who says being an adult can’t be fun?
Dirt cups are traditionally made with chocolate pudding and Oreos. To level up the kid-version of this Halloween treat, we swapped the chocolate pudding for a light and fluffy chocolate mousse.
These elegant chocolate graveyard dirt cups are perfect for a Halloween party with friends or as a spooky treat on halloween night. Your guests will absolutely love them!
This post is all about chocolate graveyard dirt cups.
Elegant Chocolate Graveyard Dirt Cups
What’s in this recipe?
Semisweet Chocolate: Semisweet chocolate gives this mousse a velvety chocolate taste.
Heavy Cream: The heavy cream, when whipped make the mousse creamy and fluffy.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar adds a bit more of sweetness to the mousse.
Vanilla: Vanilla adds a delicious flavor and balances out the rich chocolate.
Espresso Powder: We love adding a bit of espresso powder to chocolate baked goods, because it helps to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.
Crushed Oreos: Crushed Oreos add a crunch to the light texture of the mousse and give the appearance of different layers of “dirt” in the dessert.
White Chocolate Skull Candy: We added white chocolate cookies in cream skull candy as a more sophisticated touch to the top of the dirt cup.
Chess Cookies: We thought chess cookies were such unique and perfect way to add a “tombstone” to the top of the dirt cup.
How to Make the Chocolate Graveyard Dirt Cups
Make the Mousse
This recipe is super simple to make and honestly so much fun!
To start you’ll need a small sauce pan (we love this one). Melt the chocolate bar (or chocolate chips) and 1/2 cup heavy cream on medium-low heat in the small sauce pan. Allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool down to room temperature.
Whip the Cream
With a stand or hand mixer attach the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 1/4 cup heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Add espresso powder and stick for a few seconds to incorporate. Separate half of the whipped cream into another small bowl and set aside.
Fold the Mixture
This next step is super important to follow. Gently fold half of the whipped cream mixture into the chocolate mixture. Once incorporated, fold the other half into the mixture until it is fully combined.
It’s important to fold in in the whipped cream gently so that the mousse stays light and fluffy.
Time to Layer
Time for the fun part! Start by adding a layer of mousse that’s 1/2 inch thick to your parfait cups or preferred glass. Add a layer of crushed Oreo, then a layer of whipped cream, and then another layer of chocolate mousse. Top each with crushed Oreo. It may help to look at the picture in the post to get an idea of how to layer the dessert.
Let the mousse chill for a couple of hours. The colder it is, the firmer the mousse. Once the mousse is chilled and set, add a chess cookie for the tombstone and a white chocolate skull candy* to the top.
This is the perfect dessert for a Halloween party with friends or family!
PrintElegant Chocolate Graveyard Dirt Cups
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 dirt cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 semisweet chocolate bar (or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
- 1 3/4 cup heavy cream (divided)
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- crushed oreos
- 1 pkg chess cookies (for topping)
- white chocolate skulls (*see how we made them in the notes below)
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan, melt your chocolate bar (or chocolate chips) and 1/2 cup heavy cream on medium-low heat. Allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool down to room temperature.
- With a stand or hand mixer attach the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 1/4 cup heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Add espresso powder and stick for a few seconds to incorporate. Separate half of the whipped cream into another small bowl and set aside.
- Gently fold half of the whipped cream mixture into the chocolate mixture. Once incorporated, fold the other half into the mixture until it is fully combined.
- Add a layer of mousse that’s 1/2 inch thick to your parfait cups or preferred glass. Add a layer of crushed oreo, then a layer of whipped cream, and then another layer of chocolate mousse. Top each with crushed oreo. Let the mousse chill for a couple of hours. The colder it is, the firmer the mousse.
- Once the mousse is chilled and set, add a chess cookie for the tombstone and a white chocolate skull candy* to the top.
- Enjoy at a Halloween party with friends!
Notes
White Chocolate Skull Candy:
Ingredients
- 3 rectangles of white chocolate almond bark
- 2 tbsp crushed Oreo cookies
Instructions:
- Melt the white chocolate almond bark over a double boiler. Once completely melted, quickly remove from the heat and gently stir in the crushed Oreo.
- In skull shaped candy molds, fill each mold to the top. Chill the candy in the fridge for 2 hours to harden.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
This post is all about chocolate graveyard dirt cups.
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