Crack Pie — This recipe lives up to its name and everyone should try this pie at least once!! It’s a fairly involved recipe from Christina Tosi’s Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook, but I promise the effort is worth it!
Milk Bar Crack Pie Recipe
You read the title correctly. This is a Christina Tosi recipe and I surmise this pie and the real thing have a fair amount in common.
The addictive quality, thinking about it when you shouldn’t be, and wondering when you’re going to get it again are likely common themes for both. I can say definitely that all rings true with regard to crack pie.
Like all of Christina’s recipes, there are multiple steps and recipes within recipes but the results were worth it.
First, let’s talk about the crust. It’s starts as a sheetpan-style giant oatmeal cookie slab that’s made from butter, brown and white sugar, an egg yolk, flour, and oats. The big cookie slab is spread about 1/4- inch thick onto a sheetpan, baked for 15 minutes, cooled, and then destroyed.
That’s right, after cooling, the cookie is crumbled up with a bit more brown sugar and more butter, and packed into a pie plate as the crust.
After packing the crust in, I made the filling, halving her recipe for the filling. I made the full amount of cookie (crust) because the extra was easily tossed into lunches and gobbled as snacks but I didn’t need two whole pies laying around so halved the filling amount to make “just” one pie.
Too much temptation being around that much Crack otherwise.
The filling is made with heavy cream, 4 egg yolks for each pie filling (8 in the full recipe) vanilla extract, white and brown sugar, milk powder, and she also called for 1/4 cup of corn powder (finely pulverized corn flour, not cornstarch) across two pies.
I found myself digging my fork into the pie plate to just “even out the pieces” and then whoops it’s not even, better have another bite and then whoops it’s 12:32am and I can’t stop thinking about this pie, better go see what my own version of crack is up to.
If you are not a fan of sweet desserts, this is not for you.
If you are not a fan of fatty, buttery, rich desserts, this is not for you.
If you’re not a fan of either of those things, you’re reading the wrong blog anyway.
There’s a reason that Momofuku Milk Bar sells these pies for $44 each.
They are a PITA to make, the cost of the raw ingredients per pie, even if you go el cheapo and buy store-brand multiple sticks of butter, sugar, nearly a dozen eggs, heavy cream, and milk powder there’s probably at least $15 dollars worth of just raw ingredients in it.
You can’t just buy a quarter cup of milk powder or two tablespoons corn powder or 3/4 cup of heavy cream; you need to buy the whole carton, package, and unless you have those things laying around, you need to factor them in, too.
Not to mention few hours worth of time and lots of labor and dishes. I had every sheet pan, mixing bowl, spatula, and measuring cup I own dirtied up for this pie.
Would I make this again? Yes, definitely, and with the changes I noted in the recipe section. I’d even consider using a store-bought graham cracker crust and just making the filling because that’s very do-able and not too time-consuming for the average person trying to juggle life, family, work, school, and not spend 3 hours in the kitchen to make one dessert.
All in all this baby is sweet, creamy, and will make you moan and groan. It’s full of texture from the crunchy oat cookie, complemented with the buttery smooth filling.
Each bite is crack-like, indeed.
I can only imagine the Google search hits my site is going to get after this post.
What’s in Crack Pie?
To make this Milk Bar pie recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg yolks
- All-purpose flour
- Old-fashioned oats
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Corn powder
- Milk powder
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Crack Pie
I’ve given very detailed instructions in the recipe card below on how to make this Milk Bar crack pie recipe. Below is just a brief overview of the process:
- Make the oat cookie crust. Make it like you would a normal cookie dough, spread it out onto a baking tray, then bake.
- Let the oat cookie cool completely, then pulse in a food processor with a little butter and salt.
- Press the oat cookie mixture into a pie plate.
- Make the pie filling. Whisk together the filling ingredients. Pour into the prepared pie shell.
- Bake the pie. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, then open the oven door and reduce the baking temperature to 325F (leave the pie in the oven while you do this). When the oven temperature reads 325°, close the door and finish baking the pies for 5 minutes.
- Let the pie cool. Let the crack pie cool completely before slicing (otherwise it’ll be too runny and won’t slice well).
Do I Have to Use Corn Powder?
Because I was halving the Momofuku crack pie recipe, this meant 1/8th cup or 2 tablespoons corn powder and rather than ordering or sourcing it at Whole Paycheck, I simply used 1 1/2 tablespoon King Arthur all-purpose flour and things turned out just fine.
It must be all the sugar and fat in this pie that kept me from missing those two tablespoons of corn powder because there is so much (butter) going on already. Butter in the cookie to make the crust, then more butter adding when crumbling and packing the crust down into the pie plate, more butter in the filling.
And I sure wasn’t complaining.
How to Store Crack Pie
This Momofuku crack pie should be stored in the fridge. It will last up to 5 days. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. To thaw, set in the fridge overnight.
Tips for Making Crack Pie
I would halve the entire recipe, not just the filling portion, right off the bat (no one needs two of these laying around, nor do you “need” the extra cookie portion; unless you have the freezer space for it or company or are training for a triathlon, halving is my recommendation)
I would use a 9-inch, not 10-inch, pie plate as she recommends. I felt it was just “barely” enough filling and don’t attribute it to halving the recipe. I also used more than half the cookie for the crust and feel a 9-inch would be better.
I would underbake the cookie crust by about 25-30% of what she recommends (take it from 15 minutes to about 10 minutes) so that it crumbles easier and packs into the pie plate easier; plus it gets baked a second time anyway as part of the pie.
I would consider buying a store-bought graham cracker pie crust and just making Christina’s filling if I wanted to take this recipe from 2 hours of standing on my feet to 15 minutes by just making the filling.
Tosi recommends baking the entire pie, crust and filling together, for 15 minutes at 350F, opening the oven door and allowing the oven to cool to 325F, and then baking for about 5 more minutes after the oven temperature has reached 325F (about 20-25 minutes of total baking time).
I needed to bake mine for about 31-34 minutes of total baking time in order for the center to set (at least one-third longer than she called for which is highly significant and to be noted). Also I was only baking one pie; if I had two in the oven, it would have taken even longer.
Pin This Recipe
Crack Pie
This recipe lives up to its name and everyone should try this pie at least once!! It’s a fairly involved recipe from Christina Tosi’s Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook, but I promise the effort is worth it!
Ingredients
Pie
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 recipe Oat Cookie (recipe follows)
- 1 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 recipe Crack Pie Filling (recipe follows)
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Oat Cookie
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
- 3 tbsp. white sugar, granulated
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/8 tsp. baking powder
- pinch baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Crack Pie Filling
- 1 c. unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 c. white sugar, granulated
- 3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 c. corn powder (corn powder is defined as freeze-dried corn, ground to a fine powder)
- 1/4 c. milk powder
- 3/4 c. heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 8 large egg yolks
Instructions
Oat Cookie Crust:
- preheat the oven to 350°. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color.
- Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula. On a lower speed, add the egg to incorporate.
- Increase the speed back up to a medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes until the sugar granules fully dissolve and the mixture is a pale white color.
- On a lower speed, add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 60-75 seconds until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Your dough will still be a slightly fluffy, fatty mixture in comparison to your average cookie dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.
- Pam spray and line a quarter sheet pan with parchment or a Silpat. Plop the oat cookie dough in the center of the pan and with a spatula, spread it out until it is 1/4″ thick. The dough won’t end up covering the entire pan, this is okay.
- Bake the oat cookie for 15 minutes. Cool completely before using in the crack pie recipe.
Pie Filling:
- Mix the dry ingredients for the filling using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed. Be sure to keep your mixer on low speed during the entire process of preparing the filling; if you try to mix on any higher than a low speed, you will incorporate too much air in the following steps and your pie will not be dense and gooey – the essence of the crack pie.
- Add the melted butter to the mixer and paddle until all the dry ingredients are moist.
- Add the heavy cream and vanilla and mix until the white from the cream has completely disappeared into the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Add the egg yolks to the mixer, paddling them in to the mixture just to combine. Be careful not to aerate the mixture. Use the filling immediately.
Assemble the Pies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Put the oat cookie, brown sugar and salt in the food processor and pulse it on and off until the cookie is broken down into a wet sand. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can fake it till you make it and crumble the oat cookie diligently with your hands.)
- Transfer the cookie crumbs to a bowl and, with your hands, knead the butter and ground cookie mixture until the contents of the bowl are moist enough to knead into a ball. If it is not moist enough to do so, gently melt an additional 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and knead it into the oat crust mixture.
- Divide the oat crust evenly over two 10-inch pie tins.
- Using your fingers and the palm of your hand, press the oat cookie crust firmly into both 10-inch pie shells. Make sure the bottom and the walls of the pie shells are evenly covered. Use the pie shells immediately or, wrapped well in plastic, store the pie shells at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Place both pie shells on a sheet pan. Divide the crack pie filling evenly over both crusts (the filling should fill the crusts 3/4 way full) and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. During this time, the crack pie will still be very jiggly, but should become golden brown on top.
- At 15 minutes, open the oven door and reduce the baking temperature to 325°F. Depending on your oven this will take 5-10 minutes – keep the pies in the oven during this process. When the oven temperature reads 325°F, close the door and finish baking the pies for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, the pies should still be jiggly in the bull’s eye centers, but not in the outer center circle. If the pies are still too jiggly, leave them in the oven an additional 5 minutes.
- Gently remove the baked pies from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool at room temperature. You can speed up the cooling process by transferring the pies to the fridge or freezer if you’re in a hurry. Freeze your pie for as little as 3 hours or up to overnight to condense the filling for a dense final product – the signature of a perfectly executed Crack Pie.
- Just before serving, finish with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
- Adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar
Notes
Recipe Notes and Items I Would or Did Change:
I would halve the entire recipe, not just the filling portion, right off the bat (no one needs two of these laying around, nor do you “need” the extra cookie portion; unless you have the freezer space for it or company or are training for a triathlon, halving is my recommendation)
I would use a 9-inch, not 10-inch, pie plate as she recommends. I felt it was just “barely” enough filling and don’t attribute it to halving the recipe. I also used more than half the cookie for the crust and feel a 9-inch would be better.
I would underbake the cookie crust by about 25-30% of what she recommends (take it from 15 minutes to about 10 minutes) so that it crumbles easier and packs into the pie plate easier; plus it gets baked a second time anyway as part of the pie.
I would consider buying a store-bought graham cracker pie crust and just making Christina’s filling if I wanted to take this recipe from 2 hours of standing on my feet to 15 minutes by just making the filling.
I didn’t miss the corn powder and would continue to use my 1 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour because I am frugal, didn’t want to source it, and don’t want to store a bag of corn powder in my already maxed out cupboard space for the occasional one tablespoon use of it.
Tosi recommends baking the entire pie, crust and filling together, for 15 minutes at 350F, opening the oven door and allowing the oven to cool to 325F, and then baking for about 5 more minutes after the oven temperature has reached 325F (about 20-25 minutes of total baking time). I needed to bake mine for about 31-34 minutes of total baking time in order for the center to set (at least one-third longer than she called for which is highly significant and to be noted). Also I was only baking one pie; if I had two in the oven, it would have taken even longer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 780Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 313mgSodium: 663mgCarbohydrates: 84gFiber: 1gSugar: 69gProtein: 10g
More Homemade Pie Recipes:
Crustless Fresh Strawberry Pie — FAST, super EASY, no-mixer dessert that’s perfect for summer entertaining, picnics, or potlucks!! Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FABULOUS recipe!
The Best French Silk Pie — This French silk pie is made with an Oreo cookie crust. The filling is a cross between chocolate mousse and chocolate cheesecake, and it’s so addicting!
Sugar Cream Pie — This sugar cream pie reminds me a bit of crème brûlée. The filling is custard-like, and when topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon it’s irresistable!
Crustless Cranberry Pie —A FAST, super EASY, no-mixer dessert that’s perfect for holiday entertaining!! Somewhere in between pie, cake, and blondies is what you get with this FESTIVE recipe! Take advantage of those fresh cranberries!!
Caramel Apple Crumble Pie — Apple pie meets apple crumble in this easy caramel apple crumble pie recipe. This apple pie is dense, rich, and is packed with caramel apple flavor!
Coconut Custard Magic Pie — A one-bowl, no-mixer pie with a short ingredients list that is SO easy to make and forms three different LAYERS while it bakes!! Mindlessly easy, goofproof, and coconut lovers will go crazy for this MAGIC pie!!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie — The filling tastes like the center of an underbaked chocolate chip COOKIE!! Gooey perfection! Easy, rich, decadent, extremely CHOCOLATY and you can use a frozen pie crust!!
Yum! Crack pies are sooo addictive!
We love your blog !!! Are you interested in becoming Chicory’s official recipe partner?
I live in NYC and I have yet to visit Milk Bar, but it’s on my to-do list!
As a substitute for corn powder, I wonder if corn flour would work? It’s sold in ethnic markets and a bag is inexpensive. Haitians cook it with milk, then blend it, adding sugar , vanilla and spices.
This looks so delicious! My husband is a pie enthusiasts and I will defiantly will have to try this out! Unfortunately we live in Japan and don’t have access to many of the ingredients so we will have to try it out once we are states side. But I will for sure be pinning it!
i burnt mine!!! Bleh. So sad. It still tastes pretty dang good but way over cooked. 30+ minutes was way too long for mine, it seemed jiggly but now is super hard. I will have to try it again with less time in my oven.
Everyone’s ovens are so different but sounds like your oven runs hotter than mine or your batter was a little less loose than mine and yours set up much faster. I hope you try again and get it just right because it’s such a wonderful pie!
what is corn powder? I’ve never heard of it. Could it be the same as corn starch?
