When I went to New York this past March, I fell in loooooove.
I loved the pigeons. I loved the scary furries in Times Square. I loved the sounds of the traffic. I loved the smells of the different foods. I loved the fashion. I loved the architecture. I loved the history. I loved the crowds. I loved the subway. I loved everything about it and more — and if nothing else, I friggin’ loved Momofuku.
Ooooonce upon a time, my family and I were watching Top Chef and one of the contestants mentioned Momofuku. Because it’s a fun word to say, much like the words “sprinkles” and “bubbles” (try your hardest to say ‘bubbles’ angrily), we all began calling each other momofukus and saying it repeatedly.
Somewhere in the deep, dark pit of her psyche, our eldest dog Oreo thought this word meant something and began to respond to it every time by cocking her head and staring intently at the person saying it.
Thus, the name ‘Momofuku’ became a staple in our house…and became a new nickname for our four-legged, one-eyed grandma dog.
Anywhooo, fast forward to March and Kayle and I had FINALLY found Momofuku after walking up and down the damn street 45762745 times. It was nestled in a building with the signage barely noticeable, but we found it! And once inside, it was basically what I hope Heaven is like or else I’ll want a refund.
The lead genius behind Momofuku, Christina Tosi, is basically my spirit animal. Between all the confections, my mind was kinda sorta exploding with happiness, awe, and inspiration. Cereal milk froyo? Cornflake crunch cookies? Cake crumbs? Duhhhhooooood. Momofuku is the definition of legit.
So Kayle and I bought our weight in a sampling of Christina’s signature cookies and ate them in the hotel lobby next door, spilling crumbs all over our laps and taking pictures of the bite-marked circular planes of heaven. After eating three cookies (seriously) and having sampled all the varieties of froyo available, not to mention gorging myself at Wafels and Dinges earlier, I was about 16.7 pounds heavier and was in no place to eat anything else, so unfortunately, I missed out on Momofuku’s signature crack pie.
Crack pie, contrary to the rumors you may have heard, is NOT a pie filled with crack cocaine. It IS, however, a pie filled with butter, eggs, and sugar, thus making it the legal, fattening kind of crack. And it’s worth the bite, people. There’s no better spiral to fall downward to. It is also nestled on top of an oatmeal cookie mattress which basically makes this pie the ultimate in food.
And I didn’t even eat it.
So since returning home, I’ve basically been scolding myself for being SO LAME for not ordering the crack pie. It was then that I realized I could totally make this at home, thanks to Averie’s recipe — and of course, add my own rebellious twist per usual. The twist today? Oatmeal Cream Pies, a classic snack-time treat courtesy of Lil Debbie. I grew up inhaling these bad boys and knew they would pair sinfully with the already-butter heavy, sugar-laden pie. Plus, the addition of the soft and chewy cream pies ties that hearty oatmeal flavor together with the crust.
Double the oatmeal, double the cream, triple the tasty.
- 1 pkg (about 20-25) frosted oatmeal cookies, finely ground
- 5 Tbsp butter, melted
- PIE FILLING:
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ + ⅛th cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛th cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛th cup dry milk powder
- 3 ounces heavy cream
- Splash of vanilla extract
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3-4 Lil Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the finely ground oatmeal cookies and the melted butter until the mixture comes together and is moistened. Press the mixture evenly along the bottom and sides of the pre-greased pie dish. Bake for approx. 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
- For the pie filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer, lightly mix together the dry ingredients using the paddle attachment. Keep your mixer on low the entire time -- otherwise you will incorporate too much air and it won't be the gooey loveliness that is crack pie!
- Gradually add the melted butter and paddle in until moist. Add in the heavy cream and vanilla, again beating slowly to incorporate and the cream has completely disappeared into the mixture.
- Add the egg yolks to the mixture, gently incorporating. Do not over mix! Gently toss in the chopped oatmeal cream pies. Pour the filling immediately into the prepared cookie crust.
- Place the pie carefully onto a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any potential spills) and bake at 350 for approx. 17 minutes. Open the oven door ajar, reduce the temperature to 325, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The center will appear jiggly still, but golden brown. Close the oven door, turn off the oven, and allow the pie to sit in there, an additional 10 minutes or so. The pie's center should be slightly gooey still--that's okay--but the surrounding parts of the pie should be somewhat solid. It will continue to firm up slightly as it cools.
