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Chocolate Pumpkin Sex In A Pan Dessert

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Sex in a Pan is a layered dessert that’s so rich and creamy, you’ll be in love after the first bite. Chocolate Pumpkin Sex in a Pan is a gluten-free, low carb pumpkin recipe to end all pumpkin recipes! An almond flour crust holds layers of pumpkin cheesecake filling, creamy chocolate pudding, and sugar-free whipped topping with shaved chocolate on top.

titled image (and shown) Pumpkin Spice Sex in a Pan

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The pumpkins are coming, the pumpkins are coming! Whoops, too late. The pumpkin recipes are HERE! And if you’re not a pumpkin lover or if you would prefer to not see any pumpkin-related content until at least October, I am sorry. I truly am. But they seem to arrive earlier and earlier every year now.

Even before summer is over, before the kids are back in school, and while you are still embalming yourself with sunscreen every day,  your social media feeds begin to clog up with pumpkin recipes. It’s atrocious, it really is. And I blame bloggers. Yes, bloggers! Those damn fools that worship the big orange gourd and can’t even wait until the beginning of September to start cranking out the pumpkin spice this and the pumpkin pie that. Yes, I include myself in that lot of wild-eyed pumpkin addicts. It’s a sickness, it really is. And there is no antidote.

a slice of sugar-free pumpkin chocolate layered dessert known as Sex in a Pan

Well, at least I waited until after Labour Day to publish my first pumpkin recipe this year. That’s something, right? And what a recipe it is, with quite the, ahem, suggestive name. Sorry if it offends.

What is Sex in a Pan?

Sex in a Pan is meant simply to be tongue in cheek, but if you don’t like that moniker, there are a few alternative names for this sinfully delicious pumpkin chocolate layered dessert recipe. Like Low Carb Chocolate Pumpkin Lasagna. Or Chocolate Pumpkin Dream Dessert. Or the rather boring but descriptive Pumpkin Chocolate Layered Dessert.

I settled on Sex In A Pan because that’s what a reader called it when she asked me to make something similar. And it reminded me of a dessert a friend made back in high school, although she called hers “Better Than Sex”. Which, being rowdy teenagers, we though was hysterical. It was also delicious!

The high carb version of Sex in a Pan usually has a shortbread-like crust, with layers of vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding and whipped topping. Most of which comes out of a box, of course. But making a low carb layered dessert from scratch is not only healthier, but a lot of fun. And you get to lick the beaters and the bowls of all the various layers. Can’t complain about that!

Low Carb Chocolate Pumpkin Lasagna

Healthier Pumpkin Chocolate Desserts

The combination of chocolate and pumpkin can be found in all sorts of gluten-free, sugar-free and low carb dessert recipes. A few of my favorites include:

Just be forewarned about one thing. There is absolutely NO WAY to get the first slice of this beauty out of the pan in one piece. You have to resign yourself to sacrificing that one piece in order to get the others out all nicely sliced up. If you happen to be serving to guests, just delicately remove yourself from their view as you cut into it.

Pull out that first mangled, mashed slice of Sex in a Pan in whatever manner you can get it out, and hide it back in the fridge for later. Then you’ll be able to lift the other slices from the bottom and no one will be the wiser. Well, except when you walk back into the dining room with smears of chocolate, pumpkin and whipped cream all over your face…

Did you know I wrote a cookbook? Get it now!

The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen

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Pumpkin Sex In A Pan Dessert
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
20 mins
Chill Time
3 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 20 mins
 

A low carb pumpkin recipe to end all pumpkin recipes! This gorgeous chocolate and pumpkin layered dessert is so rich and creamy, you'll be in love after the first bite.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 366 kcal
Ingredients
Crust:
Pumpkin Layer:
  • 10 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Pudding Layer:
Whipped Cream Topping:
Instructions
Crust:
  1. Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9x9 inch square baking pan (you can use 8x8 but your crust may take a little longer to bake).
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, pecans, and sweetener. Stir in butter until dough begins to clump together. Press firmly and evenly into prepared baking pan.
  3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and just firm to the touch. Let cool.
Pumpkin Layer:
  1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sweetener together until smooth. Beat in cream, pumpkin puree, spices and vanilla extract until well combined.
  2. Spread mixture over cooled crust.
Chocolate Pudding Layer:
  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine almond milk, whipping cream and sweetener. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sweetener.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the yolks to temper. Then slowly whisk tempered yolks back into saucepan.
  3. Reduce heat to medium low and sprinkle surface with xanthan gum, whisking vigorously to combine. Whisk in cocoa powder and cook until thickened, about 3 or 4 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chopped chocolate and butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.
  5. Let cool 15 minutes and then spread over pumpkin layer. Cover with plastic wrap flush to the surface and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Whipped Cream Topping:
  1. Beat cream with sweetener and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Remove plastic wrap from chocolate layer and spread with whipped cream.
  2. Dust with cocoa powder (this works best through a fine sieve). Use a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer to shave chocolate over top.
  3. Chill another hour to help set completely.
Recipe Notes

Serves 16 (this is a really rich dessert so could go even farther). Each serving has 7.63 g of carbs and 3.05 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 4.58 g.