Please read the blog post as I discussed this in length. And many commenters have chimed in over the years with feedback as well.
Why on earth would you call it crack pie?
You forgot to add the real whipped cream topping!
I will assume…milk powder is the same as Powdered milk???
Yes (I wrote the recipe as she wrote it in her cookbook, using her terminology/vocab).
Wow, ok, thanks for the feedback. I’ve been a lifelong baker and was pretty confident going in. Humble pie for me tonight, ha ha.
Humble pie is right, I know…and sorry it didn’t work. It can be a tricky pie to nail BUT when you do nail it, worth it :)
Oh, no! MAJOR disaster. I just took them out and there is a liquid layer of butter about half an inch thick on them. Completely ruined and disgusting. So disappointed. I know it can’t be the recipe since others have had so much success and I went back and double double checked every ingredient…all the ingredients are correct. The only thing I did different was that I forgot to put the butter in before the cream. I put it in right after and let it mix well. Looked fine when it went it but it wouldn’t set well even after a lot of time so I took them out and put a knife in the top of one and melted butter spurted out. Really, it was like a pond of butter. It all has to go in the garbage. Waaaa! Could it possibly have happened just by putting the ingredients in the bowl in the wrong order?
Sorry to say, yes, it could have. This is a VERY finnicky recipe and there are many people who can’t quite nail it, even if they think they did everything correctly. And in this situation you know you didn’t do everything correctly from the outset, and therefore, the way the fat is going to emulsify and work in with everything else just didn’t happen. Hence, the pooling results you had. Go buy the book and read her commentary about baking science and such and you will see why this ‘one little thing’ could and did cause the pie to fail. Sorry about your struggles!
Cant you just bake the crust in the pie plate and leave it at that. I don’t see making the cookie baking just to be destroyed and worked into another crust for the pie
I’m sure you can do whatever you’d like to make the pie your own. I simply made it exactly as written from the cookbook I linked and discussed.
I would say the 10″ pan is probably recommended d/t the extreme richness of the dessert, quite similar to Chess pie. 10″ is definitely what I would go with. Topped with unsweetened whipped cream, it’s better.
An interesting note- this seems to be simply a chess pie variant with a nontraditional crust. Because of this, I would recommend adding some lemon juice to the filling. Lemon chess pie is my go-to and I imagine this crust would take it to another level :)
Ok, I definitely know why it’s called Crack Pie, I bet it’s so addictive , no one gets any of it, since I’d sit and eat a whole pie myself, maybe baking two might be good for me!!!!!Ha ha, just kidding, or am I??? Now you did not use the corn powder, so how could I make w/o using the milk powder, as I am not vegan??? I have considered being vegetarian, but now am very anemic and Doctor told me to eat red meat, since I you get severe Anemia, they have Iron Infusions, but I am allergic to them, I have already had one, that’s how I know bout hat, don’t want to repeat that!!!!Any help would be appreciated, what was the corn powder for, since I am not familiar with. I will have to go to Whole Foods and ask around what things are, instead of just getting the usual stuff I go in there for!!!!Thanks, so many recipes, so little time!!!!
So I tried this. I compared this recipe with the one on her site ( http://milkbarstore.com/main/press/recipes-and-how-tos/#crackpie … which doesn’t specify things like type of flour… I assumed that meant AP, as normal, but on the description I see she actually writes “unbleached wheat flour” now, which I didn’t realize until this post…)
I don’t know. I used a tin that was 9 and 11/16 or something, and I only cooked one pie but I didn’t split the recipe, just in case. I weighed the batter and cookie so as to divide them completely evenly, and I don’t think I got enough filling. But still… I had to also cook mine much longer. And… yeah, I love sweet things, but this was really sweet… Which is kind of crazy.
Maybe the “unbleached wheat flour” would have made a difference? I don’t know, and I don’t quite know what that means. I did buy freeze dried corn (but it was fire roasted) from Whole Foods, and ground it in the processor, so… I followed the directions as much as I possibly could. I don’t think I deviated from anything. Mine is darker as well, and looks a little more gooey in the center; it doesn’t look evenly cooked. It’s also slightly thinner. Mine looks more like these:
http://blogs-images.forbes.com/jeneneronick/files/2011/11/crackpie.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xyjsJ4jdrMI/THmEU7AE-hI/AAAAAAAAAh0/-5nSHETknt0/s1600/1007_GF+Crack+Pie_21-2.jpg
So… and I did the oven-cooling process as directed, but when I opened the door, it was cooled enough (even too much) within like, a few seconds really. Maybe that had to do with the texture difference… maybe it cooled too quickly?
The photos from Yelp seem to show the real thing is more evenly cooked generally ( like this: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/momofuku-milk-bar-new-york-4#gTEPHDvzscA3nv9jC0HaUA )
Someone did mention that it was too sweet for them. =\
I don’t know! I need to try the real thing I guess to compare? I can’t really believe the real thing would be too sweet for me; I must have messed up something in my recipe.
The pie is quite sweet. When I made this pie and posted this recipe years ago, that first link did not exist.
Unbleached wheat flour I really don’t think would make that much of a difference in this recipe compared to AP. I always back with King Arthur AP and that’s what I used here. I didn’t do the corn as noted.
I just made the pie, as she wrote it in her cookbook, baked it, and took photos of it. I’m sure the color of pies varies from oven to oven.
We made the oatmeal crust the final day of 2014 and the remaining pie today, 1/1/15. I agree with many of the comments above. Our final product doesn’t look at all like these pictures, and it tastes like a pecan pie without the pecans and there is no evidence of fluffiness. As far as being careful not to over mix, we followed those instructions very carefully. I’m really confused as to the contrast between your pictures of a light and fluffy looking pie and reality. A buttermilk pie with an oatmeal crust would have been easier and just as good.
I just made the pie, as Christina Tosi wrote it in her cookbook, baked it, and took photos of it. I’m sure the color and exact texture of pies varies from oven to oven.
I made this for Christmas, everyone loved it!
I only had normal bown sugar so I used that. It just meant that mine was a caramel colour. Also for anyone else in Australia, you could just use store brought ANZAC cookies for the crust. The giant cookie is just an ANZAC biscuit.
Will definitely make again!
Glad it came out great for you and great call on the Anzac cookie crust! I actually have a recipe for Anzac cookies on my site and I can see them working as the crust!
You don’t mention how long it keeps but another website said it can be made 2 days ahead. Do you think 3 days would be ok too? I’d like to make this for our Christmas dessert but need to make it ahead of time. Thanks!
I think 3 days is fine. It’s also the type of dessert that if you’ve never made it before, I encourage you to make it in advance anyway since it’s a more involved recipe and you just want to be extra sure you can nail it :)
I just finished making this and the filling is the bee’s knees. However, when a I baked it, it got super bubbly and dripped all the way out of my pie pan (so glad you said put the pie pan on a baking sheet). I just can figure out what caused it to blow up so much. The middle circle is dry, but it’s still wet and gooey on the outer circle. I left plenty of room a the top. Any idea where I might have gone wrong?