- Allow the pie to cool entirely at room temperature on a wire rack. To expedite this process, cool to mostly room temperature and pop it in the fridge or freezer to allow the filling to completely set before cutting.
- Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
I LOVE the double dosage of oatmeal creaminess in this gooey, extravagant pie. The oatmeal pies baked inside soak up all of that dense, rich filling, and the cream inside oozes out into the butter-heavy base of the pie, creating a deeper creamy-vanilla flavor that just epitomizes decadence. The inside of the pie is supposed to appear underbaked and gooey — that is the essence of a crack pie, after all — so as it sits, it continues to merry those flavors into this remarkable buttery batter. You HAVE to make this!!
Have a delicious day!!
xo, Hayley
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Hearing about places like that make me realize that what we create IS good. Not that I think it’s not, but you hear so much about “plain” and “do normal” that it feels weird to make crazy confections. Knowing that place is SO successful kind of validates it. 🙂 LOVE this pie, of course. I’ve never made crack pie. It’s SO on my list!
Nancy Gregory says
Ok, so yeah….I WAS going to tell you how much I enjoyed my one trip to NYC too, much describing it like you did….but then….
I totally started drooling and forgot my name for a minute. Oh. My. God. I’m so making this!!!
Faith @ Pixie Dust Kitchen says
Ohmygod, Little Debbies inside a crack pie, it’s a double addiction!
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting says
Seriously? Oatmeal Cream Pie – PIE. Dying! Want it! Need it!
Mimi @ Culinary Couture says
An oatmeal creme pie crust? GENIUSSSSS.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
I live closeby to Momofuku, do you know how dangerous this is? Do you know how amazing this is? YUM YUM YUM.
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Now THIS is a creative spin! Wow, Haley! I would love a slice of this. Thanks for linking to me and my post for Crack Pie and I am sure that yours is so good! I love L.D. OCPies and so I know I’d love your pie! I bet the flavors are just so rich and yummy!
Renee @ Awesome on $20 says
Woman, I think you might have just killed me. I freakin’ love oatmeal cream pies. Do not leave me alone with a box. I need this pie!!! I love you!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
Sorry *Hayley* about the spelling in the last comment~!
Sophia @ NY Foodgasm says
Wow, this sounds AMAZING, but I may have a heart attack if I saw the nutritional stats on this!
thedomesticrebel says
Then I would gently advise you to remain blissfully in the dark about the nutritional stats! 😉 it’s probably craaaaaaazy but oh so worth it!
steph@stephsbitebybite says
Crack pie for sure!! How would I stop eating it!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Oh my! This is amazing!
Laura Dembowski says
This is such a creative take on the crack pie. I love the original, but I think I’d love this even more!
Nancy P.@thebitersideofsweet says
Oh my gosh! These are made with oatmeal cream pies! Amazing!!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
Dude, why do you got to do this to me? I need this pie like wow.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
Yeah I wish we had gotten pies instead of cookies. That was our bad *sigh*
But bright side: omg this pie!!!! I LOVE that you used oatmeal cream pies in the crack pie-it’s a match made in heeeeavennnn
P.S. I miss you.
P.P.S. New York misses you toooo
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says
I have been DYING to go to Momofoku, but just haven’t had a free weekend to get to the city. I’ve heard amazing things, though. Speaking of amazing things, DUDE THIS PIE OMG I WANT TO LIVE IN IT AND EAT MY WAY OUT! 😀
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl says
Dying here, really. This is my kind of crack! 🙂
Dina says
sounds delish!
Jennifer @ Not Your Momma's Cookie says
Oh man, I want to swim in the filling of this pie! That’s not weird, is it? 😉
Amy says
My dog does the exact same thing — cocking her head to almost horizontal — when we say the word “gooseberry.” I have no idea what prompted me to say that to her the first time, but after seeing her reaction, I couldn’t stop. The effects have started to wear off, so maybe it’s time I try “momofuko” instead!
P.S. I love the plates in your photos! Where’d you find them??
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Amy! GOOSEBERRY! I love it 🙂 and thank you — I found the plates at a little hole-in-the-wall souvenir shop in San Francisco!
Amy says
I love SF! I go at least a couple of times each year. I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for hole-in-the-wall souvenir shops next time!