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
I’ve made this a couple times now.
I used fresh squeezed orange juice each time, since I’ve had em in hand, just before juicing I zested about tbsp & tossed in the rhubarb while prep’ing.
Fantastic!!
Made the pie and the filling had the BEST flavor if any pie I ever made. Made filling night before but next time will make it as soon as I make the crust. Next time ill try a crumble topping instead of a crust. Like all your recipes. Your blueberry pie is next & when peach season comes your peach pie is on my list
Someone gave me rhubarb from their garden and I made this recipe with your crumble topping with some pecans instead of walnuts because that’s what I had on hand. I also used a Pillsbury crust. It was excellent.
Looking forward to trying this recipe! Do you have ingredient measurements for a 10” pie? Thank you
Hi Barbara, If your pie dish is a little larger than 9 inches, you can use more than half of of the pie crust recipe for the bottom crust instead of dividing it exactly in half. We do this if our pie dishes are larger than 9 inches and we need extra pie dough.
I made this to go into a GF pie crust I made. This is a delicious strawberry rhubarb pie – not too sweet. I took this with us on a camping trip to share with friends and they raved about it – Jim, who loves his pies, said it was seriously one of the best pies he’s had. Super fresh rhubarb right out of our garden. I also brushed with the egg/milk mix, but no sugar on top. YUM!!!
I’d like to make this pie in the coming weeks but I’m new to pie baking. What internal temperature should the filling reach to know it is done?
Hi Kelly! The internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. And make sure the filling is bubbling!
Question: I let the rhubarb strawberry mixture set overnight and ended up with a large quantity of juice. You said leave juice in bowl not in pie or its will make a soggy pie. DO I USE SOME OF THE JUICE IN PIE OR NONE AT ALL. The juice is so good….what do I do wirh the excess? Seems juice is so good and hate to waste it.
Hi Mary, we do not use any of the excess juices in the pie, as it will make it too soggy. We typically just discard the juice, but feel free to use it in another way if desired (perhaps drizzled on ice cream or yogurt?). Hope you enjoy the pie!
So happy with your rhubarb strawberry recipe. Thank you.
Looking for a good rhubarb pie recipe… can I omit the strawberries here do you think and just use rhubarb?
Hi KB, without the sweetness and flavor of the strawberries, this pie would be quite tart. Plus, strawberries let off more moisture so it may take a bit of testing to get the filling ratios right. Let us know if you give it a try!
Made this recipe today and followed the it to a T. Filling didn’t thicken and bottom crust was like glue and soggy. Not sore what i did wrong if any thing. I take my baking seriously and was so disappointed in the end result.
She loved this recipes.
Great recipe! Flavor is like ol’ time favorites! Consistency turned out just right even though I missed the note about leaving the excess liquid in the bowl and not the pie. I just cooked it an additional 5 minutes. Family is totally enjoying it : )
I use orange zest in my pies. (Rhubarb). Love this pie recipe. The blueberry swirl with the different swirls is definitely a keeper. Corn starch has made a big difference in my pies, cobblers, etc.
Thanks
Just made this recipe crust and all for my niece who is missing her Mom on Mothers Day. Looks and smells great. I tasted a little of the filling that ran over. Tastes just like the last strawberry rhubarb pie I had. Love strawberries. Love rhubarb. But they just don’t mix well for me. Hope it makes my niece smile.
Hope your niece loves this pie, Deb!
Good Morning, Can I use frozen strawberriess for this recipe?
Good Morning, Can I use frozen strawberries for this recipe?
Hi Bella! For best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
I have been baking strawberry rhubarb pies for 50 years and this is the best recipe yet! The only change was I used 1/3 cup of instant tapioca, maybe more than I need it. Letting the fruit sit for 15 minutes was definitely a a brilliant step. Thank you so much for the recipe.
When you bake the pie do you use the convection oven or just regular? I didn’t turn on the convection because I thought it may bake the crust too quickly. Thoughts?
Hi Judy, We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
A friend who had surgery asked if I would make her a strawberry rhubarb pie. Not only was this my first SR pie, but it was also the first time I made the crust myself. It was a huge success and my friend said it tasted just like the pie her grandmother used to make. Thank you for the very detailed instructions and success tips!
I wonder how I should adjust the bake times to make 4″ individual pies?
Hi Marianne, 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 was wondering If I’d be able to substitute the orange juice for lemon juice?
Absolutely.
Can I substitute rhubarb with raspberry ?
Hi Alejandra, you can make that sub, but the bake time may be a few minutes longer since raspberries can be quite wet. Let us know how it goes!
Good afternoon,
I’m about to make thi Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and was wondering on the tab spoon of oj, “can you use Grand M. Liquor instead “?
Sounds delicious, Tracy! Can’t see why that would be an issue.
I have a bag of frozen strawberries and rhubarb in the freezer. I was gung-ho to try your strawberry rhubarb pie recipe. Once the fruit has thawed, can I use tapioca to thicken the liquid from these fruits. I do enjoy your basic pie crust recipe.
Hi Joyce, For best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. If you decide to try this, we recommend 1/3 cup instant tapioca instead of cornstarch.
Hi! I plan on making this pie in the coming days but wanted to clarify – this recipe can be done without parbaking the pie crust?
Hi Maggie, that’s correct!
Would this recipe also work with frozen strawberries and rhubarb?
Hi Rebecca, For best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
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!