Honestly, I don’t know! That’s interesting to me and something I haven’t experienced. Sometimes when beating eggs for pie filling, if you overbeat it can cause the pie to get a little bubbly, but that’s more cosmetic with little tiny bubbles, not like a bubble-over situation. I wrote the recipe as it comes from Christina Tosi’s cookbook so I really don’t have any extra advice for you.
Well, that is definitely the biggest disappointment I’ve ever had in the kitchen. After many hours in the kitchen and leaving the pie in the oven for even longer than the recipe called for (and I didn’t leave the door open when I lowered the temp), I had to throw this away. This did not set AT ALL. (I also had it in the freezer for three hours after it cooled to room temp. )I would have liked to at least eat maybe around the edge to see if the flavor was all it was “cracked” up to be, but since I’m pregnant eating a bunch of runny, raw egg yolks seemed like a bad call. I’m going to go and cry myself to sleep now. Oh wait, I’m nine months pregnant-I don’t sleep either.
I’m sorry it didn’t set for you. I wrote the recipe exactly like Christina Tosi wrote in her cookbook. It IS a very complicated and long recipe and I’m sorry it didn’t work for you. Write to her or call her at Momofuku and tell her what you did and maybe she can give you some pointers!
Please stop titling recipes using the word “crack”. As an addictions counsellor it’s very offensive. Cake is NOTHING compared to crack. Cake doesn’t rule your life and take your family and home from you. Please reconsider the next time you wish to give a title to a new recipe.
I DIDN’T NAME IT. Christina Tosi did; it’s her recipe from her cookbook/restaurant, Momofuku Milk Bar. I simple made it and blogged about it.
Thank you for the recipe, I made this for Thanksgiving and turned out beautifully. For what it’s worth, the crack pie at Momo Milk bar is darker as the other readers have commented. But either way both pies I am sure are addicting as it should be! :)
Glad it came out great for you and I’m sure you had very grateful friends & family to help you eat it!
Hi, just wanted to follow up. I made the pie in a 9×13 pan and it was a success. I baked the pie for 20 minutes at 350, opened the door and lowered the oven to 325 for another 20 minutes and it turned out perfectly and of course was a big hit at Thanksgiving dinner.
I’m so glad it came out great for you in a 9×13 pan! Thanks for the details as I’m sure it will help someone one day!
Where does the first 1/4 c melted butter go? I can’t seem to find it. lol The crust has the 1/2 c. butter and the filling has 1 c of butter, but I can’t account for the first 1/4 listed at the top. (I made the cookie crust part tonight while baking something else and plan to put the rest of the pie together tomorrow.) :) Thanks
Under the To Assemble the Pies portion – Transfer the cookie crumbs to a bowl and, with your hands, knead the butter and ground cookie mixture until the contents of the bowl are moist enough to knead into a ball. If it is not moist enough to do so, gently melt an additional 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and knead it into the oat crust mixture. Divide the oat crust evenly over 2- 10″ pie tins.
You add the 1/4 butter as needed to the oat cookie to get it to become a crust.
I copied the recipe how it was written in Tosi’s cookbook and I can understand how it’s a bit confusing; it was to me too. But that’s how she wrote it.
Enjoy the pie!
Aha! Got it. Thanks. :)
Hi – this looks amazing. I’d like to make it for Thanksgiving. OK to make the day before?
Yes, enjoy!
hi, thank you so much for getting back to me about the 9×13 crack pie. I will be making it for Thanksgiving so I will definitely let you know how it turns out!
ive been a fan of your site/recipes for years. Love the photography especially. Everything I’ve ever made has been a big hit, so keep up the great work! I want to make this for a larger group and was thinking of using a 9×13 pan instead of the 2 pie pans, what can I say, I’m a wild woman. I’m thinking at a minimum at least an hour cooking time. What are your recommendations? By the way, I will be using corn powder. I found it in the baking aisle by bobs red mill (I think that is the name).
I think that you could probably do a 9×13 pan with this but I haven’t tried and so can’t really speak to baking times and how things will exactly come together. I hope all goes well and keep me posted!
This looks and sounds AMAZING. It makes me think of a gussied-up Chess Pie crossed with an Egg Custard. Both are EEEEVILLLLL. Together? Along with heavy cream and a crazy crust? (Shudder) Totally bookmarking this.
a gussied-up Chess Pie crossed with an Egg Custard = YES!! :)
I rarely comment on blog posts, but I just had to do so for this one! Amazing job!!!! Brava! This is one of my favorite desserts and am so thrilled that not only is the recipe available, but your blog post makes it seem possible, albeit time/effort/money intensive! I’m going to try this for Thanksgiving. Thank you for such a useful and beautiful post.
albeit time/effort/money intensive! <--- true to all of that, and I can totally see why Momofuku charges almost $50 for theirs because of the work, time, and ingredients but DIYing is so rewarding. Make sure to do a trial run of this before Thanksgiving just because, well, it is a more intensive recipe and you want to be double-triple sure you have it down pat :) And if it works, you can just freeze it til you need it!
Way too many pictures that do not add any information. This makes reading on a small screen (tablet our phone) very difficult.
So sorry to trouble you.
Really? All some people do is complain!!!
Question – I made the cookie for the crust night and I noticed that you list a different amount of oats (1 cup) than all the other versions of this recipe, which call for 1.5 cups. Is there a reason for this? It still came out great, and it’s delicious, but I’m just wondering why this recipe is different. Thanks!
I took the recipe from the cookbook so not sure where others got their recipes but when I typed this up years ago, I took it from the book.
Glad your pie came out great and thanks for trying the recipe!
This looks sooooo good! I think I might make this for Thanksgiving this year. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Please do a dry run 1 week before, JUST IN CASE :) It’s a semi-complicated recipe and totally worth it but you just want to make sure, you know!
I’ve actually taken the Crack pie class at Milk bar and spoke with Tosi about the ingredients. The corn powder actually gives this pie a lot of flavor. While I’m sure it tastes perfectly desserty without it, you should definitely give it a try next time. I bought a small container of corn powder from Milk when I was there, but it’s also available on Amazon.
Im a fat girl stuck in a skinny girl’s body. Why? I positively love my desserts! No recipe is to fussy or complicated for me. While this recipe does require a level of confidence and comfort in the kitchen, it is well worth the end result. I took my time with it however, and made the crust one day then on another I made the filling. And yes I made two! Took your advice with regard to the corn powder too. Thanks for gorgeous pictures of a doozy of a dessert! As for the name of the pie – Who cares? Just enjoy it!!
