Halloween Dessert Pudding: Worms and Maggots

Worms and Maggots is the name of this realistic looking Halloween dessert.

Vermicelli and rice are turned into a sweet pudding-like sweet treat. The recipe is great for kids but also very much adult-friendly.

Jump to:

• 📕 What is this Maggots and Worms dessert?
• 🍚 Ingredients
• 🥣 Flavor Variations
• 🔪 How to make it?
• 🍴 Serving Instructions
• 🍱 Storing
• 💭 FAQs
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

📕 What is this Maggots and Worms dessert?

We love creepy edible Halloween food and drink ideas that are realistic and also mind-boggling.

So, after I came up with my marzipan-based ultra-realistic maggots, worms, and slugs and the coco loco brain juice, some years ago, I had to create something mind-bending once again.

That's when Paul got the idea of maggots and worms!

Basically, it's a rice and vermicelli pudding dessert. The rice is white and represents the maggots, the pink vermicelli are the worms. No real worms and maggots will come to harm here!

We wanted it to be a dessert recipe that would come together quickly and without much fuss. The flavors are basic (kind of children-friendly) and ingredients can be easily purchased in stores.

🍚 Ingredients

The basic vermicelli and rice pudding recipe includes commonly available ingredients, But we have included some great options to add more flavors and texture to this dessert in the title below.

• Vermicelli – These fine noodles can be wheat or rice-based vermicelli (you also get sweet potato and taro). Look out for thin and short vermicelli pasta. If you can get only long vermicelli noodles, break them in your hands apart into smaller 2-3 inch long noodles. I used short vermicelli which you get to make Italian or Mexican soup broth or also vermicelli used to make sweets in the Indian subcontinent are very much suitable.
• Rice – Get a rice variety used to make milk rice pudding. These are usually round and broad short rice types such as Arborio rice. You can also use regular long grain rice if that's what you have in your pantry at home, but round rice gets stickier and adds to the illusion of maggots. Avoid basmati or Jasmine rice because the flavors don't work with the rice and vermicelli pudding.
• Milk – We have used regular plain milk or farmer's milk in the past (turns out extra creamy with the latter) but you can also use low-fat milk. See flavor variations below for other milk choices.
• Sugar – I prefer to use white or brown sugar. You can choose to use alternative sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup or panela/jaggery cane or coconut sugar.
• Salt – To balance and bring out the other flavors.
• Vanilla Extract – To flavor, but you can use vanilla sugar as well or, even better, whole vanilla beans or vanilla seed paste.
• Red Food Coloring – I prefer gel food coloring because it's easier to work with the ratio. Nonetheless, if you have liquid or powdered food coloring at home, use that as per packaging instructions. If you are not sure how much color to add, start with a drop or two and mix it in. You can always add more color if needed. Using organic or red natural food coloring is also an option.
• Butter – For flavor and to enhance the gooey texture of your vermicelli worms and rice maggot pudding.
• Chocolate Powder – To serve up, sprinkle some chocolate or cocoa powder over your pudding. Dark cocoa powder looks just like mud, and this adds to the illusion of this Halloween dessert.

🥣 Flavor Variations

Paul recommends that you add any of the following ingredients to enhance this dessert further.

When Paul came up with this recipe, he chose to add cashews, raisins, and spices, and he prefers it this way.

But I wanted you to have a children-friendly recipe option, and kids don't always like raisins and nuts (although these are nutritious!), so I decided to give you a base recipe.

Please feel free, to enhance your spooky vermicelli and rice dessert with any of the supplementary ingredients.

• Raisins – Black sultanas or raisins can be added to the rice during the cooking process. I think raisins look like bugs in this Halloween themed dessert, which is just, what we want!
• Cashews – Add a few cashews to the rice too during the cooking process. These look like insects in a cocoon in the dessert, so they fit to the theme.
• Cinnamon – A pinch of cinnamon adds flavor and little specs to the milky pudding dessert, which is just what you need to make it look more realistic.
• Cardamom – Another flavoring option, and a pinch of green ground cardamom is enough.
• Coconut Milk or Almond Milk – These milks can make worms and maggots taste differently, which is nice for a change.

🍴 Serving Instructions

The cocoa or chocolate powder is optional but makes it look like mud, and it gives it all a realistic touch.

I love the rice and vermicelli pudding still hot, but Paul prefers it served cold. You can choose either variation.

For the best creepy effect, I'd recommend serving it still warm right after the preparation because the noodles and rice will still appear sticky and slimy before they cool down and change appearance.

🍱 Storing

Fortunately, this dessert can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight container in your fridge.

That said, I think the pudding looks the most realistic, like worms and maggots, when served still hot, right from the stove.

Leftovers keep well that way too for about 3–4 days in the fridge cooled.

💭 FAQs

📖 Recipe