My Obsession with Milk Bar Continues: Crack Pie

My Milk Bar baking saga continues as I bake and review Milk Bar’s famous Crack Pie, a pop-culture phenomenon and an addictive, cult favorite dessert.

I have no idea why I’m so into making Milk Bar recipes. Maybe it’s because of all the hype around the dessert spot with the release of and her feature on Chef’s Table: Pastry.  As a result, Milk Bar’s creations have become a pop-culture phenomenon.

And I guess, as the cult-like obsession grew, my curiosity about the desserts grew as well.

Check out my Milk Bar’s Birthday Cake review here.

What I really wanted to know was are Milk Bar desserts REALLY that good? If words like ‘Crack Pie’ and ‘Milk Bar’ are terms most of the foodie culture easily recognizes then ‘d expect the desserts to be damn delicious.

And for me, damn delicious means ‘This is the best freakin’ thing I’ve ever tasted. I crave this food every single day. And I cannot stop shoving my face with it.’

Basically, all self-control should be lost.

And, if you watched Chef’s Table when Christina Tosi talks about the naming of her infamous Crack Pie, her colleagues coined the dessert CRACK PIE because it’s supposed to be addicting — thus, losing all self-control.

So, I just had to make it myself and find out.

I followed the original Crack Pie recipe posted on Milk Bar’s website which actually results in TWO pies.

Though, I’m not really sure why this recipe can’t be split in half and why we need a recipe that results in two pies. Maybe it’s because Christina Tosi believed the pie was so damn delicious and if you make one and finish it took quickly, you’re going to be happy you now have a second one.

Fun fact though, you can freeze the second pie for months before actually eating it so really, having two is quite convenient!

I followed the recipe for Crack Pie pretty much exactly. The only modification I made was for the 1/4 cup of corn powder the filling required.

I wasn’t 100% sure what corn powder was but I made an educated guess that it was super fine cornmeal (corn flour) so I took a leap of faith, poured some cornmeal into the coffee bean grinder and spun the hell out of it until I had a 1/4 cup of light, airy corn powder.

Or, if you want, you can also order the genuine Milk Bar corn powder online. You decide. (My way’s cheaper.)

The recipe overall is pretty easy to make but it was much more time consuming that I had anticipated since there’s quite a few baking, cooling, and waiting steps.

• First you have to bake the oatmeal cookie crust and let it cool
• Then you have to make the crust and form it into the molds
• Then you have to make the filling
• Then you have to bake the pies for 15 minutes
• Then you have to open the oven door and drop the temp by 25 degrees and bake the pies for an additional 5 minutes at the new, lower temperature

This is the part in the recipe where I was required to again improvise a bit. The recipe says the ‘pies should still be jiggly in the bull’s-eye center but not around the outer edges.’ However, I found that my pies were WAY jiggly all over so I kept them in for another 5 minutes. After checking it here, I noticed the tops getting pretty brown but they were still jiggly all over so I simply turned the oven off, shut the door, and let the pies sit in the heat for another 5 minutes before considering them done enough.

• After you remove the pies from the oven and let them cool you then have to FREEZE the pies for at least 3 hours but overnight is best

Seriously, I don’t know what it is with Christina Tosi and freezing her desserts, the Birthday Cake had the same requirement. Sometimes you just want a sugar-rush and you don’t want to have to wait ‘3-hours or overnight is best’ #endrant

• Then you have to remove it from the freezer and let it defrost for at least an hour, dust it with some powdered sugar, THEN  you can eat it

So here’s my advice when making this pie —

• Plan ahead. Make it at least a day in advance
• If you have to bake it a bit more to get the filling to set up, you should cover the top with foil to keep the top from browning too much

Now, to be honest, I only had a sliver of this pie because I knew it was very rich in butter, sugar, and cream. And, on first bite, I wasn’t very impressed. I thought it was fine. But by the end of my little sliver, I could honestly say that it was pretty good!

Did it fit my DAMN DELICIOUS definition? No. Because I very easily gave the rest of the pie away. However, others who enjoyed my pies sent me the following reviews:

‘So delicious, just as good as Milk Bar’s itself’

‘O-M-G That may be the best thing I have ever had in my life’

‘OMG BABE! SOOOOOO [bad word here] GOOD’ <<<3M, obviously

And when I put it up for grabs at the office, it was gone in less than 5 minutes. Though, I think it was the Crack Pie’s pop-culture phenomenon that helped it along.

But, you be the judge.

Anyways, my final opinion is I probably wouldn’t make this pie again unless someone asked for it. In fact, I think it’s kind of a play of the traditional Southern Buttermilk Pie, if you’re familiar. I do however, have one more recipe on my Milk Bar bucket list, the Compost Cookies. I’m a cookie fan, so I’m hoping this is the winner.

What’s your thoughts? Have you had Milk Bar’s Crack Pie? Was it addicting or were you underwhelmed as I was?