What a great field report and thank you for trying this pie! And very good call on splitting up the recipe into crust one day, filling another. I actually recall making this crust late one day/evening, and then doing the filling the next morning. Glad the corn powder advice worked and…good for you for making two! As long as you’re going to the work, right :)
Is this pie served chilled or at room temp? Also, (assuming there are any), where do leftovers go–in fridge or on counter at room temp? This pie looks amazing! I’ll be making this soon, with your modifications! Thanks for sharing! :)
I serve it slightly chilled. Store in the fridge and then take out about 15 minutes before you plan to serve it.
This sounds like a great pie, but sure is a lot of trouble to make…..so glad you made it easier for people like me who doesn’t like complicated recipes….sure want to try it…don’t know when tho…..it kinda sounds like a CHESS PIE which I have never made or tasted…..always wanted to tho.
Thank you so much for making the recipes easier for all of us, we appreciate it…..
Thanks for the nice comment and yes, this recipe is complicated and fussy. It’s do-able, but it’s a project! One of those ‘bucket list recipes’ I had always wanted to make and am glad I did, but it’s not a quick-and-easy number, although I tried to pare it down and simplify it as much as possible to bring it more onto those lines! Thanks for noticing!
Hey, I learned something today! Corn flour = corn masa.
This looks soooooo good. I have been reading about this pie. I think I need to make it, seeing as I don’t expect to hit NYC anytime soon.
Thanks for the recipe!
Momofuku crack pie is SO good. Everytime i’m in NY I eat a slice.
One tip that I noticed just from your pics, is that next time you make this you may want to refrigerate it for a few hours before eating, as crack pie should be kept refrigerated. The consistency should be that of a thick lemon bar.
Enjoy your crack pie!!
Thanks and I did.
Sometimes things warm up and soften a bit in the time it takes to get them from baking dish to plate to getting those perfect images with the camera under hot lights or in warm rooms.
Yesssss, I’ve always wanted to make this pie. This and her cornbread cookies. She’s a baking goddess.
Cornflake cookies – I made those!
https://www.averiecooks.com/2012/05/cornflake-chocolate-chip-marshmallow-cookies-milk-bar-mondays.html
Not sure about cornbread cookies though. Haven’t heard of those. She has so many recipes though!
I just tried this recipe and I would love to know how you got that fluffy, yellow consistency!! Mine turned out yellow on the top and much like caramel in the middle. Nothing like your beautiful pictures. It must be the baking time. Any tips for getting a fluffy pie?
It’s very hard to trouble-shoot what someone did in their kitchen and so it’s hard for me to really say what happened. In generally fluffiness occurs in baking when you really BEAT and whip things like crazy, so make sure you mix over and beyond what you even think you need to do, use a stand mixer, and if yours was yellow and caramely that sounds like over-baking to me. There’s a fine line with this pie of being done and not, and sounds like you crossed into the over-baking realm. Since this is not my original recipe and is Christina Tosi’s, email her! Or call Momofuku in NYC! I would :)
Thanks! I definitely want to try again. I’m going to put my mixer on turbo and see where that gets me. I love a fluffy pie! Kudos for making such a beautiful one… This recipe is clearly for experts only.
Yea you need to MIX this batter from what I remember from making it. You really have to aerate it and get it whipped!
My stand mixer didn’t come with a paddle attachment. How important is that, do you think? I’d love to try to make this, but I don’t want to have to buy special equipment for it. Thanks!
Most stand mixers really only have one main attachment, the paddle attachment. The other 2 common ones are dough hook or the wire whisk, but you do need the paddle attachment for 99% of all baking recipes you’d make with a stand mixer. Maybe you already have it, and it’s a terminology thing, which I am thinking it is.
I have a Sunbeam, and it only came with the wire whisk.
Wow, not sure what kind of baking they think you’ll be able to do, but in general, you’ll probably want to get the paddle attachment. It’s what you’ll use to make cookies, cakes, muffins, quickbreads, etc.
The reason for the longer cooking time and the brown tops is because of the change to the 9 inch pie plate. It makes the filing thicker which means it’s needs longer to set. So long that the top is turning brown, for some. I think sticking with the 10 inch plate would be best, just plan for a thin crust and thin filling. It should set in the time suggested and no brown top. I’m going to try that next time.
i rarely make pies but this one reminds me of my daddy’s favorite custard pie…. i will try to make this one, but i can tell you that the 1/4 cup of milk powder is superfluous… sounds sinfully delicious….
I don’t know if I’ll ever make the filling but I’m thinking that crumb crust would be better than any I’ve had. I detest graham crackers and vanilla wafers are too sweet. I’ve been using the store bought shortbread crust for cheesecakes but it’s too sweet for some pies. I love oats and I could control the sugar in this crust, sounds like a winner.
I make my own “graham cracker” style crust using a shortcut of store bought cookies instead of graham crackers. Vanilla wafers are a good choice. I really like pecan sandies. The bargain brand oatmeal worked great for this recipe.
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Hello,
I’m using the small ( mini ) store bought graham cracker crusts …anyone know how long I should bake them ??
Thanks
I just got her cookbook as a gift for Valentine’s Day and I have to say I was like whoa those are some complicated recipes! I made the cornflake marshmallow cookies and had the same too-flat and overbaked results, so I’m glad it wasn’t me doing something wrong! I will definitely want to try this one out, though. Pretty much everyone loves the Crack Pie from what I’ve seen!
I know, have you ever seen so many long, complicated drawn out recipes? LOL Well I have but hers are right up there! And yes with those cookies. I believe it has to do with commercial vs. home kitchen equipment and also baking on a scale 10x as big as what we make. Sometimes you just can’t quadruple a recipe or make 1/10th of the recipe, even if you adjust all other measurements; baking just doesn’t always work that way, and I believe those things are partly to do with the many home-based (failed) or very iffy results. And on top of that, not quite sure if she divulges ALL her trade secrets in the book :) But this pie is worth taking the time to make!
This pie recipe looks & sounds delicious, but…I don’t see what’s amusing about naming all these food dishes with the word “crack” in it – better than crack, crack pie, crack cookies……I understand what the meaning is supposed to be, but it makes me cringes a bit & not really want to eat something that is compared as being like, or better than an ilegal street drug that destroys lives & has nothing good about it? I’m not trying to be rude or critical towards you, I just don’t get it.
I didn’t name the pie. If you notice, it’s a famous pie I made from the Momofuku Milkbar Cookbook of the famed Momofuku Milkbar restaurant in NYC. Christina Tosi named it, not me. I just made it.
No, I’m sorry, I didn’t see the part where someone else named it. But that really doesn’t make a difference to me. Honestly, I mean no offense to you personally, & I’m not criticizing you, you have some great recipes on your pages. This was just around the 4th or 5th recipe I’d seen in 2 days with the word “crack” in the title, so I just happened to comment on your page.. And I didn’t mean it in a critical way, I just really don’t get it & I wish someone could explain to me what the appeal is in that name? It doesn’t matter who named it, everyone seems to think it’s cute & the recipe becomes even more popular, even if it isn’t that good – this pie sounds amazing, btw, I’m thinking of it for Easter :)
I had a kid ask me why it’s ok to eat crack cookies, if drugs are bad for you. I think people just don’t really think about the meaning behind the name, maybe they just weren’t around when that drug was as pervasive as meth & destroyed so many families. It might be a different thought if we were serving out families ‘Magic Meth Mashed Potatoes’, ‘Better Than Meth Muffins’, or picture handing your kid a cookie & saying ‘here you go sweetie, have a ‘Monster Meth Cookie’ ,I wonder if those recipes would go viral?
