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| A decadent and well loved dessert made with a shortbread pecan crust and layers of cream cheese, pudding and whipped cream. |
Chocolate Sin
This dessert recipe goes far, far back in my memory, though I was a bit older before I first heard it called "Better Than Sex." I distinctly remember a girlfriend calling it that and with a puzzled look on my face being told, "darlin', this is sooooo good that it is better than sex, that's why," and that was that. It sure has made multiple appearances in my life, that's for sure.Now, I do also realize that there a loads of equally sinful and delicious desserts of no resemblance to this one, that are also called "Better Than Sex," depending on where you're from really. Frankly even though they are all different, that's perfectly fine with me. In fact, you can read about several different varieties of "Better Than Sex" desserts right in our discussion on the Facebook page recently. No matter the dessert, I figure if it earned a name like that, it's gotta be drool worthy, no matter the ingredients.
This particular one, made with a shortbread crust and layered with a cream cheese, powdered sugar and whipped cream layer, followed by a chocolate pudding layer, and topped with a final layer of whipped cream, is known itself by multiple names. Chocolate Sin, Sex in a Pan, Better Than Sex, Better Than Robert Redford, Almost a Sin, Girdle Buster, Chocolate Dessert, Chocolate Pudding Dessert, Chocolate Delight and Chocolate Dream are a few names I've heard.

If you've never made this before I do hope you try it. It really is delicious and super easy to make. First you'll make a basic shortbread type of crust by combining butter with flour and nuts, and spreading that into a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish, and baking it. Do this far enough in advance so that you have plenty of time to cool the crust completely. The first layer is made of softened cream cheese and powdered sugar whipped together and then you'll add a cup of homemade whipped topping or Cool Whip to that. I could eat a whole bowl of just this stuff!
Spread that over the cooled crust - an offset spatula
Whip together two small packages of chocolate pudding with 3 cups of milk until slightly thickened and spread that over the cream cheese layer.
Over the chocolate pudding layer, you'll add a layer of plain whipped topping.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight - 24 hours is even better. I wait to garnish just before serving by grating a little bit of chocolate over the top using a fine grater

If you think this sounds yummy, I'd sure ♥ it if you'd click to pin it, tweet it, stumble it, or share it on Facebook to help spread the word - thanks!
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Recipe: Chocolate Sin
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish
Prep time: 20 min | Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
First Layer:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup of finely minced pecans
Second Layer:
- 1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 1 cup of Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream)
Topping:
- 2 (3.9 ounce) packages of instant chocolate pudding
- 3 cups of whole milk
Instructions:
- 1-2 cups of Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream)
- Additional chopped pecans, for garnish, optional
- Grated chocolate or Heath bits, for garnish, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, mix together the flour, pecans and butter until mixture resembles cookie dough. Spread into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch glass Pyrex baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely, about an hour.
Mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until well blended. Add 1 cup of the Cool Whip and mix together. Spread this layer over the cooled crust.
Mix together the two boxes of pudding with the 3 cups of milk until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Carefully spread over the cream cheese layer.
Spread the remaining cup of whipped topping on top. Cover and refrigerate - best if refrigerated 24 hours. Before serving, grate chocolate over the top and sprinkle with additional chopped nuts. Cut into squares.
Variations: Can be made with a variety of crusts by substituting crushed cookies, graham crackers or vanilla wafers for the flour in the crust. An Oreo crust is excellent. Can also use different flavors of pudding (vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, lemon, etc.), or use any two different but compatible flavors of pudding, either one layered on the other or blended together. Okay to substitute margarine, sugar free and lower fat products, if desired. Can also add a layer of sliced fruit, for example, use banana pudding with sliced bananas or vanilla with sliced strawberries.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com
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©Deep South Dish
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Oh my, this just looks tooo good. I never understood how anything could be called "better than sex" then I got old :-)
ReplyDeleteMary I do believe I've had something like this years ago. I'm finding that my favorite desserts all have a shortbread crusts which seems to go so well with all the sweet. Gotta try this.