Food energy: 366kcal
Total fat: 33.79g
Calories from fat: 304
Cholesterol: 134mg
Carbohydrate: 7.63g
Total dietary fiber: 3.05g
Protein: 5.96g

Nutrition Facts
Pumpkin Sex In A Pan Dessert
Amount Per Serving
Calories 366 Calories from Fat 304
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33.79g 52%
Cholesterol 134mg 45%
Total Carbohydrates 7.63g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3.05g 12%
Protein 5.96g 12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Low Carb Chocolate Pumpkin Sex in a Pan dessert

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Comments

  1. Well you had me at your title, but the stunning photographs of said pumpkin
    p*rn sealed the deal…this recipe to the top of my ‘to do’ list”

    Reply

  3. When at the store what am I looking for when you say, unsweetened chocolate & sugar-free choclate. What exactly did you use?

    Reply

  4. Lol I figured your title was a nod to the hugely popular dessert/cake that was flooding the Net a decade or so ago “Better than Sex”. Given the story about you and your girlfriend, I’m guessing it was around longer than that. 😉 This looks really yummy!

    Reply

  5. Well, since my Sweetie is deployed until next April, this is as close to sex as I am getting! Lol!
    It especially included my love of chocolate and pumpkin! xoxo

    Reply

  6. The name of this recipe certainly got my attention!! Rather like a cake recipe called Sin in Your Mouth – just kinda grabs you! If this is as good as that *grin* I’ll be taking this to the family Thanksgiving dinner (but I make have to change the name for the sensitive folks)!!

    Reply

  7. Oh, my! I’ll definitely be making this recipe this autumn. I have a “not low carb” recipe for the vanilla/chocolate version you mentioned. I would love it if you would share that recipe with us one of these days. 🙂

    Reply

  8. Hi, I just love your recipes! and I hope in the future that you will have a chocolate or any other flavor low carb turnover recipe and a low carb strudel recipe.

    Reply

  10. Oh.My.Word. You are now my best friend.
    I have had this dessert with pistachio and chocolate, but pumpkin?? Yum!
    I also didn’t know anyone else who knew what this dessert was! 🙂
    Thank you!

    Reply

  12. What can I do if I can’t get powdered sweetener? They don’t seem to sell it anywhere in my city. All I have is granulated erythritol.

    Reply

  13. This looks amazing!! I can’t wait to try it! I am the only low carber and only dessert lover in my family and I can’t imagine eating this whole thing by myself before it would be past its prime… Any idea of it would freeze OK or should I just stick with a mini batch?

    Reply

    • I’d make a mini batch. I don’t think the pudding layer or whipped cream layer would do well with freezing. Should be pretty easy to do 1/2 or 1/3 or even 1/4, if you have a small enough pan.

      Reply

  15. We made this last night. Holy cow, this is SO GOOD! Everyone was taking turns licking spoons, and clearly the biggest problem is going to be not eating six pieces at a go… The spicing in the pumpkin layer takes me right back to my high school years in New England! So, so good.

    We did find it really quite sweet for our tastes, but that’s just us (we find everything sweet!). Next time we’re going to reduce the sweetener in the chocolate layer by half, and everywhere else by a third.

    We don’t have easy access to Swerve in the UK, so we use Sukrin 1:1 (granulated) and Sukrin Icing, which are both erythriol and stevia combinations that work really well for us as direct sugar substitutes. We find they’re an easy swap for Swerve, and have comparable sweetness.

    We ended up using Montezuma Organic 73% dark chocolate for the bittersweet chocolate component, as there was nothing around that was completely unsweetened (aka cacao and cocoa butter, and nothing else) and no sugar-free dark chocolate, so our carb content is definitely higher for this and this is undoubtedly why our chocolate layer came out quite sweet compared to the other layers.

    When chilled for that final hour after adding the whipped cream layer, it was definitely still oozing everywhere but we couldn’t resist a moment longer. Yum! By this morning, it’s firmed up beautifully.

    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It’s already a favourite, and I can tell we’re going to be making it all the time. 🙂 If anyone’s thinking of making it and runs into some of the minor things I mentioned, hopefully this comment offers a little bit of guidance. The recipe definitely takes a bit of time and effort but is so, so delicious!

    Reply

    • Glad you liked it! It may be that the 73% chocolate made it taste quite a bit sweeter. Or it could be the sukrin. Hard to say!

