Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Today we have a very special Halloween Guest Post by Cassandra of Fed & Fit! I’m so excited to introduce you guys to Cassy, she’s an amazing Paleo blogger who is incredibly creative, talented and super cute to boot. When I first started Paleo, she was one of the first bloggers I found and I was immediately inspired by two of her recipes: Paleo Thin Mints and Paleo Chicken Pot Pie. I know right. Ridiculous. Her Paleo Dark Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie recipe was also the inspiration for my Paleo Sea Salted Nutella Stuffed Cookies. Now I just want Thin Mints. Look what I go through for you guys. It just has to do with the fact that I’m on Day 23 of the Whole30 and haven’t had chocolate, sugar, or alcohol in more than 3 weeks. Any mention of any of these things and my senses perk up and go into overdrive.

I digress. Anyway seriously Cassy is SO awesome you guys. She’s one of my all time favorite bloggers. She offers step by step instructions and gorgeous pictures for each of her recipes to make it that much easier for you guys. I would do that for you too except for the fact that I’m lazy, don’t have a real camera, and I would die of embarrassment if anyone saw my kitchen mid-cook or the ugly apron I wear.

This recipe is absolutely adorable, delicious, and would be the perfect dish to bring to a Halloween Potluck, like the one I have at work this week, or to make as a fun Halloween treat for the kiddos! So get excited and give Fed & Fit a follow and then make me her Thin Mints.

Hello Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind followers! It’s so nice to meet you. I’m THRILLED that Vanessa asked me to share a recipe here. I think you’re going to love it. Let’s go on a trip down memory lane. Remember a time back before you ever heard of Paleo. Back before gluten-free, GMO, and high fructose corn syrup. Let’s go all the way back to childhood.

What was your favorite Halloween costume? Better yet, what was your favorite Halloween dessert? My favorite costume was a silver lame Hershey’s Kiss crafted by my Mom when I was 3. My favorite dessert, hands down, was dirt worm pudding.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

My love for dirt worm pudding is hard to match. Pizza comes close. Since “going Paleo” about 3 years ago, I thought pizza and sugary pudding snacks were a thing of my past. Thankfully, I don’t let go that easily. Healthier, gluten-free, all-natural clean versions of our favorite foods are popping up everywhere. It’s time that sour wiggly worms joined the party.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

If you missed out on dirt worm pudding as a kid, I’ll fill you in. Kid-friendly clear cups are filled with chocolate pudding {the mud}, sprinkled with crushed Oreos {the dirt}, and riddled with sour gummy worms. It’s delicious. My Paleo-friendly version of the creepy crawly Halloween favorite is LOADED with fresh fruits,beef gelatin{really good for you}, enriching coconut milk, and antioxidant-rich unsweetened cocoa powder. Better yet? It’s delicious. Really delicious. Like, you won’t believe it’s healthy, delicious.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

I hope you have a wonderful, safe, happy, tasty, tricky, and treaty Halloween. Now how do we make this magical dessert? It’s easy. I’ll show you!

Picture Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

We’re going to start with the worms, since they take the longest to set. Pick your favorite fruits. I chose sour apple, sour grape, strawberry, and clementine. You can do 4 flavors, 1 flavor, or 12 flavors …whatever makes you happiest! Note that you’ll only need one batch {one flavor} to make enough gummy worms for the pudding cups in this recipe. The leftovers worms are a bonus.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

The other major players in these sour gummy worms {water, lemons, and limes aside} are the beef gelatin and maple syrup. This gelatin is a MUST. You can find ithere

      .

