Tipsy Ghostly Guzzle Pudding Shots- Halloween Pudding Cups

These Halloween Pudding Shots are the perfect boozy treat to kick off your Halloween celebration! Creamy chocolate pudding gets spiked with chocolate liqueur, spooned into little cups, and crowned with a wobbly whipped cream ghost with Oreo eyes. They take about ten minutes, need no cooking at all, and disappear fast at any grown-up Halloween party.

Okay... so here's the story.  I have a friend (who shall remain nameless), who likes to treat all her friends to fun shots on nearly every party occasion. 

When I saw an opportunity to work with Snack Pack on a fun recipe and blog post, for some reason my mind automatically went (okay...twisted) to pudding shots. 

Yes, I'm talking about those pudding cups that you pack in your kid's lunch box. Say what?

Yeah, makes all kinds of sense. But why should kids have all the fun?  I say adults should take Halloween back and have some Tipsy Ghostly Guzzle fun!  Who's with me?

Make the Halloween Pudding Shots

These pudding shots were seriously a breeze to make.  All I did was empty 2 Snack Packs into a bowl, mix in 8 teaspoons of cocoa liqueur, stir it until smooth, and then fill up tiny little condiment cups. 

Now, it's a good idea to put the cups in the freezer for just a little bit--and I don't know about you, but I'd totally eat these frozen--and then take them out and make them a little tipsy. 

I used Reddi-wip, and since my intention was to make tipsy ghosts, I didn't mind that they were a little... off balance.  I mean, haven't we all been there?

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Chocolate pudding cups. Two 3.25-ounce Snack Pack chocolate pudding cups are all you need for six shots. Any ready-to-eat chocolate pudding works, and about ¾ cup of homemade or instant pudding (made with milk and chilled until set) is a good swap. Vanilla, butterscotch, or chocolate fudge pudding all work too.
• Cocoa liqueur. A chocolate liqueur or crème de cacao gives these their chocolate-on-chocolate flavor. Coffee liqueur, Irish cream, RumChata, or a whipped cream or vanilla vodka are all good substitutes. For a kid-friendly or alcohol-free batch, stir in a splash of milk instead.
• Whipped cream. Canned whipped cream like Reddi-wip makes the easiest ghosts because you can pile it high with one squeeze. Homemade whipped cream or thawed whipped topping will also work; pipe it on with a star tip or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
• Oreos. Small pieces of Oreo cookies make the ghost eyes. Mini chocolate chips, chocolate sprinkles, or candy eyeballs are easy stand-ins.
• Small cups. I used 2-ounce paper souffle cups, the same little condiment cups you see at restaurants. Plastic shot glasses or plastic portion cups with lids are handy if you want to make them ahead.

Helpful Tips

Stir until completely smooth. Pudding cups can be a little lumpy straight out of the container. Stir the liqueur in with a fork or small whisk for a good 30 seconds so there are no streaks of liqueur and the texture is silky before you fill the cups.

Don't overdo the booze. Eight teaspoons of liqueur for two pudding cups gives you a noticeable but mellow kick. Adding a lot more thins the pudding out, so the shots won't hold their shape and the whipped cream ghost will sink.

Fill the cups neatly. A spoon works fine, but spooning the pudding into a zip-top bag and piping it into the cups is faster and keeps the rims clean. Fill each cup about two-thirds of the way so there's room for a tall ghost on top.

Give them a quick chill. A short 15-minute stay in the freezer firms the pudding up so the whipped cream sits on top instead of sinking in. Leave them in longer and you get a frozen, mousse-like treat that's just as good.

Add the ghosts right before serving. Canned whipped cream starts to deflate after 20 to 30 minutes, so top the shots and press in the Oreo eyes just before you set them out. A lopsided ghost is part of the fun here, so don't worry about perfect swirls.

Variations

• Graveyard dirt shots. Skip the whipped cream and top each shot with crushed Oreos and a gummy worm for a boozy take on dirt cups.
• Pumpkin spice pudding shots. Use vanilla pudding with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice and swap in RumChata or a pumpkin spice liqueur. If you love that flavor, try this Pumpkin Cheesecake Milkshake too.
• Mocha pudding shots. Use coffee liqueur in place of the cocoa liqueur and dust the ghosts with a little cocoa powder.
• Cherry chocolate shots. Tuck a boozy cherry into the bottom of each cup before adding the chocolate pudding.
• Candy corn pudding shots. Layer vanilla pudding tinted orange and yellow, then top with whipped cream and a candy corn.
• Kid-friendly ghost cups. Leave out the liqueur and stir in a spoonful of milk so the little ghouls can have their own.

Serving Ideas

Set these Halloween pudding shots out on a tray lined with a black doily or a bit of burlap, with a couple of spooky props like a masquerade mask, and let guests grab them as they walk in. Small plastic spoons or striped paper straws, cut short, make them easier to eat, though most people just slurp them straight from the cup.

For a full Halloween dessert table, serve them alongside a batch of Crazy-Easy Halloween Cupcakes, a pan of Easy Pumpkin Bars, and a Halloween Buttercream Board for dipping. Plan on one or two shots per guest, and keep a batch of alcohol-free ghost cups on the table for anyone who isn't drinking.

Storing & Freezing

You can mix and fill the pudding shots up to 2 days ahead. Cover the cups with lids or plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator, then add the whipped cream and Oreo eyes just before serving. Once the ghosts are on, they're best eaten within an hour, and any leftovers should go back in the fridge and be eaten the same day.

These pudding shots also freeze well. Freeze the filled cups, without the whipped cream, in lidded cups or on a tray wrapped tightly in plastic for up to 1 month. The liqueur keeps them a little softer than plain frozen pudding, so let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes for a creamy shot, or serve them straight from the freezer as a frozen treat. Top with whipped cream and eyes after they come out of the freezer.

More Halloween and Fall Treats

If you love these Halloween pudding shots, be sure to check out these other tasty recipes too.

• Easy Pumpkin Bars
• Crazy-Easy Halloween Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Milkshake
• Halloween Pumpkin Cake Pops
• Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha Copycat Recipe
• Savory & Sweet Pumpkin Recipes for Fall

Recipe