Seriously, please don’t take it personally, just something to think about. I’ve been silently following your pages & like a lot of your stuff. I don’t know if you can delete my comments if you don’t want them there, or if I can do it if you want me to – but I will if you let me know.
This is a very strange comment. If you hate the name, why not call it something else..? Personal issues, I guess. Great looking pie!
in the 80’s there waas a “better than sex” cake… and now there are all the drug references with food. you are right and people should think before they name these things. but face it – Momofuku Custard Pie doesn’t sound as good!!! hahaha.
Hey JL, lighten up for God’s sake. Rename the damn pie if it makes you feel better. Seriously!
Thanks for the feedback. I ended up making 2 of these yesterday(we entertained 8 for dinner). It was a huge hit. Y0u’re spot on in recommending a 9 in pie pan. I had a bit of a challenge getting the pie crust spread evenly into the pan (the crust kept sticking to my fingers) Until I used a spoon to press it in-that worked pretty well. Also used your flour substitution. As a few others have noted mine turned out darker, but the taste is…well crackish! Great blog post!
I write a wine blog and found the perfect bottle of wine to enjoy with this, so I’ll be linking back to this page!
So glad that the pies were a big hit! Tthat is awesome that you made two! And glad my tips for the flour, pie size and it all worked out so well for you. Thanks in advance for the linkback :)
put plastic bags on your hands to press out cookie crusts… it helps a little!
Hello Averie,
this pie sounds yummy. I just may have to try it soon. :-) Probably when we invite company over since it would be too much for my hubby and me.
I have a couple of questions, must you use dry milk, I have regular, H&H and cream, no dry. also in the cookie recipe can’t I just put in the whole egg? or not at all? I love to bake pies, I have a really good crust recipe (got it from the Sacramento Union Paper, it’s been out of business for years) let me know if you are interested and I will share the recipe with you. love your pictures showing the steps, reminds me of the Pioneer Woman. Happy Baking. Joann
Hi I haven’t tried the pie other than exactly as I made it so I can’t really speak to how substitutions will work and altering things. I hope you get to try it – such a great tasting pie and thanks for the compliments that I remind you of Ree! That’s a super high honor :)
Hi Averie, I just watched the Martha Stewart video that you recommended, Very interesting. When they put the ingredients together for the crust she put in a whole egg, hmmm, so I will try it that way. Since they all kept saying it was like chess pie, I know they did not use dry milk in that recipe, but I am not sure how to sub. so may have to dink around with this and check out a chess pie recipe and see what’s what in that one. (I know I am bad always revising recipes. LOL) You are most welcome about you reminding me of Ree, she is such a character when she writes out her recipes, I so enjoy her. I hope to get more goodies from your site. :-)
Hi is milk powder the same as powdered milk?
yes
I work for a private club and this is what there getting on the Wednesday night buffet this week…I’ll make the whole recipe since I will need 2 pies! Thanks for the post. You need my little corner, run it through, dishwasher takes 3 minutes a load and wam bam thank you mam everything is clean. sure makes a difference in baking… ;)
disappointed mine looked nothing like your picture! I was worried i’d done it wrong, but then looked at other comments and other sites’ pics of this pie… and looks like it does come out much darker and more “set”… less “creamy”. “like a pecan pie w/o the pecans” as someone described it, is a great description. wish yours could be re-created with this recipe, as i prefer the look of it!
I did exactly what I typed in the recipe and all the related notes that I wrote. Maybe you baked yours longer/too long if it’s darker and more set; those would be 2 clues that it was baked longer than mine relatively speaking if oven temps, enviroments, etc were all perfectly calculated. Maybe just bake it less next time!
I don’t see how it could be like pecan pie w/o the pecans unless you used whole eggs instead of just the yolks as called for. My pecan pies do not have heavy cream or a thickener like corn powder or flour but they do have whole eggs, sugar and butter.
Just finished and mine are darker too – mine too remind me of a pecanless pecan pie. But oh my gosh does it taste good!! Sure, it would be nice to look like the pictures above but who cares when it tastes this good!!!
You have to remember that with BRIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY LIGHTS hitting a light-colored pie, they make things look much lighter than the pie really was/is in person. I mean yes, it’s a light pie, but the combined with natural light and photography lights, the pie ‘glows’ on camera. I don’t think yours is probably that much different than mine was. Next time if you want, tent w/ a sheet of foil the last 15 mins or so of baking to prevent some of that browning. Glad you loved it though!
This sounds pretty darn amazing. I can only imagine what it tastes like! But now I know WHY they charge $40-something for this pie…wow!
Sarah it’s a ton of work to make, I won’t lie. And the ingredients themselves, there’s a lot of raw materials $$ there so honestly, I can understand the $40 too after making it! You’ve got $20 worth of hard costs and your time is worth something but it IS an awesome pie and since you’re such a great baker, put it on your bucket list one day to make!
is corn powder = to me grinding up corn flower or corn meal ? i bought both not knowing what was bettter :/
Corn powder is what C. Tosi specifies in her book. To be honest, I am not really sure how corn powder is made and if it’s ground corn meal, corn flour or what. You’re looking for ‘corn powder’ if you choose to include it. I did not, as you can see in my notes, and it turned out just fine!
corn powder is actually freeze dried corn, ground up. you can get it at whole foods. not at all the same thing as corn meal or corn starch, and definitely makes a difference. she puts it in there for taste.
Crack Pie Recipe
I am so glad you pulled this out of the archives for us! Seriously, this pies looks INCREDIBLE. Like…. ****INCREDIBLE****!!!
I know you make a Chess Pie and that’s essentially what this is, except doctored up, Christina Tosi style (who manages to make even simple recipes complicated LOL) but this pie, Ashton, it’s so good. And honestly, if you love Chess Pie, you will love love love this. If you have an occasion to make a fussy/complicated dessert and you want a pie, put this one on your bucket list. It’s worth it!
I’m pretty sure corn ‘powder’ could be made by taking a bit of corn meal (like what you would use to make corn bread..or even grits) and grinding it finely in a food processor or coffee/herb grinder
that is to say, if you are using regular flour as a substitute…if you wanted to go the extra mile and have the actual corn aspect..I’m pretty sure you could do it this way :)
assuming you have corn meal on hand, that is…
Averie, would corn starch be a suitable substitute for corn powder?