The maple syrup is optional, but I think it really helps the worms resemble their packaged candy cousins.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

You’re going to need quite a few lemons and/or limes. You’ll need at least 1/2 cup of juice for each batch of worms. If you want a slightly tart worm, I recommend using ¼ cup lemon/lime juice and ¼ cup water. If you miss warheads and dream about sour patch kids, A. we’re soul mates and B. use 1/2 cup lemon/lime juice.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

For one batch of worms, I recommend you use 1/2 a cup of fresh fruit. This is the making of my sour apple gummies.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

For the sour apple, I added in about 1 tablespoon of lime zest.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Then 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Again, you can adjust the amount of maple syrup according to your taste.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Add 1/2 cup of your lemon/water mixture.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Let’s blend it up! I use my NutriBullet for all small batches. It’s just so darn easy to clean!

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Keep it running until it’s nice and smooth.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Does your house smell like Jamba Juice? Mine did. If you’re planning on making two-colored gummy worms, I recommend you blend all your flavors before you add the gelatin. This will ensure that they come together easier.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Add 2 heaping tablespoons of the gelatin to each batch.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

You can stir to combine or blend. I prefer blending. That way I’m not worried about globs of unmixed gelatin hanging out in my worms.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Line a baking sheet, pan, or dish with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Multi-colored worms are really easy if you want to give those a try! Let the mixture gel for a minute or two {making it less runny}, tilt your pan to one side and pour one flavor in. Next, lay the pan flat and pour the other flavor on the other side. Smooth the mixture out with the back of a spoon and let it set in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

When the two hours are up, it should have the consistency of a giant gummy. Isn’t that so neat?! Resist biting the giant gummy. …I take that back. You want a bite? Take a bite! It’s Halloween and we’re kids again!
Pull the gummy out of the pan by the plastic wrap handles and lay it down on a cutting board or parchment paper.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Using a small, sharp knife cut squiggly lines to make your worms. Store in the refrigerator again until you’re ready to plate.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Now let’s make some Paleo pudding cups! These are the major players: bananas, maple syrup, coconut milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vanilla. Gelatin makes another appearance here too.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

I recommend you use ripe bananas for this pudding. They’re easier to work with and have a better flavor. You’ll need 2 packed cups of bananas – 5 bananas makes about 2 cups.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Put your bananas in the blender!

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Add 2, 14-oz cans of full-fat coconut milk.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Then 6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and 4 tablespoons of gelatin.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Blend it up!

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Pour it into 8 different cups, leaving about 1” of room at the top. Place them in the refrigerator for at least one hour to chill and set.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Last, but not least, we’re going to make the cookie dirt. Preheat your oven to 350 F then measure out 2 cups of almond flour.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

You’ll need 4-oz of fat for this crumble. I opted for Kerrygold’s grass-fed butter. Extra virgin coconut oil will work too.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Add it to the flour.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Add in 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Using a potato masher or fork, mash it all together so that the butter is evenly combined.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Add in 1/3 cup of maple syrup and mix again.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spread the mixture out.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Next, sprinkle the dough with kosher, Himalayan pink, or sea salt. This will make for a delicious, almost savory dirt to offset the sweet pudding and sour worms.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Bake it at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Don’t let it burn. Pull it out of the oven and let it cool slightly. Break up the giant cookie with a fork then place back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Break it up with the fork again then you’re done with the dirt!

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Ready to assemble?

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

I know you’re ready to dive into these pudding cups but you must be patient. It’s going to get even better.

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

First, put 3-4 worms in each cup. Spoon in a generous sprinkle of the dirt then finish with a few more worms and …TA-DA! You’re done!

Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit
Photo Courtesy of Fed & Fit

Aren’t they cute? Here’s the summarized recipe:

Paleo Dirt Worm Pudding
*Makes 8 Servings
Time: 30 minutes active, 2 hours setting


Strawberry Gummy Worms

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons gelatin

Sour Grape Gummy Worms
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh black grapes
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons gelatin

Sour Apple Gummy Worms
Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh green apple
1 tablespoon lime zest
1/2 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons gelatin

Clementine Gummy Worms
Ingredients:
1/4 cup skinned clementines
1/2 cup clementine juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon clementine zest
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons gelatin

Paleo Pudding Cups
Ingredients:
2 cups ripe banana, packed {from about 5 bananas}
2, 14-oz cans full-fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons gelatin

Paleo Chocolate Cookie “Dirt”
Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
4 ounces grass-fed butter {coconut oil works too}
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Gummy Worms
Directions:
1. Blend all the ingredients together and then pour into a plastic wrap or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, dish, or pan.

