articles

Worm & Dirt Cupcakes? Oh My! Kids Will Love Making This Spring Treat

Gummy worms and "dirt" made from cookie crumbs make these cupcakes memorable

By Maggie Mackay March 18, 2024

Spring always has me thinking about the gardening season. I love getting my kids involved with our garden from planning what we grow all the way to harvesting — they love digging in the dirt and finding ... worms!

These Dirt Cupcakes are a fun way to build up the excitement for getting our garden started ... and to get your kids giggling over eating WORMS!

Dirt cupcakes

Ingredients:

  • Box of cupcake mix (plus all ingredients needed to make them)
  • Cupcake liners
  • Can of chocolate icing
  • Chocolate sandwich cookies
  • Zipper seal baggies
  • Big spoon or a measuring cup (something that won't break for smashing cookies)
  • Gummy worms
  • Craft sticks
  • Hot glue gun
  • Construction paper
  • Things to decorate paper — stickers, glitter glue, foam shapes, markers, etc.

Maggie Mackay

Instructions:

  1. Bake cupcakes according to directions on the box.
  2. While the cupcakes bake, create flowers with your kiddos! Talk about the different types of flowers and their different shapes. Cut a few from construction paper. You could even use your child’s hand as a pattern.
  3. Have your kids decorate their flowers using various supplies (markers, stickers, etc.) 
  4. Using the hot glue gun, attach a craft stick to each flower for a stem.
  5. Once cupcakes are cooled, allow your kids to ice their cupcake. An unused craft stick works great for this! Place iced cupcakes aside.
  6. Place 2 cookies in a plastic zipper bag…SEAL IT! Then have your child use a big spoon or the flat bottom of a measuring cup to SMASH their cookies. (This was my kids' favorite part!)
  7. Sprinkle the smashed cookies on top of the iced cupcakes.
  8. Add gummy worms to the top of the cupcake. 
  9. Insert a paper flower into the middle of the cupcake.

Stand back and admire … then devour! Happy spring!