Sex in a Pan
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This Sex in a Pan has a crazy name for a dessert, but it’s one of the best desserts you’ll ever have, it’s mostly a pudding dessert with a crunchy pecan bottom crust.
Over 5 years ago I shared this amazing dessert with you and you guys loved it! It’s one of my most popular recipes on Jo Cooks and there’s a reason for that. It’s incredible, it’s decadent and luscious.
I thought it’s the perfect time to share this with you again with some updated pictures and a video. With Valentine’s day only a couple days away, I think this dessert will be spot on for that special day with a name like sex in a pan.
Why Is It Called Sex In A Pan?
The name itself is hilarious for a dessert, and hundreds of you have commented on here telling me all the other names that this pudding dessert goes by. I think it’s called sex in a pan because it’s six layers and from six layers in a pan it got it’s sex in a pan.
A long time ago, before I was married, my friend came over on a weekend and made this dessert for me. I had no idea what it was, but she promised me I was going to love it so we made it.
We did not come up with the name, that is the name that it was known to her and her mom had been making it for her for as long as she could remember. I think this dessert has really been around for decades but it still popular, not because of its name but because it really is incredible.
That first day we made this dessert I fell in love with it. I had never had anything like it before. It was so easy to make and so good.
What Is Sex In A Pan?
Sex in a pan is a layered dessert. The bottom layer is the crust made with pecans, flour and butter. The next layer is a layer of cream cheese sweetened with powdered sugar and made fluffier with whipped cream. Then you have a layer of chocolate pudding, then another layer of vanilla pudding and top it off with whipping cream and then lastly you sprinkle it with chocolate. Does that not sound good?
And don’t worry about it looking perfect with perfect layers, this dessert is not about that. It will look sloppy with all the pudding and whipped cream layers. Nobody will care about how it looks like once they take a bite. It really is love at first bite.
I just had to share this wonderful dessert with you again because every single time I make it people fall in love with it and so many of them tell me it’s the best dessert they’ve ever had. Trust me, that’s the best compliment you can get for such a simple dessert. Have you guys had this before? Isn’t it to die for?
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Sex in a Pan
Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 1 hr 5 mins
Serves: 12
Sex in a Pan – crazy name for a dessert, but it’s one of the best desserts you’ll ever have, it’s mostly a pudding dessert with a crunchy pecan bottom crust.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Cream cheese layer
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar also known as icing sugar or confectioner's sugar, use 1/2 cup for less sweetness
- 1 cup cool whip or whipped cream
Vanilla pudding
- 5.1 oz instant vanilla pudding
- 2 cups milk
Chocolate Pudding
- 5.1 oz instant chocolate pudding
- 2 cups milk
Toppings
- 2 cups cool whip or whipped cream
- shaved chocolate optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a mixer mix all the crust ingredients together and press the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake it for about 20 minutes.
- Prepare the vanilla pudding as per the instructions on the package. As noted I used 2 cups of milk instead of the 3 cups on the package instructions to get a firmer pudding.
- Prepare the chocolate pudding as per the instructions on the package. As noted I used 2 cups of milk instead of the 3 cups on the package instructions to get a firmer pudding.
- In a mixer add the cream cheese, powdered sugar and the cup of whipped cream. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Let the crust cool. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust evenly. Spread the vanilla pudding over the cream cheese layer, then the chocolate pudding. Spread the whipped cream as the last layer then top with shaved chocolate if preferred.
- Refrigerate for a couple hours until it sets before serving.
Video
Recipe Notes
- I used 2 cups of milk for my pudding, because I wanted a firmer pudding for the layers here, but feel free to use 3 cups of milk just as the instructions say.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 446kcal (22%)Carbohydrates: 53g (18%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 24g (37%)Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)Cholesterol: 52mg (17%)Sodium: 359mg (16%)Potassium: 227mg (6%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 38g (42%)Vitamin A: 660IU (13%)Vitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 142mg (14%)Iron: 0.9mg (5%)
Products you’ll need:
Originally Shared March 2012:
What can be substituted for Pecans? My son is allergic.
You can use other nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, or you can make an oreo cookie crust.
This has been a family favorite for many many years. However the name is a bit different. “Sex in a pan” ??? Close but I just happen to be the happily unmarried son of a Methodist Minister and as one might have guessed, the “s” word can be a treacherous thing within the household. As I am of age to consume alcohol , a beer or two while watching the game was not unheard of. A “sex on the beach” may not have flown. An evening on the front porch with my girlfriend (lights on of course) flew but again “sex on the beach” with my girl would not. So……. “Sex in a pan” as a joke toward my dad…. was re named to another “S” word that had the entire family laughing so hard that we started substituting other named activities with the fabulous desserts new name. Yes the dessert known as “Sex in a pan” was ,in my family, re named! A three letter word that had us laughing so hard(Dad included) for our yearly reunion was ” Sin” Its sooooo good, it must be a sin to eat it.
Do you let the pudding cool?
It’s already cold, it’s instant pudding.
Well I feel silly.
The chocolate pudding I bought had to be boiled. The vanilla did not. Perhaps I read did not read the “instant” directions.
You can still use the boiled one just let it cool completely first.
This recipe has so many variations and has been around since the 60’s. Omit vanilla pudding and use 1 Large box chocolate for Chocolate Lush. Omit vanilla AND chocolate puddings and add 2 small or 1 large box LEMON pudding for Lemon Lush and use crushed lemon cookies or lemon zest for garnish and you have LEMON LUSH. This recipe was originally called 6 Pie or 6 Layer Lush. A few layers are consistent through the variations- butter crust with or without pecans, cream cheese layer, whipped cream layer… I have used fruit such as berries, bananas or mandarin oranges as well instead of the puddings. All are beautiful. Butterscotch pudding and pumpkin pie spice
Oh lord this is good, and easy to make. I make it in ramekins for dinner parties.
In my haste I didn’t bake crust. Any salvation!?
Well, it’s got raw flour in there, so that might make you sick.
Can this be made a day ahead or does the pecan crust get soggy?
No, it doesn’t at all, this is the perfect make ahead dessert.