2. Let it set in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until firm.

3. With a small, sharp knife, cut the gummies into worms with wavy lines. Store in the refrigerator.

Paleo Pudding Cups
Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients together and then pour into 8 individual cups.

2. Let them cool and set in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until pudding/moose-like.

Paleo Chocolate Cookie “Dirt”
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients then stir in maple syrup.

3. Spread the batter out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Be careful that it doesn’t burn.

4. Let it cool then break up the cookie with a fork. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, let cool, then break up into pieces again.

Dirt Worm Pudding Cups
Directions:
1. Place 3-4 worms in each cup, top with dirt, and finish with more worms. Enjoy!

SO did you guys die of cute overload and saliva depletion from drooling or what?! I told you Cassy was great! Follow Fed & Fit on the interwebs, you won’t regret it!

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32 Comments on Dirt Worm Pudding By: Fed & Fit

  1. imahealthybeast
    October 28, 2013 at 10:31 am (10 years ago)

    Oh wow! I am so impressed with all the work and love that went into this yummy looking recipe. Plus, these are so nostalgic 🙂

    Reply
    • fedandfit
      October 29, 2013 at 2:30 pm (10 years ago)

      Aw thank you!! Dirt worm pudding is serious business 🙂

      Reply
  2. D @ The Kosher Cave Girl
    October 28, 2013 at 12:26 pm (10 years ago)

    Oh. YUM. I used to love diving headfirst into these in my pre-Paleo days, so I can’t wait to try your version! These look insanely good!

    Reply
    • fedandfit
      October 29, 2013 at 2:32 pm (10 years ago)

      Thank you! I can identify with diving headfirst into these. I was so excited while I was making these that I almost didn’t have enough of the individual ingredients left for the final product!

      Reply
  3. krystal
    October 28, 2013 at 2:38 pm (10 years ago)

    Life changing! Thank you!

    Reply
    • fedandfit
      October 29, 2013 at 2:32 pm (10 years ago)

      My pleasure, Krystal. Hope you love ’em!

      Reply
  4. This Sydney Life
    October 28, 2013 at 5:12 pm (10 years ago)

    I want a Nutribullet…. (quite badly)

    Reply
    • fedandfit
      October 29, 2013 at 2:33 pm (10 years ago)

      I use mine ALL the time. A solid investment 🙂

      Reply
  5. Lindsay
    October 28, 2013 at 6:39 pm (10 years ago)

    I am allergic to banana’s – anything i can substitute the banana for so i can enjoy this paleo snack!? i love pudding but can’t make this due to the banana…

    Reply
    • Vanessa Barajas
      October 28, 2013 at 6:55 pm (10 years ago)

      Have you ever tried a chocolate avocado pudding? I’m sure that would work great as a sub!

      Reply
      • fedandfit
        October 29, 2013 at 2:36 pm (10 years ago)

        Agreed! Avocado would work great. You could also just substitute the banana with more coconut milk (2 cups more) and add an additional 2 Tbl of gelatin to make up for the extra liquid. At least, that’s what I’d try first! Hope that helps.

  6. ticamom
    October 29, 2013 at 10:20 pm (10 years ago)

    OMG you just mentioned my all time favorite candy – sour patch kids! (specifically the berries pkg not that you asked LOL) If these gummy worms taste anything like them you will have changed my life. seriously. they’re my crack. not kidding. i can eat 1 bag in a sitting. anyway…no matter what i am trying this, thanks so much! i can’t tell you how helpful it is to be able to provide healthier versions to my toddler. p.s. you two are brilliant!

