Momofuku Milk Bar Crack Pie

by Michelle
July 7, 2021

Momofuku Milk Bar Pie (also known as Crack Pie) is an utterly delicious recipe perfect for a sweet indulgence. Made with a sweet, with just the right hint of salty, oatmeal cookie crust and filled with a custard-like filling, this pie is sure to please. Top it with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or ice cream, you truly can’t go wrong!

A momofuku crack pie in a pie pan on a cooling rack with a slice cut in the right bottom side of the pie.

I have heard countless stories about the famed Milk Bar Pie (Crack Pie) from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City. I’ve never been there myself but based on the lore, I could only imagine how amazing it must be. A while back, I gifted myself with the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook, which is where the recipe for the compost cookies originated.

The Crack Pie recipe was included at the very end of the book, as a “bonus track”, for anyone who grew up listening to cassette tapes or CDs. I was long overdue on making it, and finally dove right in. At first glance, the recipe is long with multiple steps, but I’m glad I finally got right to it. Spoiler: it’s not nearly as difficult as it seems at first glance!

What is Milk Bar Pie?

The Momofuku Milk Bar Pie was developed in 2008 by Christina Tosi. This was one of the original pies Tosi created for Milk Bar consisting of an oatmeal cookie crust and a gooey, buttery filling. The original name for the pie was Crack Pie which the company changed to The Milk Bar Pie in 2019. The pie itself remains the exact same.

A milk bar crack pie on a cooling rack with a dish towel under it.

Allll of the Ingredients!

This recipe is comprised of three parts: making an oat cookie “slab”, using said cookie as the base for the pie crust, then the pie filling itself. You will want to carve out a little time to make the pie and if you need to, you can break it down into parts for making in advance.

Ingredients for the oat crust labeled with purple labels,

Butter: Gives structure to the oat cookie and allows it to spread while baking.
Sugar: A mix of both brown sugar and granulated gives the cookie both a soft yet crisp finish.
Egg: Helps bind the cookie together and give it a little color.
Bread flour: Gives the cookie a chewier finish than all purpose.
Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats add a chewy and nutty texture to this slab cookie.
Salt, baking powder, and baking soda: Cookie making staples that give it flavor and rise.

Oat Cookie: Made above and cooled completely before making the crust.
Brown Sugar: Sweetens the crust.
Salt: Balances out the sweetness of the cookie crumb and sugar.
Butter: Binds the crust together.

Pie Filling Ingredients

The filling sets up a little bit soft and gooey and sweet and, well, perfect. Come to think of it, it’s a bit like the “gooey” part of a gooey butter cake. It’s sort of a custard, but sort of not. If you like pecan pie, chess pie, or gooey butter cake, I think you’ll love this!

Ingredients for crack pie filling in bowls with purple labels naming each ingredient.

Sugar: A mixture of granulated and light brown sugar to keep it sweet and gooey!
Milk Powder: Sweetens the filling while also adding a bit of color to the finished pie.
Corn powder: You can purchase it online or you can also sub cornstarch, but it might impact the flavor.
Salt: To add flavor and balance the sweetness.
Butter + Heavy cream: Flavors and tenderizes the filling.
Vanilla: Flavor, flavor, flavor.
Egg Yolks: Gives the pie filling more of a custard texture.

Step-by-Step Directions

Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Cream butter and sugars (#1) in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, until fluffy and pale yellow.
Mix in egg yolk (#2): Scrape down the sides and switch to low speed. Add the egg yolk then increase the speed to medium-high. Beat 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is pale white.

Side by side mixing bowls showing the steps for creaming butter and sugar and adding egg yolk to the oat cookie,

Add dry ingredients: (#3) Scrape down the sides and switch speed to low. Add flour, oats, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until the dough comes together and there are no remnants of dry ingredients, about 1 minute.
Spread the dough (#4): Turn the dough out onto the baking sheet and, using an offset spatula, spread to a ¼-inch thickness (it won’t take up the entire sheet).
Bake 15 minutes, or until the middle of the cookie is puffed, but the edges are firmly set. Cool completely before using.

Side by side photos of making the at cookie dough on the left and baking the oat cookie dough on the right.

