Sex in a Pan

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 delicious pudding dessert with a crunchy pecan crust.

Over 10 years ago I shared this amazing dessert with you and you guys loved it! It’s one of my most popular recipes here on the blog, even after all this time, and there’s a reason for that. It’s incredible, it’s decadent and it’s luscious.

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 to 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 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’s still popular, not because of its name but because it really is incredible.

• Pecans – You will need some chopped pecans for the crust. You could also use walnuts if you don’t have any pecans on hand.
• Sugar – A bit of white granulated sugar is used to sweeten the crust.
• Butter – The butter needs to be melted. Always use unsalted butter in cooking to control the amount of added salt unless a recipe states otherwise. 
• Flour – I just use basic all purpose flour to make the crust. 

• Cream Cheese –  I love using Philadelphia cream cheese. It needs to be at room temperature for this recipe.
• Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar. You need to sift out the lumps to ensure the cream cheese layer is super smooth.
• Cool Whip – Any brand of frozen whipped topping or whipped cream will work.

• Vanilla Pudding – I use instant vanilla pudding mix. You will need a couple of boxes.
• Milk – I always use cold whole milk to make the pudding.

• Chocolate Pudding – You will also need a box or two of your favorite instant chocolate pudding mix.
• Milk – Cold milk is needed to make the pudding. As mentioned, I always use whole milk.

• Cool Whip – Your favorite brand of whipped topping or whipped cream will do just fine.
• Shaved Chocolate – Used to garnish the whipped topping. You could also use a few mini chocolate chips if you like. 

This amazing dessert may have a few steps, but it’s super easy to make! The instant pudding comes together in minutes and the crust is pretty effortless. Easy peasy!

First, preheat your oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) so that it is hot once the crust is made. Next, spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or grease it with oil. 

To start, the crust needs to be made! Add the chopped pecans, sugar, melted butter, and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer. Then mix everything together until it’s fully combined.

Then transfer the crust mixture to the prepared baking dish and press it firmly into the bottom of the pan. You can use a glass to help flatten the mixture out evenly. Then place the crust into the preheated oven to bake for about 20 minutes. Allow the crust to fully cool in the pan when it is done.

While the crust is baking, make the vanilla and chocolate puddings according to the package instructions.

However, I only used 2 cups of milk instead of 3 so that my puddings came out firmer. So basically I only used ⅔ of the amount of milk that the directions called for. I did this because I find that thicker pudding helps the dessert to hold its shape better. 

Now let’s whip together the cream cheese layer. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and one cup of the cool whip to your stand mixer. Then whip everything together until it’s light and fluffy. You can also use a hand mixer if you prefer.

With all the layers made you can build the sex in a pan! Yet, the crust must be completely cool before you begin. Then spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust evenly followed by the vanilla pudding and then the chocolate pudding.

Try your best to make all the layers nice and even.

Now, top the dessert with one final layer of the remaining cool whip and a sprinkle of some shaved chocolate for garnish. Then put the sex in a pan in the fridge to set for at least a few hours before serving. 

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?

Storage

Leftover sex in a pan will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge or for up to 3 months in an airtight container in the freezer. Just let it thaw out in the fridge before serving, which should take about 6 to 8 hours.

Other Delicious Dessert Recipes To Try

• Better Than Sex Cake
• Tres Leches Cake
• Easy Tiramisu
• Apple Pie Cake
• Easy Pavlova
• Luscious Lemon Pudding