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Beach themed party? Just need a fun and easy snack idea for the kids? These beach bears pudding snacks are PERFECT! They are so simple to make and the kids always go crazy for them!

A few years ago we tried this super fun No Bake Sand Cake recipe from a friend. That dessert was an INSTANT hit and the kids absolutely love everything about it. It tastes great, it’s easy to make and let’s not forget that it’s served in a BEACH BUCKET. And dished out with the bucket’s shovel! The only drawback about the sand cake is that it makes A LOT. So it’s best to save that one for a party or when you are hosting/attending a small gathering.

So last week the kids were asking yet again for sand cake, but I didn’t want to make such a large portioned dessert. We ended up making some rather adorable beach bears pudding cup snacks! I have definitely made various versions of these pudding snack cups over the years, but this was the first time I pulled myself together to take some pictures and share them on here.

These simple summer themed snacks are individually portioned and would be fun for parties or any old day.

Beach Bears Pudding Cup Snacks Recipe

You can make these up ahead of time or you can let the kids DIY their snacks. That’s up to you! We made up the pudding a few hours before assembling the snack cups. This gave the pudding several hours to firm and chill in the refrigerator.

Print Recipe

Beach Bears Pudding Cup Snacks Recipe

Kids will love this sweet treat! Layers of pudding and Nilla wafers, topped with lounging beach bears!

Prep Time1

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dessert, pudding, summer

Servings: 4

Equipment

Paper Umbrellas (for garnishing drinks)
9 oz Clear Plastic Cups
Scissors
Ziploc bag
Rolling pin

Ingredients

1 box instant vanilla pudding
milk (use amount listed on pudding mix box)
1 box Vanilla Wafers
Teddy Grahams 1-2 per pudding cup
Rainbow Airheads Xtreme

Instructions

Gather up your ingredients!
I recommend making up the pudding an hour or two before you are going to assemble these beachy snack cups. Prepare the pudding according to the package directions. Place pudding in your refrigerator to chill for at least an hour.
Fill Ziploc bag with a couple big handfuls of the Vanilla Wafers. Roll a rolling pin over the bag until the majority of the wafers are crushed into crumbs. Dump the wafer crumbs into a bowl.

To Assemble

Gather clear plastic cups, Vanilla Wafers, and pudding.
I start with the pudding and layer pudding and wafers in each cup until you are about 1/2 inch from the cup's rim. The top layer should be crushed Vanilla Wafers, to resemble beach sand.
Cut the Airheads in pieces that are just a tad longer than each Teddy Graham. These are the "beach towels." Place a bear on each Airhead.
Top each pudding cup with 1 or 2 bears on their beach towels. Add a paper umbrella for the perfect finishing touch!
Enjoy immediately!

That’s it!

These snacks only require a small amount of ingredients. Plus, as I said above, most kids could definitely make these snacks with minimal adult supervision. The end result is an adorable looking snack and bonus – it actually tastes good!

While you can make the pudding ahead of time, I recommend assembling the cups right before you are planning to serve them. This is because the wafers will start to get soggy if you let them sit.

If you don’t have time to prep the pudding, you could definitely substitute store bought/ready-made pudding. Also another alternative to the Airheads might be Fruit by the Foot rolls!

Definitely let us know if you decide to give these beach bears pudding cup snacks a try! Tell us how they turned out and what the kids thought of them!

Here are some more beachy food posts you might enjoy:

No Bake Sand Cake