In the recipe notes I wrote this, “I didn’t miss the corn powder and would continue to use my 1 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour because I am frugal, didn’t want to source it, and don’t want to store a bag of corn powder in my already maxed out cupboard space for the occasional one tablespoon use of it.”
So you can use your judgment what you think the best action would be. LMK how it goes!
Averie, this looks to-die-for! Pinned!
I’ve made this a couple times and it is labor and ingredient intensive. My crust shortcut now relies on Hannah Max Cookie Chips (Safeway carries this) or Pepperidge Farm Bordeaux cookies mixed with some yummy crispy oatmeal granola (bulk section Whole foods), as I normally have those on hand. Then I melt the butter, adjust sugar to taste (usually reduce by half) and just prepare it like a traditional graham cracker crust. It’ll save you half a day’s work. Also, you can find Corn flour in the bulk section at WF. Masa can work in a pinch too
Good tips on your crust. As a happy accident, when I made these
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/09/salted-caramel-swirled-pumpkin-cheesecake-bars.html
https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/08/peanut-butter-swirled-cheesecake-bars-with-brown-sugar-graham-cracker-crust.html
I realized they tasted like something familiar…and the taste lots like Crack Pie crust, and take seconds to mix together. You could work in some of the other flavor elements that Tosi does like oats but honestly, love that crust so much and I bet it would be just fine with the filling and stirs together in about 4 seconds flat. As you said, the pie is labor and ingredient intensive and any thing to ease that up, is welcome, right! :)
Yum!! Just book marked this! It’s 2am in California. I’m glad I’m not the only night owl up. I found you on Pinterest and I’m loving your website.
I’m in San Diego and now it’s 3am and yes, still up. It’s the only time of day I can get anything done without interruptions. Except of course to talk Crack Pie, a welcome diversion! Thanks for finding me!
I can’t wait to try this, it sounds so yummy. Thank you for sharing.
Oh I just food this on pin interest and it looks amazing!!
I cannot fine corn powder jn my gro. store.Where do u buy it at.
Order online or omit it; I omitted it. For the very small amount that this recipe was going to call for (I made 1 pie instead of 2 pies; halved her full recipe) – I could not see justifying a special order online and paying for shipping. My pie was just fine without it; your mileage may vary. Just sharing what I did!
I have made this pie many times and am a pastry chef. As far as bake times, in a home oven it does take much longer than if you were to bake it in a professional convection oven. You pictures turn out much lighter and much less dense than mine or Tosi’s. it shouldn’t be creamy. I believe you may have whipped your butter mixture to much. A picture of hers scrolls thru on her page. http://milkbarstore.com/ you can see that it isn’t gooy but thick and dense, you should be able to pick it up with your hands.
Also there is no replacement for corn powder. Freeze dried corn has a VERY distinctive flavor. Very much like captain crunch. Also in her cook book it states that you should freeze the pie for a few hours before serving and to serve it cold.
Lots of interesting feedback – thanks for sharing your insights.
I just made this pie last night and I am very dissapointed, your cook times are way off, mine was still liquid when I cut into it this morning. I looked up another recipe today to see what I did wrong and sure enough it says to cook the pie at 350 for 30 minutes then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Such a waste of money :(
The recipe is the EXACT CUT AND PASTE from the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook! And if you read in my notes and in the post, I wrote that I found her baking times off. I am sorry you did not have success with Christina Tosi’s recipe and hope that you don’t blame me; I posted what’s in her cookbook with my own comments interspersed throughout the post and in the recipe notes.
Why is everything nowadays called “crack” this and “crack” that? I understand the inference that it’s addictive, but the use of the word “crack” is getting really dumb and repetitive. I wouldn’t want my child to ask me to make “crack pie”.
I didn’t name the recipe; the cookbook author who owns a couple famous restaurants and bakeries in NYC did. I just made the recipe which was in her book.
This recipe sounds awesome
Do you think masa could be used for the corn powder? It’s finer than corn meal. I’m thinking it could be used as a thickener
Also, is milk powder the same as nonfat dried milk? Or is it something else?
Thanks!
Milk powder and nonfat dried milk, pretty sure they’re the same thing but read the labels on the two and see if there are differences. Masa for corn powder? I am not sure because I have not worked with masa, but you’d probably be fine – but this is a very complex recipe with lots of pieces & parts and if you’re going to the work of making it, I’d make it as close to as written as possible JUST so you know it will turn out after all your hard work!
I love a cook who takes a recipe like this from a famous chef and has the nerve to make improvements! We would get along very well! Thanks, and this is on now my list
Being able to adapt for one’s own ingredients, time that can be devoted to a recipe, portion/batch size, etc…that’s important! I am the queen of tweaks!
Love the name of that pie :-)
I am very intimidated to make my own pie crust … not sure why.
I need a napkin to wipe the drool off my chin – this has to be the most perfect crack pie I have ever seen! Everyone seems to be making them recently, but this is the best yet! Simply stunning… I am featuring this post in today’s Friday Food Fetish roundup (with a link-back and attribution), but please let me know if you have any objections. It’s a pleasure to be following your creations…
Thanks for the kind words about my pie! I had no idea they were that popular until I started googling it for this post!
Averie, your pie looks gorgeous!! I am going to make this again and do what you did. I tried to make 2 and it was totally unnecessary — and I was really missing a nice thick cookie crust. Great posting with you, and I can’t wait for the next #milkbarmonday :)
Yeah the cookie crust is great! I used about 2/3rd of the full recipe, more than half but I used a 10″ inch shell like she called for and a 9″ would have been better. And halve her filling recipe…you don’t need two of these babies! Well, okay, I didn’t :)
Lol!! I didn’t either. I had to give one away so I wouldn’t end up eating both of them. I am (sadly) very capable of doing that!
Wow $44 for one pie?? I guess it would have to share some qualities with crack to justify that :) Your version looks wonderful, I definitely want to try it eventually (when I have a lot of people to share with)!
The ingredients themselves were pricey…all that butter and sugar and cream! And a few random ingredients and the time invested so in NYC, I can totally see (after making one and buying it all) why/how they can get away with charging that.
oh girl i’ve had this on my ‘to bake’ list forever and a day.
can you believe how expensive it is online? wow.
your pie, my dear, came out perfectly.
good for you! love that feeling when it all comes together
My boyfriend is from South Africa and when his parents came to visit they made me a pie like this! The ingredients look very similar but they call it a Melktert (Milk Tart). I want to try this recipe now and see if it tastes like it! It’s sooo good!
Hmmm it could be! You’ll have to make this to find out :)
I cannot wait to try this pie! It’s been on my bake list for.. forever! Yours looks great, Averie. :)
You will love it if you make it and yours would be so gorgeous because you have a way with things like this! :)
Love the Whole Foods joke, so true! This pie looks amazing, awesome job on the recipe and pics!
Glad you liked my joke :)
My favorite pie is a toss up between chocolate and pecan…but I could see how this could become my new favorite. Looks beautifully delicious!
one day if you have time, make this…it’s worth it…even just the filling and buy a graham cracker crust. You will be in heaven!
