This strawberry rhubarb pie combines juicy strawberries, tart rhubarb, and a homemade flaky all-butter pie crust for a classic spring and summer dessert. The filling bakes up thick and jammy, so every slice holds its shape beautifully. As always, letting the pie cool completely before slicing is non-negotiable for a thick, set filling.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips, including an optional stovetop step that helps guarantee a thick pie filling.
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb are the ultimate spring pie duo, and this updated strawberry rhubarb pie recipe gets the balance just right. With a flaky all-butter pie crust and a thick, jammy filling that slices beautifully, this is the kind of classic fruit pie that’s worth the wait.
The filling uses strawberries, rhubarb, a touch of orange juice, and just enough cornstarch to keep the pie from turning soupy, which is a common issue with strawberry rhubarb pie. If you’ve ever had a strawberry rhubarb pie turn into a runny mess when you slice it, follow this recipe to prevent that from ever happening again.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Perfectly balanced sweet-tart flavor from fresh strawberries and rhubarb
- Thick, jammy filling that slices easily
- Flaky, buttery homemade pie crust
- A wonderful make-ahead spring or summer dessert
Start With the Pie Crust
A sturdy, flaky pie crust is essential for holding the juicy filling. I like to use my all-butter pie crust, which makes enough for both a bottom and a top crust. You could also use this flaky pie crust instead, which uses a mix of butter and shortening.
Start the dough ahead of time because it needs to chill for at least 2 hours before rolling out.
Don’t want to mess with pie crust? If you have a copy of Sally’s Baking 101, see page 164 for a Simple Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble!
Ingredients That Make This Pie Work
- Fresh Rhubarb: Look for firm, crisp stalks with a deep pink or red color. Slice the rhubarb into uniform 1/2-inch pieces so it softens evenly while baking.
- Fresh Strawberries: Use ripe, flavorful strawberries and chop them into small chunks. Since strawberries release more liquid than rhubarb, I use slightly more rhubarb than strawberries for the best filling consistency.
- Sugar: I use both white and brown sugar here, for some flavor depth as well as sweetening that tart rhubarb.
- Cornstarch: Our thickening agent—absolutely essential.
- Salt: To enhance and balance all the flavors.
- Orange Juice: A splash of orange juice brightens everything up and makes the flavors pop.
- Vanilla: Vanilla adds warmth and depth. It’s a great pairing in this strawberry vanilla crisp, too.
- Butter: Dot the pie filling with small cubes of cold butter before applying the top crust. Why? It adds buttery richness and actually helps prevent the formation of bubbles on the filling’s surface.
How to Prevent a Runny Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling
One of the biggest challenges with homemade strawberry rhubarb pie is excess liquid. Strawberries release a lot of juice while baking, which can lead to a runny filling. This recipe uses cornstarch to help thicken the liquid as the pie bakes, creating a filling that’s juicy but sliceable.
After you combine the filling ingredients together, set it aside and roll out the pie dough for your pie dish. During this time, your filling is already working as the sugar pulls juices from the fruit.
When you’re ready to assemble your pie, if you notice a lot of juice has pooled at the bottom of the bowl with the filling, it could be that your berries were extra ripe or you prepped the filling in advance and it sat for a while. If that happens, use a slotted spoon to transfer the fruit to the pie crust, but don’t discard the juice—it’s where a lot of the cornstarch ends up, and we need it!
Instead, pour the juice from the bowl into a small saucepan. You may only have a few Tablespoons, but that juice is packed with flavor and cornstarch, so don’t waste it. Reduce the juices in a saucepan over medium-low heat, just for a few minutes until it thickens into a syrupy consistency, then let it slightly cool for about 5 minutes before pouring over the filling in the pie. Gently stir it into the filling as best you can.
This optional pre-cooking step helps activate the cornstarch before the pie goes into the oven, giving you extra insurance that the filling will thicken properly. I use this same method in my cherry pie and blueberry peach pie, and it ensures those juicy fruit fillings set up nicely.
