Rachael from pizzarossa was our lovely June 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she had us whipping up delicious pies in our kitchens! Cream pies, fruit pies, chocolate pies, even crack pies! There’s nothing like pie!
The development of this pie included an epic failure followed by an epic success. Determination and a couple of unusual store cupboard ingredients allowed for triumph over disaster.
The ingredient substitutions remained the same between the failed pie and the successful pie, however, the cooking temperature and duration is what made such an important difference to their outcome.
Having never made or tasted the famous Crack Pie of Momofuku Milk Bar in New York, of course I can’t draw a comparison between the original (non vegan) recipe and my veganized recipe. I can, however, compare based on image and description;
A golden pie consisting of a nutty, oatmeal cookie crust filled with a thin layer of golden, rich, sweet, gooey, butterscotch, caramel filling. Mission accomplished.
I do now realise why it was named ‘Crack Pie’. It’s incredibly hard not to go back for more despite it’s sweet richness ordering your tummy, ‘no more’, the mind can’t resist. Thank God, I made a mini pie.
Ingredients: Serves 6.
Oat cookie:
- 1.5 tbsp refined coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 10g soft brown sugar
- 10g granulated unrefined sugar
- 1/4 of 1 egg replacer (1/4 of the amount required for one egg/ Orgran or Ener-G)
- 20g rolled oats
- 20g self raising flour
- pinch sea salt
To make the crust:
- 1 tbsp refined coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Filling:
- 45g granulated unrefined sugar
- 25g soft brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp (2g) soya milk powder
- pinch salt
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 25ml (1 tbsp+2tsp) soya milk (or other non dairy milk)
- 1.5 tbsp soy lecithin granules mixed with 2 tsp water
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
Make the cookie:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a baking tray and grease a 6 inch pie dish or round cake tin.
- Beat together the oil and both sugars until smooth. Mix in the egg replacer.
- Stir through the oats, flour and salt until well blended.
- Drop oat mixture onto prepared baking tray and press out to about an inch thick.
- Bake for 10 minutes until light golden, the cookie will still be soft to touch but will harden on cooling. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the crust:
- Finely crumble the cookie into a bowl and add the oil and brown sugar. Rub in with your fingertips until the mixture is moist and sticks together when pressed between your fingers.
- Transfer cookie crust mixture to pie dish or cake tin. Using your fingers, press mixture evenly onto bottom and up sides of pie dish (by at least 1.5 cm).
- Place the tin on a baking tray to catch any spillage.
Make the filling:
- Preheat the oven to moderate 160°C/320°F.
- Whisk both sugars, milk powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Add oil and whisk until blended.
- Add soya milk, lecithin mixture and vanilla and whisk until well blended.
- Pour filling into crust.
- Bake for about 30 minutes until filling is brown on top and set around edges but center still jiggles slightly.
- Cool pie completely in pie dish or tin on wire rack.
- Chill uncovered overnight before serving dusted with icing sugar and with a scoop of ice cream.
I have to say how much I appreciate you put up a picture of the failure. We all have them, but it’s just so nice to know that I’m not alone.
Thank you Janet, we’re all human after all and wouldn’t it be nice if we always succeeded first time but in reality even geniuses make mistakes sometimes.You are certainly not alone! Poppy 🙂
I am so so soooo impressed with you being able to veganize this! Bravo!
Ahh thank you! Second time round anyway! 🙂
Corr – will have to make this. Tried the original at Momofuku in Sydney but always happy to try vegan (I”m vegetarian) and have all the ingredients. Wish me luck 🙂
Wow, would be great to be able to do a comparison! Good luck! 🙂
Excellent! I never knew that soya milk powder existed – I learned something new.
Great, glad to have brought it to your attention! You can usually find it in health food shops or online, it’s a great stand by! 🙂
Hey, I live in the US and I’ve never even heard of Momofuku Milk Bar or their famous Crack Pie (of course I’m a long way from New York!). From your description, however; I can see why it’s famous. It sounds amazing!! Thank you for taking the time to perfect a vegan version of this Poppy. It’s not something I would make for everyday, but it might be perfect to bring to a party. Celeste 🙂
That’s interesting Celeste, when I googled it, there were so many blog results!
It’s not an every day thing no! But for a special occasion, I think it would really impress and it’s so rich and delicious!
Poppy 🙂
OMG, Poppy, you absolutely, totally rock!!! It was the one pie I thought couldn’t be veganised but you took that challenge and hit it out of he park! That is gorgeous, and one I will definitely have to try! 😀 😀 😀 Thank you so much for baking with me this month!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and for such a fun challenge! It was great fun to veganize the crack pie and I’m so glad you introduced me to it! Poppy 🙂
Mmmm, that looks very more-ish! 🙂
Yes, it was, like nothing I’ve tasted before!
Oh wow! That looks amazing!
Thank you! 🙂
It looks very good 🙂
Thank you 🙂
This looks delectable!! Love the humble addition of the failed photo 🙂
Thank you Sophia 🙂
Yay, glad to see you triumphed in the end! Making mistakes is how we learn 🙂
Looks absolutely delicious!
Absolutely, there’d be no challenge if we always got it right first time! 🙂
Congratulations, not only did you make it vegan, but you also persevered into making it, it looks great!
Thank you Marilyne!
Yes, we all do it! 😀 ))) And, we all succeed at the second try (crossing the fingers)! 😀 ))) That is how we create delicious pies!
Very true Fae! 🙂
I’ve heard of this pie! Brilliant to veganize it and oh my oh my it looks good!
Thanks Annie! 🙂
The pie looks amazing, glad you gave another try!