I have bought this pie… more than once ;) it is incredibly good. yours looks great, Averie! you have to love when a big project pays off.
you’ve bought it? Okay now I HAVE to buy it (or just go to the real thing in NYC) at least once!
I think I can see why this pie got its name! I looks sounds completely addicting!!
This is a new one to me and now I’m obsessed. I’ve got to make this ASAP!
Looks wonderful, I am excited to try this!
Yes, I make my own crust.
I tried the crack pie at Momofuku Milk Bar just last week – it’s pretty addictive! Yours came out looking just like at the shop. The results are definitely worth all that effort. :-)
Oh what I wouldn’t give to go there and try it first hand and in the flesh, their version, to see how close I got mine :)
Oh my gosh my dad tried out Momofuku’s crack pie recipe recently and it is rightly named… addictive beyond words!! I find that homemade pies and cobblers using fresh fruits are infinitely better (obviously!), same goes for homemade crust. Though they can fail sometimes with being too flaky, chewy, not sweet, etc.
Oh you’ve sampled it then yes, you know…the name is fitting :)
this pie definitely justifies the name. wow. I’m blown away. looks SO UNBELIEVABLY good! another thing of yours that is so incredibly delicious?? your coconut toffee choc chip oatmeal cookies! made them last week and posting them tomorrow. seriously, what would i do without you Averie? amazing photos to gawk over, amazing recipes to bake, eat, & blog about… love it!
Thanks for all your compliments and support, Sally :)
I am huge fan of pie crust, although you’re right, there are quite a few crusts aren’t as tasty as they should be. I eat pie very rarely, but it’s definitely delicious.
You should open a Milk Bar west…or Sweet Averie’s or…
impressed you made this! i tried the crack pie in NYC, but it wasn’t hot and fresh from the oven!
it’s supposed to be served chilled actually….at least a few hours or even frozen overnight!
Your Crack Pie looks wonderful. I mail ordered the real thing from Momofuku (twice) and love it more than anyone should love pie. Yours looks a bit thicker (its a very thin pie) and more gooey, but no less delicious. I am going to make it from the cookbook soon as well. And it does freeze fantastically for a couple of months. So if you’re going through all the work, you might as well make both and save the second for company or a craving. You can check out my blog post about Momofuku Milk Bar on my blog at http://piesandplots.net/momofuku-milk-bar/ if you’re interested. Thanks!
looks gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!
LOVE how your pie is thicker. I was thinking I’d like mine to be thicker too. But, then I would have an even bigger sugar coma! haha. Amazing looking pie Averie!
It just kind of turned out thicker like that and I wasnt complaining :)
Hahaha “if you are not a fan of these things you’re reading the wrong blog anyway” – true! I love the look of this, at first I thought it was lemon curd and then I realized it was custard/sweet cream, but both are good in my book – I’ll take any!
That’s a lot of work but it sure as heck looks worth it in the end! Now off to stalk everyone else’s versions :)
so much work, but worth it!
Great job Averie! Your photos are definitely making me crave another bite (or 10) of some Crack Pie!!
We need to do a San Diego crack pie bake off one day :)
amazing! Not helping my post-Easter detox this morning :)
Gorgeous photos, Averie!! I love how your pie turned out… it looks so creamy & amazing!! This is one of the best pies I’ve made… so happy we all made it together!
yours is gorgeous too! commenting on everyone’s later today :)
Beautiful! Smart idea halving the recipe, as this is definitely too much yummyness to have lying around!
I always halve everything..I am a variety is the spice of life girl :)
I’m still dreaming about those cinnamon bun pies I’ve made…yes, I said pies. Because I made your recipe TWICE.
I can’t wait for crack. This type of crack is so not whack.
really?! That’s awesome! I love hearing things like this. Glad you love it :)
wow! what a project. I fit into liking the buttery, fatty, rich desserts more than sweet- so this is something I could enjoy for sure!! So much work went into this post, photos, recipes, etc and it shows, great job!
Thank you for noticing…yes, this was at least a 12 hour post between the recipe, the photos, the editing, and the blogging :)
Averie, this is an awesome post! You can always tell that you work very hard…yet make makes appear effortless.. love it
It was a ton of work but worth it..on all levels. Thanks for noticing :)
well I definitely noticed :) and now you can sit back and reap the benefits of your work :)
This was the best thing ever and I will go through all of that effort (and butter and eggs) over and over again. Loved it!
And I will too one day :)
Your pie turned out great Averie! I love how all of ours look a little different. Isn’t this pie addictive? I miss mine :)
yes so addictive…thus the name! Yours is gorgeous! Commenting later on :)
I like making pie….but I like easy pie. Raw banana cream pie is my favorite because the crust is date-nut and the filling is simple banana ice cream…then customize however you like!
The crust looks amazing. I can’t recall the last time I made a pie. I used to make them all the time as a kid – loved baking.
I’ve seen this all over the internet and I’ve never been a pie girl. Like you, the whole process seems so long and cumbersome and when I want a fresh baked treat i want it NOW, not in a few hours. Or in this case a couple days its seems!
Of course, if it were to show up on my doorstep, I’d have to try it. ;)
it was a ton of work but worth it…but not something to be embarked upon lightly. You and I are the same with regard to 95% of the desserts…quicker and easier but for special occasions this was fabulous.
OMG this looks amazing! I have never been a big fan of pie crust, so my favorites are always “top”-less :)
This is freaking intense!! Love it!!
Looks beautiful. I made my grandmother’s peanut square recipe this weekend and I thought that was laborious but then I read this post!
I am the Thanksgiving pie baker but my secret is Pillsbury crusts! No one complains. I did make a vegan pumpkin pie with a gingersnap crust that I had to make–it was delicious!
Laborious. That’s a perfect word for this. I used cumbersome but I like your word choice better :) Worth it, yes, but one must budget out the time/energy for it! I would LOVE to try one of your peanut squares now. They sound right up my alley!
You had me at giant oatmeal slab crust :) I’ll take just the crust please! I don’t enjoy traditional pie crust but adore homemade graham cracker!
you’d love this crust then! And based on some of the cookies I’ve seen you make, I think it’s right up your alley!
CRACK pie? Yes please!
I have made this! It is AMAZING! And crazy addictive. This post has me wanting to make it again ASAP. Great pictures :-)
Oh you’ve made it before? Then you know how addictive it is for sure! :)
I made this pie and mine turned out darker. It was like a pecan pie without the pecans! Everyone loved it.
I rarely make pie – I make more cakes.
Interesting about the pecan pie analogy without the pecans..I could see that, especially if yours was a little darker.
You referred to Whole Foods as Whole Paycheck? That’s hilarious! Thanks for sharing your version of Crack Pie. The photos are beautiful.
You’ve never heard that one before regarding WF? I thought it was common…haha!
Thanks for the compliments on my photos :)