      Reply

  18. Hi Carolyn your desert looks stunning and sounds amazing. If I wanted a different sweetener instead of swerve like honey ,maybe maple syrup or regular sugar. Don’t you think it might work. I know you haven’t tested another source. Hey thank you so much!!.

    Reply

  19. I haven’t been a successful baker but this looks so good, I think I’m going to give it a shot. However, my family prefers sweet potatoes to pumpkin. Do you think I could sub sweet potato for pumpkin 1:1? Would anything else need to be changed? Thank you. Your blog is inspiring.

    Reply

  21. This is just like a recipe that I’ve made that I got from my grandmother. She always called it The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford! So it has been around awhile. And even with the original, the first piece NEVER comes out of the pan without getting mangled! I love all of the recipes of yours that I’ve tried, and I can’t wait to try this one. I bet my family won’t even be able to tell the difference!

    Reply

  23. Looks great but I also have to avoid dairy is their any way to avoid dairy as much. Really want to make all the time.

    Reply

    • No this dessert is quite dairy based. But I have several non-dairy recipes, so type “dairy free” into my search box and you will find them.

      Reply

  24. I made this about a week ago and I’m still sneaking spoonfuls out of the fridge – it’s just really delicious. And I can see how easy it will be to change up the flavors to suit the season or your mood.

    Also – the chocolate pudding layer was so tasty, i’m just going to make the pudding on it’s own!

    Reply

  25. I assume that the xantham gum is to thicken. Could you use Gluccie for that instead? Thanks! Can’t wait to melt into some of this!

    Reply

  28. Made this dessert today, and my goodness, you weren’t kidding. It’s absolutely delicious, and so pretty with all the layers. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  31. This is so good. I’ve made it three times and it does not get old. Question – I wanted to make it for Christmas for my pre-diabetic family members to have a dessert, but my brother doesn’t much care for pumpkin. Any suggestions for making that layer a different flavor? I can’t think of what to swap in for the pumpkin.

    Reply

    • Just make it a vanilla cheesecake layer. Use some full fat sour cream in place of the pumpkin to get the right consistency. Maybe about 1/2 cup?

      Reply

  32. Looks and sounds delicious. My sister is diabetic so when I go to her house for holidays I try to bring something low carb. There are alot of artificial sweetners that spike her blood sugars. I am also new to this so could I replace Swerve with I believe she uses Stevia in the Raw.? Thank you so much

    Reply

  33. To avoid wrecking the first slice and – knowing me – several more than one, could I just line the pan with a heavy tin foil, letting the sides hang over, so that I can lift that lump of yummynes out of the pan in one piece?

    Reply

  35. I made this but used your cheesecake recipe instead of the pumpkin layer (the blueberry cheesecake but without blueberry and lemon elements) bc I was craving the original version of this dessert, my childhood favorite. It is DELICIOUS, I predict I will finish the whole pan in a week or less!!!! Any ideas for how I can lower the calorie count next time? With the chocolate pudding, can the butter be reduced or do you think it would work if I reduced cream and increased the almond milk (like .5 cup cream and 1.5 cups milk)? I need to be able to eat bigger portions of this stuff! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  36. If I want to cut the recipe in half do you think a 4″ X 8″ loaf pan would work? I’ll be the only one eating it but might make it for Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  37. My only challenge is I hate the taste of Swerve. I use Truvia and Stevia but the powdered sugar effect requires Swerve. I think it has a chemical taste.

    Reply

  38. Oh my goodness! I just made this tonight and it was a process, but so, so worth it. I used Truvia instead of Swerve and the only problem was that the chocolate layer was a little butter, but I bet it would be perfect with Swerve! I am so not deprived on my low carb “diet”! Thank you for sharing this delightful recipe.

    Reply

  39. I have to say this is one of the most expensive and complicated dessert recipes I have followed in a long time, and I did not get anything that came close to looking like this pic. I was disappointed. The best part was learning to make a great crust for other recipes.

    Reply

  40. Carolyn this recipe rocks! I made it last year around this time and forgot that my Swerve/erythritol/stevia hating husband even tried it and liked it. (He was doing one of his low carb stints to lose some weight and wanted sweets, but otherwise usually doesn’t go for my healthy sweets) Last night he brought this recipe up and I’m excited to make it again ( he is low carb this month?)… I just can’t remember what brand pumpkin I used and I know in the past with your recipes, some brands of pumpkin had more liquid and needed to be squeezed out… is this the case here? Thanks for all you do!

    Reply

    • If you open your can and it’s really liquidy, you may want to consider drying it out a bit. But the cream cheese really holds things together so I think it’s not critical.

      Reply

  41. Back in the 80s when I was stationed in Spain, someone taught me how to make this minus the pumpkin,and it was called ‘chocolate lasagna.’
    My dad and brothers back then used to beg me to make it.

