Healthier Chocolate Dirt Cupcakes

While I was one of those really type-A, don’t want to come home in mud type of kids growing up, I loved dirt. Chocolate dirt that is.

For those who aren’t familiar with this mealtime delicacy, dirt is a chocolate pudding base, loaded with crushed Oreos and gummy worms, so it resembles creepy crawlers in mud/dirt. However spooky it may look, it’s dang delicious.

In my latest quest to create a dessert that tastes great but isn’t terrible for you, I started toying with the idea of a ‘dirt cupcake.’ I previously created a lighter chocolate cake recipe, which uses Greek Yogurt and brewed coffee to impart a great flavor/texture while simultaneously cutting down fat/calories. I decided to use this recipe as the base for the cupcakes, since it’s tried and true and makes for a great base.

For the toppings, there had to be a mix of pudding, crushed cookies, and gummy worms to really make these dirt. After some experiments, I was able to strike a balance and create a truly delicious treat. With far less sugar, butter, etc than a traditional cupcake, this is a spooky treat that you can enjoy without any tricks. Each one of these cupcakes is just 6 points, toppings and all. You’re going to want to make these fast. Scary fast.

A lighter chocolate cupcake

Coffee and Greek Yogurt are the two super-sneaky culprits that reduce the fat and calorie content of these cupcakes while also lending a great flavor and texture. I always use coffee in some way when it comes to chocolate cakes, as coffee brings out the cocoa flavor without adding any of its own. Greek Yogurt, a WW staple, gives a nice, soft crumb to the cake so every bite is delicious.

Creating the cupcakes is really as simple as mixing your dry ingredients (I always recommend sifting and or whisking them together if you have time), mixing your wet ingredients, and then combining them.

This recipe yields 12 good sized cupcakes, but you can always double it for a crowd. If you’re looking to create a cake out of this recipe, you can either follow the instructions on my Lighter Chocolate Cake recipe or follow the instructions below but bake in a single 9″ baking round (double it for a 2 layer cake).

A lighter frosting

In toying with a way to frost this cupcake with something delicious, not super unhealthy, and dirt-forward, inspiration struck: pudding mix. Pudding mix is often used in WW desserts because it’s already got a mix of sugar, flavor, and gelatin which is awesome for texture. Instead of mixing it with just whole milk to make pudding, in this recipe, you mix it with skim + nut milk and Cool Whip, which is low in points and gives it an awesome, whipped texture. The best part- it tastes like a rich chocolate pudding, giving it that perfect ‘dirt’ flavor when you put it all together.

To top these cupcakes, just crush up half an Oreo for each cupcake, top it with 2 or 3 gummy worms (you can use SmartSweets if you’re looking to keep points low – 10% off with code FOODBYTHEGRAM10), and there you have it! Dirt, reimagined.

Looking for more light desserts?

Here are some of my favorites:

• Healthy Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
• Pumpkin Fluff Dip
• Healthier Apple Cider Donuts
• Light Key Lime Pie Dip
• Light Cereal Milk Baked Donuts
• Healthier Funfetti Cinnamon Buns

Healthier Chocolate Dirt Cupcakes

Jacklin Altman

A childhood classic turned WW-friendly treat! This recipes yields 12 cupcakes at 6 WW points each, as written.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 144 kcal

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Muffin Pan
• Oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cupcake

• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 c cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 c sugar
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 egg
• 3/4 c Greek yogurt
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 c brewed coffee or 1/4 c espresso + 1/4 c water

Frosting

• 1 box sugar free/fat free chocolate pudding mix
• 1/2 cup fat free milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup light Cool Whip whipped topping
• 1 bag SmartSweets Gummy Worms or regular, 24-36 total
• 6 Oreo cookies crushed

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350
• Combine cocoa powder, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl and whisk or sift together
• In a smaller bowl, combine egg, oil, milk, and Greek yogurt. Whisk together and stir into dry mixture
• Pour (cooled) coffee or espresso mixture over entire mixture and whisk together to combine into a smooth batter
• Pour into muffin tray lined with cupcake wrappers or silicone baking cups
• Bake cupcakes at 350 for 25 – 30 min and allow to cool completely before frosting
• To make the frosting, whisk together pudding and milk until uniform
• Whisk in Cool Whip (or use stand mixer) to give frosting a light, fluffy texture. Thin with additional milk if needed
• Frost each cupcake with roughly a heaping tablespoon of frosting, then top with 1/2 Oreo, crushed, and gummy worms and ENJOY!

Notes

Click here to add to WW app.

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 166mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 52IUCalcium: 60mgIron: 1mg

Keyword my ww, weight watchers, chocolate, cupcake, cupcakes, oreo

Tried this recipe?Add your thoughts below in the comments or post on social media and tag @foodbythegram!