After a few minutes on the stove, the juices will thicken quickly into a jammy, syrup-like consistency. Pour the thickened juices over the pie filling, then gently stir and toss to distribute them throughout the filling:
Lattice Pie Crust
Now it’s time to add the top crust. A lattice topping not only looks beautiful, it also allows steam to escape so the filling can thicken properly. If you’re new to working with pie dough or need a little refresher, check out my tutorial on how to lattice pie crust.
You could even skip the top crust and use the crumble topping from our blueberry crumble pie. Lots of options!
Don’t Forget the Finishing Touches
These are quick and easy steps that make a world of difference, believe me!
- Butter: Dot the filling with small cubes of butter before adding the top crust. This adds richness, helps create a more cohesive jammy filling, and even helps prevent bubbles from forming on the filling’s surface. We do the same thing when we make peach pie.
- Crimp or flute the edges: Once your lattice is assembled, you’ll want to crimp or flute the pie crust to finish it off. I fluted the pie crust in these photos.
- Egg wash: An egg wash is simply an egg mixed with milk (or water) and you use it pretty much whenever you’re baking pie dough… as well as other shaped dough, such as stromboli, homemade bagels, brioche, choux pastry, croissants, etc. Egg wash helps develop that beautiful golden sheen. Without it, the baked dough looks dull and lackluster.
- Coarse sugar: This is optional, but I love finishing sweet pies with coarse sugar because it adds a little crunch and sparkle. I usually use Sugar in the Raw or these coarse sugar sprinkles, both of which can be found in the baking aisle of major grocery stores or online.
Now your pie is ready to bake! I recommend placing a baking sheet (lined with parchment for easy cleanup) on the rack below the pie, to catch any juices that may bubble over.
Start the Pie at a High Oven Temperature
Why do some pie recipes call for an initially hot oven temperature that you eventually lower? Baking this pie at 400°F (204°C) for 20 minutes helps set the pie crust shape, and activates the cornstarch in the filling (as does heating it on the stove). After that, reduce the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C) to continue baking the pie. We use this same trick when we make blueberry pie and triple berry pie.
How to Tell When Your Pie Is Done
The pie is done when the filling is bubbling up through the lattice and around the edges of the pie. For a more accurate test of doneness, check the pie with an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should reach at least 200–212°F (just about 100°C).
This might be the hardest part: you have to let it cool for several hours. During this time, the filling thickens and fully sets. If you cut into it too soon, it will be runny—no matter how well you baked it.
Success Tips for the Best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Pre-cook the filling juices on the stove to activate the cornstarch and reduce the liquid.
- Don’t shorten the long cooling time because the filling needs several hours to fully set.
- Bake the pie over a baking sheet to catch any bubbling-over juices.
- Start baking at a high temperature, then reduce the oven temperature and add a pie crust shield.
If you’re lucky enough to snag a slice of this pie during rhubarb’s short season, you’ll know why it tastes extra special. Rhubarb’s entire life goal is to end up in this dessert. Bake it while you can get it!
Print
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 1 pie
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This strawberry rhubarb pie combines sweet strawberries, tart rhubarb, and a flaky buttery pie crust with a thick, jammy filling that slices beautifully. Includes plenty of success tips to help prevent a runny pie filling.
Ingredients
- All Butter Pie Crust or Homemade Pie Crust (both recipes make 2 crusts, 1 for bottom and 1 for top)
- 3 cups (about 300g) sliced rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces)
- 2 and 1/2 cups (about 380g) chopped fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (32g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15g/ml) orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15g/ml) milk
- optional: coarse sparkling sugar, for topping
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5. The pie dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange juice, and vanilla together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out 1 disc of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the filling into the crust. If you have leftover juices in the bottom of the bowl, reserve them for the next step. Refrigerate the pie, uncovered, as you reduce the juice in the next step.