ReplyDeleteExactly the way I make it. Only I call it chocolate delight. I first found the recipe in a church cookbook. After I made it the first time my teen-age son put 5-stars beside it. #1 requested dessert around here. I've had it with vanilla pudding but chocolate is definetly the best.
ReplyDeleteMary, I make this too, only my recipe is called Four Layer Pudding Dessert....Your name is way more exciting! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's delicious, no matter what ya call it. My original recipe makes it with pistachio pudding, and it's good too.
I printed that one out! The next time I'm asked to bring a dessert, that's what I'm bringing!
ReplyDeleteHow funny! I always called this Millionaire Pie, but my husband's family calls it Texas Pie. It's one of my favorite desserts that his grandma makes.
ReplyDeleteTo me, Better Than Sex Cake is a German chocolate cake with holes punched in it while it's warm, then drizzled with caramel topping and a can of sweetened condensed milk and topped with Cool Whip and sprinkled with shaved chocolate.
Lisa,
DeleteThis cake sounds so gooood. Tell me about the caramel topping and sweetened condensed milk. Do you mix them together or pour them on separately?
My husband would love this.
We call it "Husbands Delight". But please tell me about the German chocolate cake. That sounds so good.
DeleteI've never made the better than sex cakes before, but have made this tons over the years, my favorite is with pistacio pudding!! anne
ReplyDeleteThis is a family favorite, rating several stars, and we call it
ReplyDeleteMississippi Mud!
yum! I made this a few weeks ago. My momma always called it Chocolate Nut Dessert. She's been making it since I was in kindergarten (1979 doesn't feel like it was that long ago).
ReplyDeleteMy family has always known it as 4 layer delight, but I have heard it called "fat man's delight" (not funny!) But, if you like lemon, replace the chocolate with cooked lemon merangue pie filling, and it will knock your socks off!!
ReplyDeleteOne of my family's favorites! We call it Yum Yum though! :)
ReplyDeleteYes I am going to try this and all of the names are very appropriate if you ask me!
ReplyDeleteThis is our recipe too!!! I love this dessert because we have gone gluten free and this is so easy to revise just use gluten free all purpose flour mix. One time I was out of flour before we went gluten free and used vanilla sandwich cookies crushed up. My nephew thought he had died and gone to heaven!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post! I enjoyed my visit to your lovely blog. Wishing you happiness, Katherine
ReplyDeleteMy mom has made this dessert for as far back as I can remember... she always called it 4-Layer Delight! Love your recipes! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy mother has made this for as long as I can remember but she always called it "Four Layer Delight" and sometimes she would use Butter Pecan pudding instead of Chocolate. Love it! Love your recipes, too! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt's an oldie but goodie for sure Debra! I adore it myself. Maybe a little bit TOO much LOL!! :)
ReplyDeleteWe used to call it Chocolate Delite.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of my favorite desserts- Yummy!
I've heard this called Better Than Sex , but my mom calls it Chocolate Delight because "no food should be named after sex".. LOL she's old school.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what it's called, this dish is absolutely yummy. A chocolate lovers dream! We always have it around Thanksgiving & Christmas. Which is weird cuz I guess you can have it anytime! =)
Hey Melissa! I know what you mean - I'm pretty my mama would probably not call this sex anything! y'all probably have it around the holidays cuz it's so rich, but yeah, this time of year it's great with all the church suppers, potlucks & family gatherings going on. All I know is this - I LOVE it!!
ReplyDeleteI never knew what this was called, so I call it Chrissy Pie, after my daughter, because she asks for it every Thanksgiving and Christmas :)
ReplyDeleteIt is a dessert of many names!!
ReplyDeleteWe call it "Hobo Pie" and this is the one dessert my family will fight over. It is a "must-have" at all the big holidays and is so much in demand that we now make two - one to put out for the crowd, and one hidden away in the fridge for after everyone's gone!
