No-Bake Patriotic Dessert (Printable Format)

Festive layered dirt cups with red, white, and blue pudding, crushed cookies, and fresh berries. No-bake and perfect for patriotic holidays!

# What You'll Gather:

→ Pudding Base

01 - 1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix
02 - 2 cups cold milk
03 - 1 (8 oz) container whipped topping (like Cool Whip), thawed

→ Cookie Layer

04 - 12 vanilla sandwich cookies (like Golden Oreos), crushed

→ Patriotic Colors

05 - Red food coloring
06 - Blue food coloring

→ Fresh Fruit & Garnish

07 - 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
08 - 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
09 - Red, white, and blue sprinkles (optional)
10 - Mini American flags or patriotic decorations (optional)

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and cold milk for about 2 minutes until it's nice and thick. Then gently fold in that fluffy whipped topping until you have a smooth, creamy base.
02 - Divide your pudding mixture into three bowls. Leave one plain for white, then add red food coloring to one bowl and blue to another. Stir until each color is vibrant and evenly mixed - this is where the magic happens!
03 - Crush up your vanilla sandwich cookies until you get nice chunky crumbs - they're your 'dirt' for these patriotic treats!
04 - In clear cups, start with a layer of cookie crumbs, then red pudding, more crumbs, white pudding, more crumbs, and top with blue pudding. Make each layer visible through the sides for that wow factor!
05 - Sprinkle remaining cookie crumbs on top of each cup - this gives it that authentic 'dirt cup' look while hiding the blue layer underneath.
06 - Top with fresh strawberries and blueberries, sprinkle with patriotic sprinkles, and add those cute mini flags if you have them. These look so festive!
07 - Pop them in the fridge for at least an hour to set. When you're ready to serve, watch everyone's faces light up when they dig through the layers!

# Important Tips:

01 - These no-bake treats are perfect for hot summer days when you don't want to turn on the oven.
02 - Use gel food coloring for more vibrant, true-to-color layers that won't thin out your pudding.
03 - For a dairy-free version, substitute with almond or oat milk and dairy-free whipped topping.
04 - Make these up to 24 hours ahead - they actually taste better after the flavors meld together!
05 - Kids love helping layer these - it's a fun family activity for patriotic holidays.

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