- Optional—reduce the juices: If your pie filling sat for awhile or if your strawberries are particularly juicy, a lot of liquid may pool at the bottom of the bowl. Pour the leftover liquid into a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the juice has slightly reduced and thickened, about 3–4 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the filling in the pie crust. Do your best to gently toss together with the fruit. Dot the pieces of cold butter on top of the filling. Place the pie in the refrigerator while you roll out the top crust.
- Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips about 1-inch wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. See this post on How to Lattice Pie Crust for help with this step. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use kitchen shears or a small paring knife to trim off excess dough. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top and edges of the pie crust with egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using. Place the pie in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes while your oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Place the pie on the center oven rack, and place a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup) on the rack beneath it, to catch any bubbling-over juices. Bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C), add a pie crust shield, and bake for an additional 50 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown and the filling juices are bubbling around the edges and/or through the lattice. For a more accurate test of doneness, check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer; it should reach at least 200–212°F (around 100°C).
- Remove pie from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool for at least 4 hours before slicing and serving. The filling will be too juicy if the pie is still warm when you slice it.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: There are a couple ways to make this pie ahead of time. Prepare the pie in full 1 day in advance. After the pie cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Small Saucepan | Pastry Wheel or Pizza Cutter | Pastry Brush | Coarse Sparkling Sugar | Baking Sheet | Pie Crust Shield | Instant-Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack
- DIY Pie Crust Shield: You can make your own disposable pie crust shield from a piece of aluminum foil. Fold a 12-inch square of foil in half, and cut a half-circle in the center of the folded edge. When unfolded, you’ll have a foil square with a circle cut out of the center. Place it over the pie and carefully tuck the edges down around the crust.
- Pie Dish: I strongly recommend baking this pie in a glass pie dish so you can easily monitor the bottom crust’s browning. Glass pie dishes also bake pie crusts more evenly than ceramic dishes.
- Use Fresh, Not Frozen: I strongly recommend fresh strawberries and fresh rhubarb in this pie. Frozen fruit releases too much excess liquid and can lead to a soupy filling.
- Why Are We Reducing the Liquid on the Stove? If your fruit is especially ripe or juicy, don’t skip the optional stovetop reduction step (step 4). It helps activate the cornstarch and guarantees a thicker filling.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Made this recipe with the apple crumble topping and with fresh rhubarb from my garden and it is absolutely amazing!! Letting it sit for 3 hours was a test of patience but so worth it in the end, it came out such a nice texture with minimal “soupyness”. 5 stars from myself and my family 🙂
I have never tried rhubarb, but having recently gotten into making pies, I am dying to try a strawberry rhubarb pie. However, the only rhubarb I and find in my area is canned rhubarb in syrup. There is simply no fresh rhubarb in grocery stores within 50 miles of me. How would it turn out to use the canned rhubarb, if I washed off the syrup? Thanks.
Hi Rachel, fresh rhubarb really is best, but you can try using the canned rhubarb. We’d make sure it is completely drained and patted dry. Bake time may be a bit longer since the canned rhubarb will let off more liquid. Let us know what you try!
This recipe turned out really good, great flavor and simple to make
I am an experienced cook with many years behind my belt. I tried this recipe today because it was a little different with the addition of the orange juice and vanilla. Let me say, I was disappointed. It seems like it needs more filling and a little more sugar. Most recipes I have tried in the past call for 3 c. berries, 3 c. rhubarb and between 1-2 cups of sugar. Just the right balance of each is needed to get that sweet, tangy taste we all love with this combination. I would probably up the white sugar to 2/3 c. and use 3 c. strawberries and try that out. Now I have 2 pies that I spent a lot of time on that are just “OK”.
Hello Sally, I’ve read some recipes that say to bake pies on the bottom rack of the oven, but most recipes (including yours) don’t specify. I assume you bake yours on the middle rack then? Have you tried both? What are your thoughts? One of the things I like about your website is that you explain things and add helpful little details. Thank you for that.
Hi Lin, we typically bake fruit pies on the middle rack unless noted otherwise, but keep in mind that all ovens can be a bit different. Anywhere from the middle to bottom third of the oven should work great. Hope this helps!