    Reply
    • fedandfit
      October 30, 2013 at 8:22 pm (10 years ago)

      The berries spk’s were my favorite too! Experiment with fun flavors and more or less lemon/lime juice to get the sour flavor you like. They’re so much fun and so tasty. Hope your family loves ’em 🙂

      Reply
  7. OneMotherofaDay
    October 30, 2013 at 12:56 pm (10 years ago)

    I’m making these for a potluck tomorrow and was wondering how far in advance can I assemble them or is it best to put them together right before serving? Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    • fedandfit
      October 30, 2013 at 8:21 pm (10 years ago)

      You can easily prepare all three components separately but I recommend that if you want crispy, dry dirt that you sprinkle it over the pudding just before serving. Either way, it’ll taste good! Hope that helps and that the potluck is a success!

      Reply
  8. Randomly Fascinated
    February 9, 2014 at 9:01 pm (10 years ago)

    I am curious with the clementine recipe where did you get the clementine juice? And by skinned clementines do you mean peeled clementines or peeled and then the thin skin around the orange pieces taken off too? Did you do that yourself?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Barajas
      February 10, 2014 at 11:27 am (10 years ago)

      Hey there! This was a guest post so I’m not quite sure, but I’m assuming she just took the juice straight from peeled clementines or got freshly squeezed juice from a health food store or fresh juice bar. And by peeled, I’m sure it was just the orange part not the white around the fruit.

      Reply
  9. Mandy
    October 30, 2014 at 6:47 pm (9 years ago)

    I made these gummies early today and they didn’t gel? I always thought you needed to heat the gelatin to make it work? Just wondering if there was a step missing?

    Reply
    • Vanessa Barajas
      October 31, 2014 at 12:37 pm (9 years ago)

      Hey Mandy, I’m not sure, this was a guest post done by Cassy from Fed and Fit. You can reach out to her at fedandfit.com and she can answer any questions you may have!

      Reply
  10. Mici
    May 26, 2015 at 4:37 am (8 years ago)

    Have you ever seen Truelemon and Truelime? It is crystalized lemons and limes. I don’t know if this fits in a paleo diet, but it would probably do an incredible job of adding a nice sour punch sprinkled on the outside of the gummy worms!

    Reply
  11. Nikki
    October 23, 2015 at 6:19 pm (8 years ago)

    I think you’re a genius! Can’t wait to try it. Will definitely be re-blogging this!

    Reply
  12. Nancy
    October 27, 2015 at 8:00 pm (8 years ago)

    I am SOOOOO making these spooky wormy treats for Halloween! Will be starting the gummies tomorrow, a few days ahead of time, and doing one cooking step per day (gummies one day, dirt another, the pudding on the 3rd day), so the treat is ready to go the day before Halloween (and we can just kick back and enjoy on the holiday). Thanks so much for posting this awesome recipe!!!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Barajas
      October 28, 2015 at 9:08 am (8 years ago)

      GREAT idea for all the make ahead elements! I do that a lot in my cooking and baking too and I actually wrote my new cookbook the same way! It makes it so much more manageable and I don’t think everyone realizes how much can be done ahead of time to make life easier! Hope you and your family enjoy your Halloween treat! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Jessica
    December 24, 2016 at 7:40 am (7 years ago)

    I *knew* there was a way to make this treat healthy! My daughter had it once and has hinted around about wanting it but I’ve resisted. I cannot say no to this recipe, nor is there any reason to!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Barajas
      December 26, 2016 at 1:19 pm (7 years ago)

      Yay! Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
  14. olivia
    January 12, 2017 at 6:31 am (7 years ago)

    gelatin isn’t vegan, it’s made from boiling animal bones.

    Reply
    • Vanessa Barajas
      January 12, 2017 at 9:42 am (7 years ago)

      Hmmm…I’m not sure where it said anything about this recipe being vegan? This website is definitely not vegan, that’s for sure! We’re pro meat, eggs, and dairy. 😉

      Reply

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