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Crack Pie is the famously addictive Milk Bar dessert, with a chewy oat cookie crust and a gooey, buttery sugar filling that tastes like the best part of a pecan pie. I made this copycat for a *holiday dessert table* and watched it vanish faster than anything else, sliver by sliver. If you love a rich, no fuss pie, you have to try our tiramisu pie too.
A homemade oat cookie crust and a five minute custard filling come together into the gooey, sweet pie that earned its cult following.
Crack Pie Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: Plus overnight chilling
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 slices
- ⚡ Calories: 493kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Gooey, buttery, sweet custard in a chewy oat crust
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, about as simple as our turtle brownie pie
Quick Answer
Mix rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then work in cold butter until it forms a cookie dough and press it into a pie dish. Whisk together sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, and cinnamon, then stir in melted butter, heavy cream, egg yolks, and vanilla. Pour the filling into the crust and bake at 350 degrees F, then lower the heat and bake until the top is browned but the center still jiggles. Cool, chill overnight, and dust with powdered sugar.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Oat cookie crust. An oat and brown sugar crust bakes up chewy and sturdy, the perfect base for the gooey filling.
- Milk powder is the secret. Dry milk powder gives the filling its signature rich, caramelized, almost toffee like flavor.
- Egg yolks make it gooey. Using just the yolks keeps the center soft, custardy, and irresistibly gooey.
- The low second bake. Dropping the oven temperature sets the edges while leaving the middle perfectly jiggly.
- Chilling is key. An overnight chill lets the filling firm up into clean, sliceable, fudgy wedges.
- A true copycat. It captures the famous bakery flavor at home for a fraction of the price.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes just like the famous bakery version for a fraction of the cost.
- The gooey, buttery filling and chewy oat crust are completely addictive.
- It is a make ahead dessert, perfect alongside our key lime eclair cake on a party table.
- A simple dusting of powdered sugar is all the garnish it needs.
Key Ingredients
Here is everything you need to make a gooey copycat crack pie.
- Rolled oats and flour: The base of the chewy cookie crust that holds the gooey filling.
- Brown and granulated sugar: Sweeten both the crust and the filling and give it that deep, caramel flavor.
- Dry milk powder: The secret ingredient that gives the filling its signature rich, toasty flavor.
- Butter, heavy cream, and egg yolks: Create the gooey, custardy filling that makes this pie so famous.
- Cinnamon and vanilla: Warm, cozy flavors that round out both the crust and the filling.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This pie is a classic, but here are a few fun ways to switch it up.
- Add a pinch of espresso powder to the filling for a subtle mocha note.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for a salted caramel style finish.
- Bake it in a square pan and cut it into crack pie bars for a party.
- Serve slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
- Swap the cinnamon for a little nutmeg or pumpkin spice in the fall.
How to Make Crack Pie
- Whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then work in the cold butter with your fingers until it forms a cookie dough texture.
- Press the crust mixture evenly into a greased 9 inch pie dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Stir in the melted butter, then add the cream, egg yolks, and vanilla and stir until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust, scraping the bowl to get every bit.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, lower to 325 degrees F and bake until browned but still jiggly, then cool, chill overnight, and dust with powdered sugar.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Work the butter in well so the crust holds together when you press and slice it.
- Do not skip the milk powder, it is what gives crack pie its signature flavor.
- Pull it when the center jiggles, since it sets up as it cools and chills.
- Chill it overnight for the cleanest slices and the best gooey texture.
- Use only the egg yolks for that rich, custardy filling, and save the whites for another recipe.
- Dust with powdered sugar right before serving so it stays bright and white.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve crack pie cold or at room temperature, cut into small slices since it is wonderfully rich. A dusting of powdered sugar and maybe a dollop of whipped cream is all it needs to feel special.
It is a showstopper on a holiday or party dessert table. Set it out next to other crowd favorites like our pistachio pudding dessert and a bowl of strawberry cheesecake dip so guests can sample a little of everything.
Because it is a make ahead dessert, it is perfect for hosting. Round out the spread with a tray of sugar cookies, and you have a dessert table that looks like it came from a bakery.
Crack Pie FAQs
It earned the nickname because the gooey, buttery, sweet filling is famously addictive. The original from Milk Bar is now sometimes called milk bar pie, but the homemade copycat version is just as irresistible.
For the best texture, yes. Chilling overnight lets the gooey filling firm up so it slices cleanly and develops that signature fudgy, custardy bite. If you are short on time, chill it at least 4 to 6 hours, though overnight is best.
Dry milk powder, also called powdered milk, is dehydrated milk found in the baking aisle near the evaporated and condensed milk. It is essential to crack pie because it gives the filling its rich, toasty, caramelized flavor.
Keep crack pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It actually tastes great cold, straight from the fridge. Dust with fresh powdered sugar before serving since the first dusting tends to soak in.
Yes. Crack pie freezes beautifully. Wrap the whole pie or individual slices well and freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Overbaking is the usual culprit. The center should still jiggle when you pull it from the oven because it firms up as it cools and chills. Watch it closely during the second, lower temperature bake.
Craving more gooey desserts? Make our turtle brownie pie next.
Serve our chocolate chip cookie pie warm with a scoop of ice cream.
Crack Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup cold butter small diced
Filling:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons dry milk powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish well with baking spray, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, Pinch of salt
- Add the butter to the bowl, and using your fingers (no need for a food processor), roll the butter along with the other ingredients through your fingertips until you form a cookie dough-like texture. Try to work the butter in as much as you can so there are no large lumps of butter in the mix.⅓ cup cold butter
- Press the crust into the pie tin, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, cinnamon, and salt.¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons dry milk powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, Pinch of salt
- Add the melted butter and stir to combine.8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the cream, egg yolks, and vanilla, stir until combined and smooth.7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 4 egg yolks, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the filling into the pie crust (scrape sides of the bowl).
- Bake the pie for 30 minutes at 350°F. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until the top is browned and has formed a crust.
- The center will still be jiggly, that is okay! Let cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.
- Place in the fridge uncovered to chill overnight. Add a generous dusting of powdered sugar before serving.Powdered sugar for dusting
Notes
- Grease the Pie Dish Well: Since the pie is super sticky, greasing the dish helps you get those slices out without leaving half the pie behind.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: This helps everything mix smoothly, avoiding lumps in your filling.
- Don’t Overbake: The center should still be a bit jiggly when you take it out. It will set during the cooling process.
- Cool Completely: Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, then refrigerate. Patience is a virtue—and rewarded with perfect pie!
- Slice with a Warm Knife: Running your knife under hot water before slicing can help cut through the sticky filling.
- Dust Just Before Serving: Sprinkle the powdered sugar right before serving so it doesn’t absorb moisture and disappear.
Nutrition
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Wondering what the dry milk powder does for the pie? Such a small amount, is it worth buying if I don’t use it? Any possible substitution or can it just be eliminated? Thank you!