Crumble the cookie (#5): In a large bowl, break the oat cookie into small crumbs resembling wet sand.
Mix in salt and sugar: Add the brown sugar and salt and stir to combine.
Stir in butter (#6): Next, add the melted butter and use a rubber spatula to stir and press the mixture against the sides of the bowl until a cohesive mass forms.

Side by side photos of making the oat cookie crust with the ingredients on the left and the cookie crumble in a bowl on the right.

Adjust butter: If the crust is not moist enough to form a cohesive mass, melt an additional 1 to 1½ tablespoons of butter and mix in as before.
Pack the pie plate (#7-8): Divide the oat cookie crust between two pie plates and press firmly into the pie plates, making sure the bottom and sides are evenly covered.

Side by side photos of pressing the oat cookie crust with the crumbs in the pans on the left and pressed oat cookie crusts on the right.

Prepare the Filling & Bake the Pie

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Mix dry ingredients (#9) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until evenly blended.
Add the melted butter (#10) and mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until all of the dry ingredients are moist.
Mix in vanilla and heavy cream (#11): Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the heavy cream and vanilla. Continue to mix on low until no white streaks remain.

Side by side photos of mixing bowls preparing the filling for the crack pie.

Add the egg yolks (#12) and mix on low speed just long enough to combine, ensuring that the mixture is glossy and homogenous, but do not over mix!
Fill the pie crusts: Place the prepared pie plate on a sheet pan. Divide the filling evenly between the pie crusts; the filling should only fill the plated about ¾ of the way full.
Bake for 15 minutes, until the pies are golden brown on top but still very jiggly.

Side by side photos of adding heavy cream on the left and egg yolks on the right for the crack pie filling.

Decrease oven temperature: Open the oven door and reduce the temperature to 325°F. Leave the pies in the oven and the door open until the temperature reaches 325°F
Bake to set: Once the temperature drops to 325°F close the oven door and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the pies are jiggly in the very center but set around the edges.

Two milk bar pies before baking on a peach colored counter with a dish towel to the bottom right.

Cool: Remove the pies from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Freeze the pies for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Refrigerate: Transfer the pies from the freezer to the refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.

Success Tips

The recipe calls for 10-inch pie plates and the author uses disposable foil tins. I attempted to use my 10-inch ceramic pie plate, but the crust wouldn’t adhere to it, as it was sort of slippery. I recommend the disposable foil or glass.
If you use a 9-inch pie plate, it will take longer to set up in the oven than indicated in the recipe below. Go by the visual clues noted in the recipe.
The author very adamantly states that the filling MUST be made with a stand mixer and a paddle attachment. She said the same texture can’t be achieved through mixing by hand or using a hand mixer.
Extra egg whites? Save them to make classic meringue cookies, a Pavlova, or a fluffy angel food cake.

Crack pie on a round cooling rack with a slice on a plate in the top right and a slice cut out in the pie plate with a towel under the pie pan.

Serving Suggestions

I am not going to stop you if you want to dive headfirst into a slice of this decadent Milk Bar Pie, as is. However, might I suggest a few ways to dress up this one-of-a-kind pie:

Dust with powdered sugar
Top with homemade whipped cream
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

A slice of crack pie on a white plate with a bite taken out with a fork to the left.

Storing, Freezing, and Making Ahead

Since this crack pie recipe takes a bit of time to make you can do a few of the steps in advance to save on time as needed.

Store: Keep the pie wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Wrap the pie in plastic wrap and store for up to 1 month in the freezer. Transfer to the refrigerator at least 1 hour before you plan to serve it.
Make-Ahead the Crust: Make the cookie crust up to 2 weeks in advance. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
Make-Ahead the Filling: Make the filling up to 1 week in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container.

Perfect Pies to Make Next

From the side, a crack pie on a cooling rack with a slice cut into the right side and a slice on a plate in the back.

Milk Bar Pie made with a salty yet sweet oatmeal cookie crust filled with an ooey, gooey buttery filling and topped with powdered sugar and whipped cream needs to be on your bake list. It’s beyond delicious and has you coming back bite after bite.

If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️