Kitty Litter Cake

This kitty litter cake may look unpleasantly realistic with its crumbled “litter” and chocolate “surprises,” but beneath the icky appearance is a soft, moist dirt cake tossed with pudding and cookies!

Total 50 minutes
Serves 40 servings
Desserts
American

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Hand holding a litter scoop in a Kitty Litter Cake

Why this recipe works

I know, kitty litter cake may look gag-worthy, but it’s actually a tasty treat! It’s essentially a dirt cake made with cake mix, vanilla pudding, crumbled cookies, and Tootsie Rolls. I’ve made this quite a few times over the past 10 years, and without fail, it’s the talk of every Halloween party I’ve brought it to!

One of the main reasons this kitty litter cake looks so real is due to the small amount of cookie crumbs that are colored with a smidge of green food coloring. This makes it look like the green chlorophyll in cat litter. The more realistic, the better! It’s a fun little switch-up from the swarm of cutesy Halloween party foods out there if you’re going for more of a classic spooky or “gross” vibe.

RELATED – These Boogers on a Stick are another good but gross Halloween party idea that’s super easy to make!

Close up photo of a litter scoop in a Kitty Litter Cake

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CAKE – Pick two flavors of cake mix. Either yellow and chocolate, or white and chocolate. Having the two stark color differences helps give the cake a more realistic look.

COOKIES – Golden Oreos are perfect here, but you can easily substitute with off-brand vanilla sandwich cookies with the same results.

PUDDING – Make sure to grab instant vanilla pudding. Feel free to use other pudding flavors as well. I’ve previously made this cake with pistachio pudding, and it came out just as good!

SERVING – You can grab a small, cheap kitty litter box to serve it in, same goes for the pooper scooper. I found mine at the dollar store, and it was the smallest one they offered. It goes without saying that the box should be brand new! Give it a good wash before using. You don’t want too large of a cat box as the cake won’t take up that much space. Try to find one that’s rather shallow if possible. The photos here show this cake made in an 18x14x5 box.

How to Make Kitty Litter Cake

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions on the back of the box (any size pans, but 13×9 is easiest).
Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.
Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup.
To the 1/4 cup of cookie crumbs, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix using your fingers until it reaches an even green color.
When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into the new litter box. Toss with half the remaining cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don’t want it soggy. Combine gently.
Put three unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave-safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls and bury in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of the cookie crumbs over the top.
Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. (This is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.)
Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; then sprinkle with cookie crumbs.
Spread remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Serve with a new pooper scooper.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

How do you store kitty litter cake?

Store any leftovers covered tightly with plastic wrap. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Can you make it ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare this kitty litter cake the day before serving. Simply wrap the top with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Litter scooper of Kitty Litter Cake held above the cake

Serving Suggestions

Serve your kitty litter cake slightly above room temperature. You can make it a day in advance or prepare it the morning of, then store it in the fridge until about 30-40 minutes before serving to allow it some time to come down to room temperature. Happy Halloween!

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This kitty litter cake originally appeared here on October 30th, 2011 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips. Below is the original image that gained popularity over the years!

Recipe

Kitty Litter Cake

This kitty litter cake recipe has been around for quite a few years. If you want some gross Halloween party food, the kitty litter cake is always a hit!

Ingredients

15.25 ounce chocolate cake mixprepared
15.25 ounce yellow cake mixprepared
5.1 ounces vanilla instant pudding mixone large box, prepared
25 ounces vanilla sandwich cookiessuch as Golden Oreos
Green food coloring
15 small Tootsie Rolls

Instructions

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to box directions (any size pans, but 13×9 is easiest).
Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.
Crumble the sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup.
To the 1/4 cup of cookie crumbs, add a few drops of green food coloring and mix using your fingers until it reaches an even green color.
When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into the new litter box. Toss with half the remaining cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. Mix in just enough of the pudding to moisten it. You don’t want it soggy. Combine gently.
Put three unwrapped Tootsie Rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie Rolls and bury them in the mixture. Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over the top.
Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top. (This is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.)
Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake; then sprinkle with cookie crumbs.
Spread the remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Serve with a new pooper scooper.

Notes

Pick two flavors of cake mix. Either yellow and chocolate, or white and chocolate. Having the two stark color differences helps give the cake a more realistic look. Be sure to grab the ingredients needed on the back of the boxes to prepare the cake mixes as well.
Cake mix weights have changed over the years. It won’t make a drastic difference if your cake mix weighs in at 15.25 ounces or 13.25 ounces. Either will work.
You can grab a small, cheap kitty litter box to serve it in, same goes for the pooper scooper. I found mine at the dollar store, and it was the smallest one they offered. It goes without saying that the box should be brand new! Give it a good wash before using. You don’t want too large of a cat box as the cake won’t take up that much space. Try to find one that’s rather shallow if possible. The photos here show this cake made in an 18x14x5 box.