It’s really, really good.
I’m so happy to finally share a solid strawberry rhubarb pie recipe with you. This is actually a recipe I played around with a few days ago and while I have weeks of content stored in my drafts, I couldn’t hold off on sharing this one.
How awesome are rhubarb desserts? It’s taken me years to warm up to them. Things like strawberry rhubarb pie, rhubarb crisp, crumble, cake, the whole rhubarb shebang. To be honest, strawberry rhubarb pie never stood a chance when I was growing up. Mom always had it around and while everyone else seemed to rave about it, I couldn’t get on board with… magenta celery pie. I mean when you’re 12, you’ll pretty much convince yourself anything and if rhubarb looks like celery, I’m certainly not eating it for dessert.
MY MY MY. Look how the tables have turned. Never did I imagine myself saying the words “my favorite strawberry rhubarb pie” and never did I imagine myself writing about it on the internet because the internet ties up mom and dad’s landline and I want to be a dolphin trainer when I grow up.
Also, what is a blog?
18 years later, magenta celery pie is at the top of my list. Let’s get right into it because I have a hankering this will be your favorite recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie too. It might even make the list of your favorite spring dessert recipes.
Strawberry and rhubarb are meant to be because the sweet flavor of strawberries balances out rhubarb’s tart/sour bite. Rhubarb is fantastic in pies, crumbles, crisps, and the sort because it needs all the sugar it can get. I like to use an almost equal amount of strawberries and rhubarb in the pie filling: about 3 cups of chopped rhubarb to 2 and 1/2 cups strawberries. Strawberries let out so much juice, so I like to have a slightly lower amount.
If you’ve never cooked or baked with rhubarb before, have no fear. It’s sold in the grocery store without its leaves (they’re toxic!) and can be prepped the same way as celery. Give the stalks a good wash, cut off both ends and slice. You’ll want 1/2 inch slices for this pie.
One common issue with strawberry rhubarb pie is the whole “mushy puddle” situation. Bottom line: the filling is known to be a soupy mess. I asked around and found that instant tapioca is usually the fix. I didn’t have any tapioca in my cupboards and wasn’t about to show my face in the grocery store AGAIN that day, so cornstarch was my choice. It was perfect—every time I tried it. I didn’t have a sloppy problem when cutting into the pie using cornstarch, which is exactly what I was hoping for. To combat the mushy puddle situation, I simply spooned the filling into the crust—leaving all the pooled liquid behind.
Also in the filling: orange juice. Just a smidge of it—1 Tablespoon. It pairs so wonderfully with strawberry and rhubarb. Mom likes to use a mix of brown and white sugars, which tugs at my heart strings. All hail brown sugar’s flavor!
Also: pats of butter to make things rich, just as we do with peach pie.
I haven’t even mentioned the pie crust yet! I always use my standard pie crust recipe because it’s the best of both worlds: flaky and buttery. A mix of shortening and butter produce the absolute best texture. I won’t get into too much detail today but shortening helps create that flaky, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Butter gets us that unparalleled flavor. Make sure both of these fats are cold. When the fat melts as the pie bakes, its steam helps to separate the crust into multiple flaky layers. You won’t get that with warm butter and warm shortening.
I used a lattice pie crust topping because it’s classic and beautiful. It’s my go-to way to decorate a pie and you can also see it on top of my blueberry pie and triple berry pie. You can also use any overhanging pie dough to crimp and flute the pie crust edges.
By the way, do you SEE those flaky layers in the crust? I want to bake 50 pies this summer just so I can eat this pie crust as much as possible.
Add coarse sugar on top for a little pie sparkle.
You can switch up the pie’s topping. Maybe you want a crumble topping like from my apple crumble pie? Go for it.
My only request is that you finish her off with a pile vanilla ice cream. There’s no other way to eat magenta celery pie, ok?
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 1 pie
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe turned me into a strawberry rhubarb pie fanatic! The pie holds together nicely and the homemade pie crust is phenomenal.
Ingredients
- homemade pie crust (my recipe makes 2 crusts; 1 for bottom 1 for top)
- 3 cups (about 300g) sliced rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
- 2 and 1/2 cups (about 380g) chopped 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 (15ml) orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: coarse sugar for garnish
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare my pie crust recipe through step 5.
- Make the filling: Stir the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange juice, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Set filling aside as the oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs 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. Spoon the filling into the crust, leaving all of the excess liquid in the bowl (you don’t want that in the filling—discard it). Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling.
- Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips 1/2- to 1-inch wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small knife to trim off excess dough. Crimp the pie crust edges with a fork, if desired. (Alternatively, you can simply cover the filling with the 12-inch pie dough circle. Cut slits in the top to form steam vents. Trim and crimp the edges. Or a crumble or streusel topping would be great.)
- Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with a little coarse sugar, if desired.
- Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. The pie is done when the filling’s juices are bubbling all around the edges.
- Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This a great pie to make 1 day in advance since it is so juicy – the filling will have time to set overnight. 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 freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Pizza Cutter or Pastry Wheel | Pastry Brush | Baking Sheet | Pie Crust Shield | Coarse Sprinkling Sugar
Reader Comments and Reviews
Wow!!! This pie tastes INCREDIBLE! Not too sweet not too tart. I added a few extra berries, extra OJ and both sugars to compensate. I measure vanilla with my heart lol so definitely a splash more than called for. I also cooked the juices/cornstarch a bit and mixed with the berries before putting in the pie dish. This is my first strawberry rhubarb but it definitely won’t be the last! I’m making fresh whipped cream to go on top!
First time making this pie. I must say this is one of the best pies i have ever had. Outstanding. I did the crumble topping instead of second crust. Thank you
Hi Lindsey, we’re so happy to read this!
I did not read the instructions for this recipe completely. I accidentally left all of the liquid in the pie shell before I baked it at 350°. I added an extra 10 minutes to the baking time turned off the oven and left the pies to cool off in the oven. It rescued the pie. I am going to try the recipe again correctly!
This pie was a huge hit! It set up really well and the taste was amazing!
Another stellar recipe. Absolutely delicious.
Hi there, I love strawberry rhubarb pie. My first time making it. I did feel like the ratio between the strawberries and the rhubarb needed more balance. It tasted a little too tarts. Is there another way to cut the tartness other than increasing the amount of strawberries? I did spoon it out instead of pouring the whole mixture into the pie dish, but should I have maybe let it sit longer in all of the liquids before spooning it into the pie shell? I would love to perfect this.
Hi Loey, rhubarb is very tart in general, so you need the strawberries and sugar to balance it out. But this pie is still going to have that sweet-tart flavor. If it’s a little too tart for your taste, we recommend topping your slice with some vanilla ice cream!
Excellent recipe for pie!
This pie turned out a bit on the tart side. I’ve never used rhubarb before maybe it wasn’t ripe or something. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi BR, rhubarb is very tart in general, so you need the strawberries and sugar to balance it out. But this pie is still going to have that sweet-tart flavor; it’s not as sweet as, say, a peach pie. If it’s a little too tart for your taste, I recommend topping your slice with some vanilla ice cream!
This looks like a perfect spring recipe! Looking forward to.making it soon. I need to use 6″ pie plates. How long should they bake? Thanks for your suggestion. Keep up the great work! work. Absolutely love your recipes and detailed directions. You rock, Sally!
Hi Diane, we’re unsure of the exact bake time for 6-inch pies, so keep a very close eye on them. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Hope you enjoy it!
Not only is your butter based crust my “go to” for all things pie – this trick of stirring the berries and rhubarb (and other filling ingredients) together and letting it sit until the cornstarch liquid pools in the bottom of the bowl is genius. The only tweak I made was splashing in some Grand Marnier since I didn’t have orange juice at the time. The perfect summer dessert.
This was the first strawberry rhubarb pie I’ve ever made and it was absolutely perfect! The only modification I made was to follow the comment from Trish L. to thicken the juice and pour that on top of the fruit prior to baking. 100% reccomend and will definitely make again! Thanks Sally. Your recipes never disappoint!
It looks beautiful, just waiting for it to cool before cutting it! I wish I could send a picture.
Hi! Would it be possible to replace the strawberries with cherries? We have a cherry tree so would love to use those!
Hi Kristin, we haven’t tried that here, but we do have a recipe for a Cherry Pie you might love!
Best Strawberry Rhubarb pie I’ve ever made!!! I made my own crust recipe so that’s the only thing I didn’t use. I also used Tapioca instead of the Cornstarch. Great taste and everyone loves is! Thank you for sharing. I put this in my favorite recipe tried and true box.
Thank you for the recipe! I made two of them today, one is for my granddaughters birthday tomorrow. She has been a fan of rhubarb for 7 years! They are cooling now. WE have our own plants that she picks from!
Hi, can I use frozen rhubarb? That’s all I could find in the grocery store.
Hi Weslie, for best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
I use frozen rhubarb which I have picked from my garden, but I thaw it first and drain the water from the ice crystals.
