The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford
Tue, May 31, 2011
Around the World, Cakes, Cupcakes & Brownies, Desserts, DessertStalking, Honest Cooking, Itsy Bitsy Foodies Sightings, North America, Photograzing, Search by Course, United States
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The first time that my husband spent Thanksgiving with my family we were all gathered around the dessert table after dinner and my Aunt pulled out a pan of a layered pudding dessert. My husband exclaimed, “The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford! This was my favorite growing up!” We all started laughing because we only knew it as the layered pudding dessert. Not to mention that it was especially funny coming from my husband. A quick search on Google, however, revealed that my husband wasn’t nuts. There is actually a dessert with this name.
So here it is. The recipe that my husband grew up on. This rich, creamy and chocolaty dessert definitely isn’t for the weak. A little bit of the buttery cookie crust topped with vanilla-chocolate pudding and whipped cream goes a long way. The dessert is a crowd-pleaser and it’s simple to make, so it’s great for parties. The original recipe calls for frozen whipped topping but I couldn’t resist using homemade whipped cream.
| The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford |
- Bottom Layer
- 1 cup unsifted flour
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
- Middle Layer
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 1/2 ounces homemade whipped cream
- Top Layer
- 1 large package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 large package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3 cups cold milk
- Garnish layer
- Roughly 4 1/2 ounces homemade whipped cream
- Chocolate shavings
- Mix together the flour, butter and chopped nuts until the dough is crumble-like.
- Press the mixture into a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Bake the cookie crust at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
- Let the cookie crust cool.
- Beat the sugar into the cream cheese until it is smooth.
- Fold in the whipped cream.
- Spread the mixture over the cooled crust.
- Beat the milk into the pudding mixes until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
- Spread the pudding over the middle layer.
- Spread whipped cream over the top.
- Sprinkle the the dessert with grated chocolate candy bar, such as Baker’s Real Semi-Sweet Chocolate Shavings.
- Cover the layered dessert and refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it.
Tags: butter cookie crust, cake, chocolate, decadent chocolate dessert, layered dessert, pudding, walnuts, whipped cream
When I was growing I use to live in Alaska. That was the 1st time I ever tried it. But they call it Alaska mudslide. When I had a friend made it I was in heaven!!! I was like ohh Alaska mudslide and she looked at me and she told me no it was chocolate desert!!! I ask her what was in it she told me and I was like up that Alaska mudslide and that what I told her what I called it growing up in Alaska. Now I make it once and awhile and I call it Alaska mudslide and people ask me all the time for the recipe.
We call this the “Four Layer Delight” because we’ll mix up the top layer…..cherry pie filling, different flavored puddings, chocolate being the most popular of course.
We also do a graham cracker bottom.
Just crush up the graham crackers really well…and then press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan until they’re really compressed. Then start layer up. No need to bake anything then 🙂
This has been made every holiday in our family for 15+ years. My grandmother found it in her mothers cook books awhile back. I have a feeling this receipe has been around for a longgg longgg time. You can make it many different ways and add a variety of toppings.
In Southwest Louisiana we call it Chocolate Yummy. A favorite for holidays and any special occasion.
In Canada, we call this “Sex in a Pan” 😉
My family calls this “Four Layer Delight”. 🙂
We called it “chocolate Dream” It can be made with pistachio pudding too! Or banana.
We have been making this as long as I can remember and I am 47 years old. We call it Mississippi Mud Pie. Love this but my mama always made it by putting the cool whip on only half of it because some of us didnt like cool whip. She tried to please everybody.
I’m from Texas and this was one of my favorite things at Thanksgiving! I remember calling mom for the recipe when I knew there was a Thanksgiving I wasn’t going to make it home for. I’ve also seen it with cherry pie filling.
Change the cream cheese layer to cream cheese, peanut butter and whipped cream, and the bottom layer to a graham cracker version and you have Peanut Butter Delight. I used to make this all the time.
Can u use cool whip in place of whipped cream?
Yes, in fact the original family recipe used Cool Whip but I just love homemade whipped cream so much that I used it instead.
I live in Texas and we call this “Chocolate Yummy!” It is soooooooo good. I should never had read this because now I just want to leave work and go make one.
I use pecan sandie cookies for the crust. Crush cookie and put half stick melted butter and press in pan……Yummy
My grandmother makes this recipe in a pie plate and uses powdered sugar in place of the sugar in this recipe. She calls it “Chocolate Fluff Pie”. I also make it with coconut pudding mixes and top with coconut instead of the chocolate pudding and shavings.
A friend in the Republic of Panama used to call hers Charlie Brown. She stored it in the freezer, so it was a little frozen when served. So good!!
