Bake a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie like grandma used to make! The perfect dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – yum!
Pie is one of my all-time favorite desserts. And especially fruit pies!
I love everything about it: The sweet filling, the flaky pie crust, the bit of pie crust where the fruit juice kind of seeps into it…
Yes, full-on pie lover over here. And this Strawberry Rhubarb number is no exception!
The Best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Is it inappropriate to call this the best recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie?
Well, maybe. But it is the best to me, so I’m going to roll with it.
It has such a delicious, jammy filling. AND a super easy homemade pie crust that bakes up flaky and crispy.
If you’re short on time, feel free to use a ready made crust – with my third baby on the way, I’m definitely past the “100% homemade, 100% of the time” stage when it comes to cooking and baking.
I do always make my own crust for pie just because I truly enjoy making (and eating) it, but don’t feel pressured to make your own if you’d rather just get a frozen one!
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie:
What does a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie taste like?
Since the rhubarb is quite tart, the filling has quite a tang to it.
But we’re balancing this tartness with sweet strawberries (and sugar, of course), for a sweet-tart, very fruity and jammy filling.
Do you have to peel rhubarb for pie?
It’s not necessary to peel rhubarb, unless you have very coarse, thick stalks.
Don’t worry, the rhubarb skin is not poisonous. BUT if you have garden-fresh rhubarb, make sure to remove the leaves, because these are toxic.
How do you thicken a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie?
The thing with Strawberry Rhubarb Pie filling is that it has the tendency to end up runny. Rhubarb releases quite a lot of water as it cooks, and strawberries soften up a lot as well.
To counteract this, you will need to add thickeners to your filling. There are recipes out there using flour, but I REALLY do not like how it kind of makes the filling past-y and flour-y.
Instead, we’re using tapioca and cornstarch to bind and thicken the filling.
Also, make sure to cut enough air vents in the top crust (if you don’t want to bother with a lattice crust) – this will allow the steam to evaporate as the pie bakes.
What pie dish should I use?
I tested this recipe in a deep 9-inch pie dish. I have never tried a different size dish, so I cannot recommend any substitutions.
This is the exact one I have on Amazon (FYI, this is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through) – it’s so pretty, I love it!
How Do You Store Strawberry Rhubarb Pie?
Should you refrigerate strawberry rhubarb pie?
You can leave a baked fruit pie covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days.
I do refrigerate a fruit pie if I want super clean slices though!
Can you freeze an unbaked strawberry rhubarb pie?
Yes, you can.
Wrap the unbaked pie well in a double layer of foil, label and freeze for up to 3 months.
To bake, unwrap the pie and bake it from frozen as the recipe states. Add about 15 minutes of baking time at the end.
Fruit tends to be more watery after freezing, so if you know you’re going to freeze your pie for later, you may want to add an extra tablespoon or two of cornstarch to the filling.
More delicious strawberry recipes you’ll love:
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Pie
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Recipe details
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cubed
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup ice-cold water
Pie Filling
- 3 cups sliced rhubarb 1-inch pieces
- 3 cups strawberries quartered
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup minute tapioca
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
To Finish
- 2 tablespoons butter diced
- 1 egg white beaten
- Granulated sugar
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Blend dry ingredients and butter: Mix flour and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and blend using pastry blenders or your fingers until you have a bowl filled with crumbs.
- Make pastry: Mix vinegar and water in a measuring jug. Slowly pour over dry ingredients and mix just until it comes together into a dough. Push into a ball. Do not knead or overwork! Divide into 2 disks, wrap in foil and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll out bottom crust: Place 1 disk of the pastry between 2 sheets of baking parchment. Roll into a circle slightly larger than a 9 inch pie dish. Fit into the lightly greased pie dish and place back into the fridge to chill.
Assemble pie:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 420°F.
- Mix filling ingredients: Place all ingredients for the filling in a large bowl and mix well. Pour into prepared bottom crust. Evenly dot with the diced butter.
- Add top crust: Remove the second disk of dough from the fridge and roll into a 10 inch circle between two sheets of baking parchment. You can either place it on top as a whole (make sure to cut some air vents into the top if doing this!) OR cut it into strips to make a lattice. The lattice is a bit of a pain with this crust… But it looks pretty and helps the filling to thicken and set as more liquid can evaporate.
- Crimp edge: Pinch together the edges of the top and bottom crust, then crimp. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake the pie:
- Hot bake: Bake the pie on the bottom rack for 10 minutes at 420°F. Place a pie shield or aluminum foil over the edge once these 15 minutes are up.
- Finish Baking: Lower the heat to 375°F and finish baking the pie for 35-45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is baked. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Serve:
- To get neat slices, cool overnight. If you want to eat the pie warm after a shorter cooling period, the filling will be a little more lose like in a crisp. But it’s delicious either way!
Nutrition
More recipe information
Tenille says
This looks amazing! Can I use 1/4 cup cornstarch in place of tapioca?
Nora says
Tenille, you can definitely try! It is usually suggested to use half the amount of cornstarch when substitution for tapioca, so you would use the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch the recipe calls for, plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to replace the tapioca. Hope this helps!
Kara says
Amazing! My first ever rhubarb pie and I’m a fan. Sweet and tart. Absolutely delicious.
Shelly B says
Great Recipe! My dad loved it. Said it reminded him of his childhood! 😀
Sudha says
I made this recipe w/o the vinegar. Also, I didn’t have tapioca but I will try that next time. First time I’ve made any type pie. Turned pretty good for the first.
Cheri says
The best strawberry rhubarb pie I’ve made. So glad came across this recipe…even the rhubarb skeptics enjoyed it!!!
Nora says
Cheri, I’m so happy to read this! Glad the pie went down so well!
Alice says
This looks beyond delicious!!