I’ve made this a few times and it always comes out great! I use whatever orange I have on hand, usually a clementine. Zest the clementine then squeeze all the juice into the fruit. I don’t ever throw away that juice on the bottom of the bowl! Let the fruit macerate in the sugars without the cornstarch, then add the juice and cornstarch to a small saucepan, heat to thicken and add that back to the fruit before filling the pie. Is is an extra step that adds a little more time? Sure, but it packs a lot of flavor to the pie!
This gets my vote as the Best Strawberry Rhubarb ever! Wow. I am in love with SR pie all over again. Thank you!
I have my strawberry rhubarb pie in the oven now. I’m looking forward to it as I was looking for a different recipe then what I was using. I did use a frozen pie crust this time because of time. Next pie I make I will be doing your recipe. I have it book marked. My grandsons will be my judge! thankyou for this recipe.
Hope it’s a hit, Louise! What lucky grandsons you have 🙂
Could I use frozen rhubarb?
Hi Donna, for best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
I’ve used frozen rhubarb. I hold off putting the cornstarch in with the fruit and sugar. The juices and sugar from the bowl can be poured into a small sauce pan, whisk in the cornstarch and heat over medium-low heat until gloopy. Add that back to the fruit, mix to combine then add to pie shell. It works great and adds a lot of flavor!
Seconding this. I used frozen rhubarb and strawberries that I’d prepped fresh a few weeks ago. After fully thawing, I let them drain in a colander.
I mixed them with the sugar and other ingredients per the recipe, skipping the cornstarch at first. I let the filling sit for about 20 minutes to release more juice. Then I poured the juices into a saucepan with 1/8 cup cornstarch, making a slurry with some of the juice before adding. I added the other 1/8 cup of cornstarch to the bowl with the filling.
I brought the juices to a boil until thick, cooled to room temp, then stirred it all back into the filling. It set perfectly — zero liquid in the pie shell. Guests loved it.
Great recipe. Thank you!
Love this recipe! I added a little crushed pineapple in place of orange juice(I was out!) and it was delicious! Love all of your recipes!
This is the best pie ever. I have made this several times and they turn out perfect each time.
I love your recipes.
Hi Sally! Loved this recipe! Could we assemble and freeze right away?
Hi Clair, we don’t recommend freezing an unbaked pie as the crust will likely end up soggy. See recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions.
I made this today. The filling was slightly liquid still when we tried it (even after 3 hours). However, it was delicious and the pastry was crisp (bottom was not noticeably soggy despite the liquid). I was not a rhubarb fan but we just inherited three stands of rhubarb. This is a great way to use it and I’m now a convert!
Well, I am 65 years old and today for the first time I made strawberry rhubarb without the custard filling AND I used your pie recipe. I have never used any other accept my grandmother’s all these years and you can imagine how old that recipe is.
Now, I have not tasted the pie yet but it looks great. Thank you for sharing your passion and time with me.
Question on black spots that appeared second day – could be because of lodge cast iron pie pan? I made this pie and the second day there were a few globs of black/blue pieces. Almost like there were blueberries in the pie. We sadly had to throw it out. I didn’t refrigerate it and I left it in the lodge pie pan. Although no one on the Amazon page where I bought the pan complained about this issue in any of the comments, that’s all I can think of what happened. Any ideas? Thank you! (and it was fantastic the first day)!
Hi Doreen, that’s so odd. I’ve never had that happen before. Did you leave in the orange juice? The citrus helps the fruit maintain color. If anyone else reading this has had this experience, feel free to chime in. I’m so curious, and I’m so sorry I can’t help.
Flaky, buttery crust…balanced tart/sweet taste…wonderful texture…a win all around. THANK YOU, SALLY❤️
(from a fellow foodie who makes really good soup but has to work on her baking game. with your help I am becoming more optimistic…finally)
I was sceptical at first about throwing out the liquid which contained the sugars and the cornstarch but it worked out beautifully! This recipe is a real keeper. There was enough juice to make the filling moist with the perfect amount of sweetness. I made the recipe as written with no changes. Excellent!
Definitely my favorite recipe I’ve tried. However I followed it to a T and after resting for 3 hours, it was still runny. I think I need to add more cornstarch.
My wife has always wanted a Strawberry Rhubarb pie, and I was so thankful for having found this recipe. She absolutely loves it! I was wondering. If I were to follow the same steps, but made it into mini pans, about 5 in each pie so that she can eat a single little pie each time instead of slices, would the cook time still be the same?
Hi Jose, how sweet! The bake time would be shorter for mini pies, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time needed.
Do you have a cookbook
Hi Barboneil, Sally has three published cookbooks and a new cookbook coming out in September – available for pre-order now 🙂