I have made this since the early 70’s. I use powdered sugar with the cream cheese and whipping cream (can use cool whip) and I don’t make my crust anymore I just use graham cracker crust it is real yummy. I’m not from Texas but have always called it Texas desert because the layers are so big.lol
We called this Mississippi mud pie too. It was always a hit…I bet it’s been 20 years since I’ve had this…yum!
This sound delish…..for the top layer do you mix the chocolate and vanilla pudding together then add the milk?
We call it “Almost” Better Than Sex Pie.
My mom got this recipe from HER great grandma. In Texas we call it better than sex cake :). We use powdered sugar in the cream cheese layer though.
How do you make the pudding firm enough to cut without having to spoon it out?
Melissa, the pudding sets up thicker because you end up using less milk (3 cups for two pudding packs rather than one).
Yeah in Canada we call it ‘sex in a pan’ clearly the best name!
Can I use real whipped cream if I make this the night before? We won’t be eating until this time tomrrow evening.
Judy, yes that should be ok. When we’ve had leftovers they have kept in the fridge just fine because the whipped cream is not piped and doesn’t have to hold a perfect shape. However, you could always assemble everything and then just add the final topping of whipped cream + chocolate shaving garnish tomorrow before serving if you’d like.
I just made a similar recipe last weekend. For the crust, I used half vanilla wafers, half graham cracker crumbs and melted butter and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Powdered sugar with the cream cheese then beat in the heavy cream and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Did a layer with vanilla instant pudding and 1.5 cups milk, 4 oz cool whip. Next layer pumpkin spice instant pudding, 1.5 cups milk, 8 oz cool whip. Then top with 4 oz cool whip. Was really good!
My family is from Mississippi. Mom fixed this dessert a lot. She had a name for it, but my siblings and I called it “that yummy thing with the Pecan Sandies. We used Pecan Sandies for the crust and powdered sugar with the cream cheese. Mom’s pumpkin crisp comes in a close second.
Kelsey, what can I substitute for the nuts in the bottom layer? Nut allergies in the family.
I am just going to say that a 9X13 pan does not serve 23-32 servings. We are lucky to get 8-12! This stuff is that good!
In NC we call it “Chocolate Delight!”
Shauna, some readers have commented that they make versions with a graham cracker crust (typically crushed graham crackers and a little butter). You could also do the same with Oreo cookies. Or, you could do a plain shortbread cookie. The graham cracker/Oreo cookies wouldn’t need to bake. A shortbread would bake first like the original bottom layer in this recipe. I hope one of these works for you!
My recipe is called Lucky If A Bite Left 🙂
That should’ve been 5 stars, oops!
Starting to make this and not sure if my crust is done. It’s been 20 minute, but its not hard or anything. Help?!
Maggie, is it turning golden brown at all? It’s hard for me not being able to see it. It doesn’t need to be totally hard but it should definitely be firming up and getting a little golden after 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let me know how it turns out and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s really hard to tell but when I push led on it, it wasn’t hard. It seemed more brown than when I 1st put it in the oven….not sure. I did 20 min at 350. It’s out now. I wonder if just put it back for a few, then it. Would be done?
Sorry. I’m typing this on my phone with a toddler at my feet
Also, how thick should the chocolate layer be? it seems watery to me..
Well, its done..i’ll let ya’ll know what everyone thinks tomorrow!
This is amazing. I grew up with this too, absolutely delicious! The only thing is we call it “sex in a pan” haha love it!
We call this “Tornado” in Michigan. I use powdered sugar with the cream cheese/ cool whip mixture, vanilla pudding, and chopped pecans on top. Can hardly get enough of this!
I have made it with the chocolate pudding but I use two packs of butterscotch pudding….take a couple of chocolate toffee bars and freeze them. Put it together just like the recipe calls for but (crush the frozen chocolate toffee bars) and mix them with the cool whip and put on top. Leave a little crushed bars to top off with for garnish….
Silly question- Am I combining the vanilla and chocolate pudding together with the 3 cups of milk? Or is it 1 and half cups of milk per pudding and seperation layers? Thanks
Sarah, I mixed them to make one pudding layer, but it would work either way if you want to leave them separate.
My grandma’s recipe is very similar and we call it “Mousse” or as my brother calls it “Moose”. We used to have it every year for Christmas Eve, now that she’s gone, I make it when my kids ask for it or when I’m going to be with my brother.
I first learned of this as a Weight Watchers recipe. You can use sugar free pudding and lite Cool Whip to lighten up the richness of the dessert. You really can’t tell the difference.
I have made this for years only I use brownies as the bottom layer. Guess I’m a chocoholic.
i made this but i mixed fluff with the cream cheese, and used only chocolate pudding not both chocolate and vanilla.but will try it this way ,
We call this “Bird Poop” 🙂 lol