Pour the instant chocolate pudding mix into a mixing bowl and whisk in cold milk according to package instructions until the pudding is smooth and slightly thickened; allow it to set in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes.
Use a food processor or place cookies in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin until finely ground, resembling soil or dirt.
Spread half of the crushed cookie crumbs evenly in the bottom of serving bowls or a large dish to form the crusty 'earth' base.
Pour the prepared pudding over the cookie crumbs, smoothing it out with a spatula for a even layer that resembles damp soil.
Add the remaining crushed cookie crumbs on top of the pudding, gently pressing them down to create a crumbly top layer that looks like freshly turned earth.
Decorate the surface with gummy worms, sticking them into the crumb layer so they appear to crawl out of the dirt, creating a playful, creepy effect.
If desired, add jelly snakes or other creepy candy crawlers for extra texture and fun color, arranging them around the gummy worms for a spooky crawl scene.
refrigerate the dirt cake for at least 1 hour before serving, allowing the flavors to meld and the pudding to fully set for clean slices and tidy presentation.
Serve the Halloween Dirt Cake in individual bowls or a large platter, displaying the dark crumbly soil topped with crawling gummy worms for a fun, spooky treat.
