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!
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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
This pie recipe is perfection! I love the butter and shortening combo for a flaky crust.
Question: how much tapioca (vs.cornstarch) do you recommened?
Thank you as always Sally for another 5 star recipe!
Hi Julie, We are so happy you enjoy this recipe! We recommend 1/3 cup instant tapioca instead of cornstarch.
Don’t just throw it away; the strawberry rhubarb sauce that’s left in the bottom of the bowl when you spoon the rest of the filling out goes great on leftover vanilla ice cream—after you’ve eaten the pie of course! And yes—my 11-year-old brother refused to eat what I insisted on calling “Magenta Celery Pie”. More for us! This was an amazing recipe and the first time I’ve tasted rhubarb, though I’ve been wanting to make this for a while. Pie cravings must be satisfied. And Magenta Celery Pie did not disappoint!
I made this yesterday and we’re now getting around to eating it tonight. I’ve had it in the fridge since I let it cool the 3 hours after cooking and it didn’t set. It has good flavor and all but it just so runny. Is it something I messed up or is it supposed to be that way?
Hi Roxy, if a fruit pie is a bit too runny, it likely needed more time in the oven. Fruit pies can take a notoriously long time to bake through and thicken. An easy fix if you ever try it again!
I used this recipe for my first strawberry rhubarb pie. I made three mistakes and it still tasted awesome. Thank you. Your recipes never fail me.
Delicious and super easy!!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! I MADE A PIE CRUST!! Maybe I shoulda left this review on the crust specifically- well I’ll probably bounce back there next after leaving this here! Y’all just don’t even know how many pastries and crusts have broken my heart, but this pie has turned me into a Sally’s believer- no kidding, this is where I will be coming first to search for recipes; I’ve never even signed up to a baking blog before, but I’m convinced the emails from here will be worth it:P I just jad to leave a comment. This is such a perfect pie. Thank you so much!!
So glad it turned out for you!
Can you use frozen rhubarb?
Hi Kay, we haven’t tried this with frozen rhubarb, but we don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you thaw it first, just blot some of the moisture off. Let us know how it goes.
Hi! Can you use frozen rhubarb and frozen strawberries? Thank you!
Hi Ashley! For best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
This is really a simple recipe for the strawberry rhubarb. I think it acts as a great base for whatever flavors you want to add. The first time I made this added cinnamon to the filling and served with some Trader Joe’s Horchata Ice Cream, it was amazing.
One could probably add some interesting things to this filling, maybe lemon zest? Perhaps some cloves? The possibilities are plentiful.
The act of making the pie also goes great with Mimosas!
If I can’t find rhubarb, what can I use as a substitute?
Hi Gem, You can replace the rhubarb with either more strawberries or the same amount of a different type of fruit.
This recipe is a keeper!! Pie crust was great, too. I did make one small change that I learned from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Pie and Pastry Bible. Rather than leaving all those yummy juices behind, I cooked them down and added them to the pie filling. It only took a few minutes to do and the resulting filling had just the right balance of sweetness and tartness AND was not runny at all. It was perfect!!
Omg! My Mom used to make this pie so I tried your recipe yesterday! Fabulous Pie!!! AND I used your recipe for the crust! Amazing and easy to make! My husband and son-in-law commented on the crust immediately with their first bite! I also used your crumbly topping rather than another crust because I didn’t want to roll out the second crust (Now saving for another pie on another day – YUM!). Topping is now my top crumb topping recipe to save!! Thank you for these recipes, for the ease of making them from your videos, etc. My husband is now bemoaning the fact that he has just eaten the last piece ;). Anyone thinking about making this pie, crust and topping – definitely go for it!!! You won’t be disappointed!
This was my very first attempt at making a pie!! I had to go with the all butter pastry because I didn’t have any shortening so I should have left out the final butter cubes but overall the pie turned out quite lovely; not too sweet and perfect consistency of filling. My only struggle was my pastry, it was a bit too chewy and stuck to the top rim. I’ll have to try again with the other pastry recipe.
This was hands down the best strawberry rhubarb pie I’ve ever made or tasted. Just the right mix of sweet and tart. I made the pie crust in the food processor, and it came out perfectly. My husband and I have cut back on sugar, but this was SO worth it!
All in all very successful. It wasn’t quite as sweet as I would have liked. I’m thinking I lost a lot of the sugar when I drained off the juices. May drain as directed to achieve consistency, but add a bit more sugar before filling the pie next time. Everyone still enjoyed it and a big scoop of vanilla ice cream made it delightful.
Tastes yummy but filling did not set quite liquidy
Hi Betty! If the filling didn’t set, the pie likely needed to bake for longer. An easy fix for next time!
Our local strawberries are available now so I tried this recipe. My husband and I both agreed. This is the best strawberry rhubarb pie we’ve ever tasted. Thank you so much.
Such an easy – and tasty recipe!! I’ve made it 3+ times already and it never lasts long in our house. Instead of a top crust, I use the crumble recipe from the apple pie. So delicious! Because there’s butter in the crumble recipe, I don’t add the dots of butter on top of the filling. There were a couple of times when I didn’t have enough rhubarb so I just added more strawberries to make up for the total amount – still delicious!
Hi Sally! Hoping to make this pie for Canada day. How long would the pie need to bake if I were to divide this up into 4 small pies? The dishes are 1.75″ x 6.25”.
Hi Rachel! We haven’t tested mini pies so are unsure of the exact bake time. Pies will be done when the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Let us know how they go!
I used a different recipe for the pie crust, but Sally’s filling instructions. Deliciously sweet//tart.
A huge success as a surprise for an American guy in the Netherlands who could only remember his grandmother’s rhubarb pie in Georgia US. Thank you Sally! I keep the recipe in my favourites.
Even with throwing out all the juice and I did think that was a waste, I had a soggy bottom especially when we heated up the pie to go with ice cream. So I would do a prebake on the bottom if I ever do this recipe again.
I use Tapioca instead of flour about 3 tablespoons. Going to try your recipe today. Happy baking
Does the pie need to be refrigerated after it is baked? Or can it stay on the counter?
Hi Melissa, we recommend covering leftovers tightly and storing in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This is an amazing recipe – the best of any I have found
I really wish there was a nutritional information posted for it though. (Trying to make a low sodium kind for a family member.) Thank you again, I’ve made it twice in one week it was that delivered.
Is it possible to freeze the pie unbaked?
Hi Denise, You can freeze the unbaked pie, but we find that the filling is always a bit too thin and the bottom crust stays a little soggy. It’s best to freeze the baked and cooled pie instead.
Made this for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day, and it was simply perfect! Deliciously tart and sweet, and it set up beautifully! I’ll definitely make this again!
Ran out of cornstarch so I replaced it with 1/3 cup flour. It turned out perfectly! Thanks for the good recipe 🙂
This is an excellent recipe.Perfect proportions of rhubarb to strawberries. I did add a touch of cinnamon You can use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch to thicken. Arrowroot works well to thicken any leftover liquid and filling and cooking it into a yummy jam.
So so good! I even used frozen strawberries because fresh were not available with fresh rhubarb from my garden and I was worried that the filling wouldn’t set because it was quite runny when I put it in the oven…it set beautifully and tasted amazing! My first time making a strawberry rhubarb pie and a complete success! Thank you Sally for another awesome recipe!
Question about the filling. How long before making the pie can I prepare the filling and hold in the fridge? Can’t bake it until Thursday but have strawberries I need to use. Thank you
Hi Geri! The filling may get too wet if left in the refrigerator for more than a day. We would give it a quick freeze to prevent this. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.