    Anxious to try it with the pumpkin. Thanks

    Reply

  42. This dessert is incredible! I am actually relieved that it requires more work and time than I will usually spend on a sweet treat. Otherwise I would be making this every week, and eating ALL OF IT!
    My only issue was with the whipped cream topping- it fell and separated in less than 24 hours. But this is so easy to fix! I add a small amount of softened gelatin, which is a Maria Emmerich tip.
    But seriously, this is the BEST dessert I’ve ever made, low carb or otherwise. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!!

    Reply

  43. I tried this recipe and it works for my keto diet!!. I used dark baking chocolate unsweetened. turned out fantastic. used all gluten free ingredients so worked for my dietbetic father and my step mom who has a gluten allergy… PLUS my boyfriend who doesn’t like sweets loved this dessert!! thanks for sharing

    Reply

  44. Hi Carolyn, just wanted to share that I made this tonight and EVERYONE loved it! It is one of the best low carb desserts I’ve made. Everyone was shocked it was low carb. Just wanted to say thank you for creating these wonderful and delicious recipes. Fan for life!

    Reply

  45. Hi Carolyn! I want to make this dessert for Thanksgiving, but the only sweetener I have is the Trim Healthy Mama Super Sweet. Can I use this, and should I grind it in place of the powdered Swerve? I don’t know what Swerve is, so how do you think I should measure out the Super Sweet? Thank you!

    Reply

    • You can probably do this. Swerve measures like sugar so use as much Super Sweet as you would to equal that amount of sugar (I think you really only want about 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of Swerve). Grind it well!

      Reply

  46. Thank you for this! YUM!!

    I made it for Thanksgiving and it was the hit. I might as well have skipped cooking the rest of the meal. (Not really, we ate it all.)

    I didn’t want the pumpkin flavor so i omitted the spices in that layer and it came out very well. The chocolate layer was perfect! I’m so grateful to find a version that doesn’t call for box pudding! Smooth, creamy and firm enough to hold up to cutting.

    I love your site. Keep ’em coming!

    Reply

  47. It’s always just been called “4-Layer Dessert” in our house. My Grandmother has made it for 50 years! I’ve been making a version of it regularly around here lately, with your easy blender chocolate mousse recipe as the chocolate layer. It’s amazing! I’ve always resisted the chocolate-pumpkin combo thing because it just sounds so WRONG but I have to admit that this looks delicious!
    Thanks for all you do Carolyn!

    Reply

  49. I put the dark chocolate in the chocolate layer instead of the unsweetened chocolate! I hope it is still great! I will report back after church on Sunday.

    Reply

  50. I don’t think I am going to be able to get my hands on swerve before Canadian Thanksgiving (this weekend), do you think stevia would work as a replacement for the swerve?

    Reply

    • Yes, but for the chocolate layer, you may need some more xanthan. Swerve has some fiber in it that helps set the pudding a bit.

      Reply

  55. I started make this the other night and I had some trouble when I got to the chocolate pudding layer. First, it took FOREVER for the hot cream mixture to simmer and when I added the xantham gum and cocoa powder it got super thick very quick. When it came time to put the chopped chocolate and butter into the pretty thick mixture it didn’t want to incorporate the butter and each time I thought I got it mixed the butter would separate again. I ended up with lumpy mixture with melted butter at the bottom of the saucepan(for some reason it kinda looked like brownie batter) and just had to call it a day and put the layer in the pan and refrigerated it overnight. The next morning it out of the fridge the pudding layer looked pretty hard and still very lumpy and you could see a hardened layer of butter. I decided to just finish up the recipe and just try it. Later in the night, when I tried some the pudding layer was just as hard as it looked it wasn’t rock hard but definitely not like a pudding and it tasted very strongly of bad sweetener. Although, luckily I couldn’t taste the butter separate from the dish. The pumpkin cream cheese layer I think need some more pumpkin in it or just a bit more flavor besides the cream cheese. But the crust was good and the whole thing together was pretty good. I don’t know that it was worth all that time and effort for the outcome. Maybe if I knew how to fix my mistakes and added a little something to the pumpkin layer. I was so excited when I saw this recipe and read all of the positive comments(it seems like no one had the problems I did). So does anyone have any idea where I went wrong with the chocolate pudding? Keep in mind I used erythritol and I powdered it by putting it in the blender for the layers the recipe said needed it(which I read was fine and I have never had any problems with the taste).

    Reply

    • I can tell you what the issue is…your chocolate seized. Heat was too high or chocolate not of good quality, which can happen.

      Reply

  56. Thank you so much Carolyn for responding so quickly. I love to learn and I trust your fabulous recipes so I will have to try it again sometime!!!

    Reply

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