This was my first ever pie and I made sure to take my time with it. Naturally I followed every word very strictly…except I somehow completely forgot about the egg wash! Nonetheless, while the pie turned out a bit pale and bubbled out of the seams as a consequence, this was still a good pie to eat. I can’t wait to give it another go. Definitely was a labor of love, but was well worth the wait. For my taste it was just the right amount of sweet and tart.
This may be the best pie I’ve ever made; I followed the directions as shown but added another 1/3 cup of regular sugar as my strawberries weren’t quite as sweet as I wanted. This is now my go-to pie recipe, and my husband thanks you for it!
I don’t have any oranges or orange juice, will it be ok to leave this out of the recipe? If it is to add sweetness, I am ok with a tart, less sweet pie. Thanks.
Hi Michelle, the touch of citrus really brightens up all the flavors, and we find it a little flat without it. You can use lemon juice instead, if you have that on hand!
It turned out great, but I can see how the citrus would add to it, next time I will make sure I have an orange on hand!
Glad it turned out well regardless!
Tried this pie now 4 times this past week. The best two pies used a quarter cup of tapioca. The berries and the rhubarb were garden fresh. Yummy!
This pie tasted really good! I had bought a strawberry rhubarb pie at Aldi’s recently that was so good it left me with a craving for another one but alas Aldi’s was out. Then I found this recipe. I used canned rhubarb in light syrup and drained them very well as well as fresh roughly chopped strawberries. Used three cups of strawberries and three cups of rhubarb. And made two pies using store-bought deep dish crust. Mixed it all up and used a slotted spoon to drain off all the extra juice. Added a touch of cinnamon and then baked one pie and put one in the freezer. Low and behold it tastes just like the wonderful pie I bought at Aldi’s so thank you very much!
I came back to report. After eating a hot slice each, we put the pie in the fridge and it set up perfectly. Patience is a virtue, but we just couldn’t resist the pie straight out of the oven. Lesson learned. Until next time!
I am a pretty expert pie maker, and this combination for the fruit filling was nearly perfect. I would use a full 3 cups of berries, but the orange zest idea was wonderful.
Super bummed, we did not like this and won’t be making it again. There was no sweetness-the bitterness definitely overshadowed. I also didn’t taste the orange juice or vanilla. I did like the texture and thickness of the filling but that was it:(
We had fresh rhubarb from the garden & frozen strawberries. It worked well. we didn’t let it cool for 3 hours. Get real. Seriously, we will try eating it again tomorrow & see if the puddle is gone!
Thanks for this recipe, Sally! I put together several batches of just the filling and throw them in the freezer for later to be put in a pie. Nothing like Strawberry Rhubarb pie in the winter! 🙂
Sweat out the rhubarb and strawberries with the salt for an hour or so and drain off excess, I then added my sugars and other ingredients to the filling
I thought it was an alright recipe. It isn’t one I’d make again. I didn’t see or taste the vanilla extract or orange juice…
I love your recipes!! Question about this one.
Could I make this a crisp instead of a pie? Put the filling in a baking dish and top with a crumble/crisp topping?
Thank you!
Hi Ashley, We haven’t tested this filling as a crisp, but let us know if you do! It may be easier to adapt our Strawberry Crisp recipe by reducing the strawberries, adding rhubarb, and a touch of orange juice.
I am planning on making two tomorrow
Updated pLeaseees!!!!!!!
Hi there! Can’t wait to make this. If I’m prepping a day ahead, do you think I should keep the filling and pie crust separate overnight? Or assemble and bake the next day?
Thanks for all of your fantastic recipes, your site is my go to!
Hi Merion! See recipe notes for our recommended make ahead instructions. We do not recommend making the filling ahead of time because it will be come too juicy. You could prep the crust ahead of time, then the next day, prepare the filling, assemble, and bake. The pie also sets up nicely overnight after baking.