ReplyDeleteOur family is like Lynda's...that's why we've always referred to it as "Green Stuff" :D My MIL religiously makes it with chocolate pudding, but my favorite (and my husbands, hee) is still to make it with pistachio pudding :)
ReplyDeleteI love Watergate so I know I'd enjoyed pistachio pudding in this layered dessert too. I had no idea so many people enjoyed that flavor and the lemon!
ReplyDeleteI was first introduced to this desert in 1976 at a potluck at work, BUT it was made with butterscotch pudding - it is to die for. I have been served the chocolate variety, and it is very good, but my family always prefers the butterscotch.
ReplyDeleteI don't recall seeing the butterscotch back then around here - only the chocolate - but the butterscotch is of course incredible. I lean toward the chocolate myself since that is the first one for me, but then I'm a pretty big fan of all the layered desserts overall to honest so I love them all!
DeleteI have had this dish since i was a little girl ive only known it as sex in a dish i plan on making this for dessert for my girls as they grow up it is amazing with the rich flavor but its not so over powering. and i hate wipped cream but for some reason i love it in this recipe i think of this as an amazing ne time dessert i used to eat it ne time of the day
ReplyDeleteHi Kaja! It's got quite a few names most of which involve the word "sex" LOL! It is good isn't it? Just looking at the picture always makes me want some!!
DeleteMy husband's aunt made this cake and called it "Yummy Cake"....the name says it all..it is so delicious. I have made it many times over the years.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's aunt make this cake and called it "Yummy Cake"...the name says it all! I have made it many times and it's always a hit.
ReplyDeleteI have baked as a side business for years, but when it all comes down to it, I'd rather have this than anything - everyone knows when my birthday rolls around, it's chocolate delight (what we call it) or bust! :)
ReplyDeleteI have baked as a side business for years, but when it all comes down to it, I'd rather have this than anything - everyone knows when my birthday rolls around, it's chocolate delight (what we call it) or bust! :)
ReplyDeleteI have baked as a side business for years, but when it all comes down to it, I'd rather have this than anything - everyone knows when my birthday rolls around, it's chocolate delight (what we call it) or bust! :)
ReplyDeleteCecelia, it is wonderful, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea & not the first time I've heard of this as a birthday cake Jenn!
ReplyDeleteIts Mississippi Mud here in this house. Twin sons always want it for their birthday dessert. Hard to believe they are going to be 27 this year. THEY sure are getting old. lol
ReplyDeleteLOL, yeah, my son turned 30 last year & I said the same thing!! My best friend since high school who by the way, said she was NEVER going to get married and certainly NEVER going to have any children, ended up both married & when she found out she was pregnant, yep. Twins!! Proof positive that God absolutely has a sense of humor. They are her pride & joy.
DeleteIsn't this just such a sinful & wonderful dessert? I am not safe around it!!
We do this same thing with an oreo cookie crust and crushed cookies sprinkled on top. Moar Chocolate!!!!
ReplyDeleteI with ya Kathryn!
DeleteWe do this same thing with an Oreo Cookie crust, and cookie crumbs on top. More chocolate is rarely a bad thing. ;) it is just called oreo cookie cake, for us!
ReplyDeleteYum!
DeleteWe do this same thing with an oreo cookie crust and crushed cookies sprinkled on top. Moar Chocolate!!!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this dessert! I also love it made with lemon pudding... we call it Lemon Lush. Frosty and lemony deliciousness!
ReplyDeleteLove that name Susie!!
DeleteWe have made this recipe for years but we put a layer of vanilla pudding on top of the chocolate. It is so good. I cannot wait to try it with pistachio pudding.
ReplyDeleteI've done the two layered too & it is very good!
DeleteChocolate Kiss Pie is what my family calls it and we add butterfingers to the crust along with the rest of ingredients and top it with butterfingers AWESOME!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteLOVE!!
DeleteChocolate Kiss pie is what my family calls it and we add few more ingredients to it like Butterfingers in crust && Lg Vanilla and small Chocolate pudding its really awesome Dessert
ReplyDelete