Description
This Crack Pie is a decadent copycat of the famous Milk Bar dessert, featuring a buttery, crumbly oat cookie crust filled with a rich, gooey custard-like filling. Its perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors with a luscious texture makes it irresistibly addictive and ideal for a special occasion or indulgent treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough:
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
- â…“ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 2 Tablespoons white sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- â…“ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- â…› teaspoon baking soda
Filling:
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 6 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg yolks
Crust Assembly:
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
Garnish:
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and position the rack in the middle.
- Prepare Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking for your cookie dough base.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer at medium speed, cream together 6 tablespoons softened butter with the brown and white sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract for another 2 minutes until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Reduce the mixer speed to low and add rolled oats, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix until combined, scraping down sides as needed to ensure an even mixture.
- Shape Cookie Dough: Spread the cookie dough about ¼ inch thick on the prepared baking sheet. It does not need to fill the entire pan as it will be broken up later.
- Bake Cookie Dough: Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookie top turns golden. Then remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make Filling Base: While cookie dough cools, combine white sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, and salt in the stand mixer on low speed using the paddle attachment.
- Add Butter and Cream: Pour in the melted butter and mix until all ingredients are moistened. Then add heavy cream and vanilla extract, mixing for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Incorporate Egg Yolks: With mixer still on low, add the egg yolks gradually, mixing about 3 minutes until the filling is glossy and smooth.
- Process Cookie Crumbs: Once cookie dough is fully cooled, break it into pieces and place in a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons softened butter and pulse until the mixture becomes crumbly and well combined.
- Form Crust: Press the cookie crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-10 inch glass pie dish, creating an even crust layer. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for stability.
- Add Filling: Pour the creamy filling into the prepared crust in the pie dish, spreading to evenly fill the crust.
- Bake Pie: Place the pie on the middle oven rack and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.
- Reduce Heat and Continue Baking: Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The top should be nicely browned and the filling may still jiggle slightly. If very jiggly, bake for 5 more minutes.
- Cool and Chill: Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then wrap tightly with foil and freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Defrost Before Serving: Transfer the pie from the freezer to the refrigerator about 1 hour before serving to gently thaw.
- Garnish and Serve: Dust the top lightly with powdered sugar just before serving for an elegant finish.
Notes
- Ensure the cookie dough cools completely before processing to avoid mushy crumbs.
- Using a glass pie dish helps bake evenly and aids visual monitoring of crust browning.
- Freezing overnight allows the filling to set perfectly for clean slicing.
- Watch the pie closely in the last minutes of baking to prevent overbaking or curdling of the filling.
- This pie is quite rich; small slices are recommended.