Thanks Amrita, I’m glad I did too 🙂
yum, looks just like the original! (not the failed one :P)
Thanks Kelly! No definitely not the failed one, that looks like something I put in my bbq! 🙂
I appreciate you posting the failed pic. It’s good to show each other that we don’t produce perfection each time. Trial and error is the best way to learn (and good for a laugh, after the frustration :P).
Absolutely good for the laugh bank! And yes, I totally agree about trial and error especially when you are messing with the science of baking! 🙂
Poppy, this looks incredible. I’ve seen another couple of the posts from this challenge and I cannot believe that you managed to veganise it!! It looks absolutely delicious; pretty much like the real thing! Well done, and thanks for sharing this gorgeous creation with us. You’ve outdone yourself here! xxx
Thank you so much lovely Laura! After the first failed attempt, I started to think, ‘well, some things just can’t be veganized’, so I was over the moon when the second one worked technically and tasted good too! 🙂
This looks most beautiful and sounds delicious! How wonderful that success triumphed over disaster ;-).
Thank you Claudia! Yes it was such a relief that it worked second time round! 🙂
nomnom!
any idea what egg replacer works best – apart from a ready-made replacer?
A flax egg replacer would work well in the cookie,any replacer that wouldn’t soften it too much and make it more cake like, i.e don’t use applesauce or tofu. 🙂
okay, cool. must try it 🙂 thanks, poppy 🙂
You’re very welcome 🙂
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That’s so wonderful of you, thank you ever so much! 🙂
Wow this looks great, Poppy! Great job!
Thank you very much 🙂
The famous Crack pie finally veganized! I love this! Oatmealy butterscotchy goodness, would soooo like to have a piece of this in front of me right now.
i’ve never worked with soy lecithin granules before, what do they do?
Thanks Megan! It was a little daunting yet exciting when I found no trace that it had ever been attempted vegan! Have you tried the original?
Soy lecithin granules are in the recipe to stand in for the egg yolks used in the original non vegan recipe. Lecithin works as an emulsifier (as egg yolks do as they contain lecithin) so they are a great replacer. It can also be taken as a supplement to lower cholesterol as it aids the breakdown of fat in the liver. Hope that helps! Poppy 🙂
Thanks for the info! I’ve never actually tried the pie, I just see it constantly popping up on all my favorite baking blogs.
No problem! It is a very well blogged recipe, I googled it before making it and there were so many blogged versions!
So awesome how you veganized this iconic momofuku dessert!
Thank you! 🙂
Wow, that looks good. Never heard of “crack pie” but this I need to try. Any substitutes for soy lecithin?
Thank you. I’m afraid I have only made the pie with soy lecithin to replace the egg yolks so can’t suggest any replacements. If you know of any other egg yolk (not standard egg replacer) replacer feel free to give it a go and feed back! You can pick soy lecithin up at most health food stores or online. Poppy 🙂
Hi Poppy, quick question. In the recipe you say 1/4 Egg Replacer. Can you be more specific. Is it a quarter of one egg replacer, or quarter of a cup or what. Not quite sure and really want to try this recipe. Thanks so much.
Hi Bridget, thank you for your question and for bringing the imprecision to my attention – I will change that. It means 1/4 of 1 egg replacer, i.e for Orgran that I used 1 egg equals 1 tsp of egg replacer powder to 2tbsp of water so here you would use 1/4 tsp powder to 1/2 tbsp water. I hope that makes sense? Poppy 😀
Thanks so much for your prompt correction Poppy. I’m hosting a “Pie Party” this weekend. A bunch of my friends are coming over and everyone has to bring a homemade pie. Should be fun and tasty!
That sounds like such fun (and deliciousness!). I love the idea! I hope you all have an amazing time! 😀
Hi Taryn. Thank you for your message. I have to say I am a little confused by some of your queries but I will try and advise on each that you raise.
Firstly, the pie should be a little wobbly after baking and firms up in the fridge as stated in the recipe. Of course all ovens vary and you have made a large pie with the quadruple the amounts which I have not given instructions for so I cannot take responsibility for the outcome, my recipe is for a mini pie and so the cooking time will change if you deviate from the quantities and equipment advised.
The recipe calls for 1/4 quantities as for 1 egg replacer which indicates a quarter required for a whole egg which would include the water.
Rolled oats in the UK are porridge oats, not instant but not pinhead or groats.
I’m not sure what you are referring to regarding soaking the soy lecithin.
Again, I’m unsure why you find it wierd that you needed quadruple the quantities for a normal cake tin since, again, the recipe is for a mini pie.
Thank you. Hope that helps.
Poppy
Hope you see this question!:
I made a non-vegan crack pie for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. Made an extra to bring to work but kept it and ate it with almost every meal instead because it was unbelievable.
I want to repeat this success for an upcoming friendsgiving which will be attended by a couple of vegans, but I am worried about that filling. What exactly replaces the egg yolks, the soy lecithin? Never worked with that… Would silken tofu work as well since it’s supposed to be a bit custardy?
Would you mind breaking down a bit how you adapted this recipe, or advise what nonvegan recipe you worked from so that I may compare? Thank you in advance!
Hi, great that you want to create a vegan friendly crack pie for some vegan guests! I’m sure they will be very happy!
The lecithin is used to replace the egg yolks yes. I cannot comment on using tofu as its not in my recipe and I have no idea how it would turn out or how much you would need. You would have to try it at your own risk! I recommend investing in the lecithin, it’s great to have on hand to add to bread doughs to make them extra soft and moist like bakery bread or can be taken as a supplement so it won’t go to waste 🙂
I created the vegan version from the original crack pie recipe from Momofuku which if you read the post you will see linked to.
I hope that helps but feel free to get in touch if I can be of any assistance!
Poppy 🙂