Baltimore Bomb Pie

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Baltimore Bomb Pie is Baltimore's take on a classic chess pie that's been filled with our own fudgy Berger cookies, making it a chocolate, cookie-filled decadent slice of pie.

Side view of slice of pie, showing the cookies baked into the pie.

Update: This recipe was originally shared in October 2018. The recipe and photos have been updated and republished in December 2021.

I love making recipes that include Maryland ingredients. I am part of a group that says Maryland is not a state, but instead a cult and I can't really find it in myself to disagree. For such a small state, we have a lot of heart and a lot pf pride. Not to mention, a lot of recipes.

overhead image of whole pie, drizzled with chocolate syrup, sits on a wooden background.

I was looking for recipes to make for Thanksgiving a few years ago and my cousin suggested stopping at a pie place close to her work to pick up one of the signature pies. The Baltimore Bomb Pie is what she brought and we all fell in love. Of course, I needed to figure out how to make it right away.

Half empty pie plate shows remaining slices of the pie.

What is a Baltimore Bomb Pie?

This is really a three-part question. First, we need to talk about chess pie. Chess pie is a classic southern pie that is made with milk, eggs, sugar, vinegar and cornmeal.

Then we need to talk about Berger cookies, which are a Maryland-made, shortbread style cookie where the tops are coated in a fudgy chocolate frosting.

Finally, when you combine those two together, by crumbling up Berger cookies into a chess pie and baking it, you get the Baltimore Bomb Pie.

Slice of pie, showing off the melted chocolate center sits on a white plate with a gold fork in the background.

FAQ about Baltimore Bomb Pie

Who created the Baltimore Bomb Pie?

Dangerously Delicious Pies is the creator of this decadent pie. On season 9 of Next Food Network Star, there was a contestant from Baltimore known as the pie guy. While he didn't win, he went on to create this pie shop and some other amazing recipes.

What are Berger cookies?

Another claim to fame for Maryland is our Berger cookies which came to Baltimore in the 1800's by a German immigrant. A soft shortbread like cookie is generously dipped into a fudgy chocolate frosting. We can get these cookies in grocery stores and convenience stores nearly anywhere in the state, but once you cross the state lines they become nearly impossible to find.

How to make Berger cookies for the Baltimore Bomb Pie

If you are outside of Maryland and want to make this pie, I recommend using King Arthur Flour's recipe for the Berger cookies.

What to serve with Baltimore bomb pie?

A cold glass of milk! This pie is so rich and decadent that you're gonna need something cold to wash it all down with. A scoop of vanilla ice cream never hurt either!

ingredients for the recipe sit on a wooden background.

Ingredients for this recipe

refrigerated pie dough
15 oz. Berger cookies
unsalted butter
large eggs
milk
granulated sugar
apple cider vinegar
vanilla
cornmeal, all purpose or almond flour

Instructions for this recipe

Start by preheating your oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and roll out the refrigerated pie dough over a deep dish pie plate.

Then melt your butter. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the stick of butter and cook until it is fully melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool while you continue preparing the pie.

Process shot - melted butter in a skillet sits on a trivet, cooling down.

Next, chop up your Berger cookies. Roughly chop Berger cookies into small pieces.

Process shot - Berger cookies are chopped up on a wooden cutting board.

After that, whisk up the other ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Then add in the milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. Once the butter is cooled, whisk in a little bit, making sure it doesn't cook the eggs, then whisk in the rest of the butter along with the cornmeal.

Process shot - remaining ingredients are whisked together in a glass bowl. A blue silicone whisk is still in the bowl.

Then pour the ingredients into the pie crust. Pour the egg/milk mixture into the pie crust and gently arrange the chopped cookies on top.

Process shot - wet ingredients and cookies are placed in the pie dough.

Finally, bake your pie! Bake the pie for 1 hour, until the middle is set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

To really up the decadence of the pie, you can drizzle some chocolate syrup on top, but this isn't a requirement.

Overhead image of a slice of pie on a square white plate.

Substitutions and Serving Suggestions

Distilled White Vinegar can replace apple cider vinegar in this recipe.
Cornmeal is used to give the crispy texture on top of a chess pie. If you don't have any, almond flour or all purpose flour can be mixed in to slightly thicken up the recipe. It may not provide as crispy of a topping, however.
Serve this Berger cookie pie with a glass of cold milk and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

close up image of the cooked pie in the pie plate, showing the melted cookies inside and the crispy pie crust.

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4.88 from 16 votes