Here in Virginia, we just had a string of 80 degree days with sunny, blue skies where we wore shorts and rode around in a convertible with the top down. That can only mean one thing: Spring is almost here!
Inspired by the arrival of the perfect Spring weather, we set out to make the perfect Spring snack – just in time for Easter! Dirt cups. You remember dirt cups from when you were a child, right? They are pudding cups with gummy worms and crushed chocolate sandwich cookies on top. And they are fun and delicious for all ages!
To make these special treats, we use a special ingredient and you can probably already guess what it is. In the past, you’ve heard us talk about adding Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides to our drinks and smoothies, but in this case we want to use the gelling properties of Vital Proteins Beef Gelatin (also known as proteins) to create a thick and creamy chocolate pudding and to gel up our gummy worms. That’s right, double gelatin all the way!
Remember: gelatin is a superfood and consuming it will give you the amino acids to do a number of great things for your body. Gelatin helps to give you healthy skin, joints and bones, as well as being a pretty good source of protein all on its own.
When we started working out how to make this treat, we were really at a loss as to how to get the gummy worm shape. We searched all over Amazon for the right molds, but none seem to exist. Gummy bears, sure. But no worms. Luckily, we stumbled upon fellow Paleo blogger Oh Lardy, who had come up with the perfect solution for it: Bendy straws! Using the bendy straws as molds, you not only get long, thin strands of gummy, but it also forms a neat clitellum for you as well!
We made three different flavors: Carrot, pomegranate and (spinach)-Lemon-Lime. That gave us three bright colors to work with!
Ingredients
- 2 C carrot juice
- 1/2 C water
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp gelatin
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 C pomegranate juice
- 1/2 C water
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp gelatin
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 C spinach leaves
- 1 1/2 C water
- Juice of one lemon
- Luice of one lime
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 6 Tbsp gelatin
- 150 bendy straws
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine juice or spinach, water, syrup, if using, and citrus juice and heat over medium-low heat to 150 degrees.
- If using spinach, wait until completely wilted, then puree with a blender or immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Remove from heat and quickly whisk in gelatin and vanilla until dissolved.
- Meanwhile, stretch out bendy straws and place bend side down in wide-mouthed, pint-sized mason jars. Place the jar in a bowl for over flow.
- Pour juice and gelatin mixture over the top of the straws and allow the mason jar to fill up and over flow.
- Place jar and bowl in the refrigerator and refrigerate until solid, about 6-8 hours or overnight.
- After gelatin has solidified, remove from the fridge. Using a knife, scrape the length of each straw to push out the worm.
Notes
It can be very hard to remove the worms from the straw. We found the knife method to be easiest, but your mileage may vary. They will be much easier if you let them warm up for several minutes before extracting or running them under hot water. We found the Spinach to be easiest to remove, and the pomegranate to be the hardest.
The dirt cups themselves were quite fun to assemble and all the boys took turns building their own. The base is our Superfood Pudding recipe with gelatin and chia, which is absolutely creamy deliciousness. We added whipped cream (grass-fed organic unsweetened cream or coconut whipped cream) to ours for an extra creamy goodness.
We like to say the cream could be a blanket of snow. Really it makes the ‘dirt’ truly like “mud”, so choose to make or skip it to your preference. For us, whipped cream is almost too easy to make with our iSi canister!
The final component is the cookie crumbles. Now traditionally this is made with Oreos or Hydrox cookies, but there are now quite a few gluten free brands out there as well such as Joe-Joes from Trader Joe’s or the Glutino brand, which is what we used for the traditional look. We would recommend you use a Paleo-friendly chocolate cookie recipe like our Salted Dark Chocolate Truffle Cookie.
Either way, you’ll love to help your kids crush the cookies with a rolling pin!
Ingredients
- 1 Batch of Superfood Pudding
- Whipped cream or whipped coconut cream
- About 12 of each flavor of Gummy Worms
- 1 C crushed chocolate cookies (like Salted Dark Chocolate Truffle Cookies)
Instructions
- When preparing the pudding, pour into 6 separate cups. Refrigerate until set, about one hour.
- Spread whipped topping over the top of each pudding. Embed gummy worms in the whipped topping.
- Sprinkle the cookies over the top of each cup.
Every spring, birds return to their nesting grounds. The ones that wake early will get to feed first. You will want to be the early bird so that you can get your own worm before they’re gobbed up!
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