This was the best recipe! I will be making it again for sure!
Ohhhhh my……. This flavor combination is absolutely divine. Made the hand pies and did half with this flavor but should have done them all. The tartness of the rhubarb is offset by the sweetness of the strawberries. Have already made another batch for crumbles, can’t get enough of it!
This was great but way too tart. I appreciate the note to leave juice in bowl as most pies get soggy that way. I will add another third cup of sugar next time. I used supermarket strawberries that maybe weren’t sweet enough yet.
This recipe works great. I made adjustments for using frozen fruit, for those of you who want to make this out of season. Like they said in other comments, it creates a lot of juice/moisture and you need to get rid of that.
What I did was nuke the frozen fruit in the microwave on defrost until its mostly room temperature. Alternatively you could take the frozen fruit out of the bags into bowls and leave in the fridge overnight to defrost.
A good amount of juice will have collected at the bottom of the bowls, mostly from the strawberries. Strain that off and set aside. (You can use it to make a really nice syrup) Next take the fruit and place it in a large bowl and toss together with your sugar, salt and orange juice/lemon juice. Then let it sit for another 10 mins. Once you come back, more juice from the fruit will have collected at the bottom of the bowl. Strain that off too and add to your strawberry juice from before. By now the fruit should have lost enough moisture for you to continue the recipe as normal. Add your corn starch, but to be safe, I increased it from 1/4 cup to about 1/3, just to make sure that the pie wont be runny. Then once that’s all mixed, I take a slotted spoon, and spoon the mixture into my prepared pie shell. I then take a spoon and spoon 2 two spoonfuls of the cornstarch juice stuff in the bottom of the large bowl over the fruit in the pie crust. Then I just bake it at 350 for the whole time, watching carefully to make sure it gets bubbly but doesn’t over bake. Turns out amazing every time.
Hi Sally, another question. I’ve read in previous comments you recommend using fresh fruits. If I were to use frozen fruits, let them thaw and strain the juice do you think that would help to reduce the possibility of a soggy pie?
Hi Alicia, that may help a bit, but since strawberries and rhubarb hold quite a bit of moisture, we fear the pie will still be soggy. We really do recommend sticking with fresh for best results.
Hi Sally! Just confirming, when I add all ingredients to the fruit the cornstarch won’t clump? I can’t wait to try this
Hi Alicia, we’ve never had that issue!
Hi, can you make this filing instead of the apple in the apple hand pies recipe? They would be great in bite size! Thanks
Hi Lou, that should work! Let us know if you give it a try.
I used frozen rhubarb and strawberries that I had from my garden and slightly modified this recipe and it turned out great. I could see immediately that there was too much liquid after I mixed the semi-defrosted fruit (I wanted the ice crystals off the fruit) with the sugar and corn starch. I poured as much of the liquid as possible into a saucepan and reduced it by 25%. I baked the pie in a metal pie plate which conducts heat better, on a cookie sheet, and in the bottom rack to prevent a soggy bottom. I did a lattice top (my first time ever) to allow for as much liquid evaporation as possible. There was some pie filling that spilled over and was around the edge of the crust but the pie was delicious! I did have more filling overflow on to the cookie sheet. The next time I bake this pie with frozen fruit, I won’t use the bottom rack of the oven. The bottom of the pie was a bit overdone but not burned.
Suggestions if using frozen rhubarb?
Hi Marla, for best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
I would love to make this recipe, as I first had it in a tea room on Exmoor, England. I’m a little confused about the quantities of fruit. In your intro you say that you had to lower the ratio of strawberries to rhubarb because of the high quantity of juice that comes out of strawberries. However in your recipe, under metric weigh, which is what I’ll use, you have significantly more strawberries.
3 cups (about 300g) sliced rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
2 and 1/2 cups (about 380g) chopped strawberries
Help.
Hi Jane! There’s less strawberries by volume – follow the recipe as written. Hope you love it!
It’s my go to!!! Can you use frozen rhubarb in the off season ?