This quintessential springtime pie is a classic for good reason! Sweet, juicy strawberries and tart rhubarb pair together perfectly in a buttery, flaky pie crust for a delicious dessert.
Do you think the phrase "pretty in pink" came from someone looking at a slice of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie? Because I could definitely be convinced that that's where the phrase originated. 😍
Pete grew up eating Strawberry Rhubarb Pie at his Grandma & Grandpa's house, so this dessert is particularly nostalgic for him. I wanted to do right by his memories, so I did a lot of research to make the version that would inspire all the yummy noises.
The most common issue with Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is that the filling can get really wet and soggy since both strawberries and rhubarb have a high water content. But we have two fixes for that!
#1: Macerate the strawberries and rhubarb and drain off the juices before filling the pie. To do this, toss the cut strawberries and rhubarb with the sugar and let them sit in a colander set over a bowl for 15-ish minutes. This will help a ton of liquid release and not end up in your pie filling. I measured, and I got almost a full cup of liquid off my most recent pie!
#2: Add some cornstarch! I researched a lot of recipes and saw a variety of different thickeners - including tapioca, arrowroot, cornstarch, flour and more - and ultimately landed on cornstarch because a) it's probably already in your pantry, and b) it works great!
These fixes worked so well, that there is almost no filling drippage when you cut a slice. Seriously...check it out.
Clean as can be. That's some solid filling right there. 💪
Alright, pie has kind of a lot of steps, so let's get to it!
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
On a well floured surface, roll out your pie crusts one at a time. Turning the dough frequently will help prevent it from sticking to the counter, and help minimize large cracks at the edges. If you get some cracking, use your fingers to pinch the dough back together.
Carefully transfer one crust into the pie plate. Transfer the other crust to a parchment lined baking sheet, and pop both of them into the fridge while you continue on.
Cut the rhubarb into ½ inch pieces, quarter the strawberries and toss them in a large bowl with the sugar and salt.
Transfer the mixture to a large colander and set the colander back over the bowl to catch the juices, let it all hang out for about 15 minutes.
Add the cornstarch (right into the colander is fine!), toss the mixture until it's thoroughly combined, and pour it into your chilled prepared pie plate.
You can discard the juices and sugar that have collected in the bowl, or save them for something else! (I have some ideas for a cocktail with strawberry rhubarb simple syrup floating through my mind...😋).
Top with your other pie crust and crimp the edges however you like - I did the classic finger pinch but you can press the tines of a fork around the edge too! Brush the top with some egg wash, sprinkle on some coarse sugar and cut a few vents in the top crust.
Place the whole pie on a foil lined baking sheet (to catch any overflowing juices), pop it in the oven, and get ready to be really proud of yourself!
She's beautiful. Good job. 👏👏🥧🥧
Recipe Tips & Notes
There are a couple important tidbits that will help you be super successful when making this pie:
- When working with the crust, keep everything as cold as possible. This helps it get flaky and tender instead of tough and greasy. Pie crust gets its desirable flakiness when the fat (i.e. butter, which has a high water content) in the dough melts in the oven and creates steam.
- This is also why we start the initial baking temp high and then drop it - the fat melts more quickly at a higher temperature, creating that steam that helps with the flakiness. We then lower the temp so the bottom crust & filling has a chance to cook without the top burning.
- If at any point the dough feels too soft when you're working with it, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- This recipe does call for a lot of sugar - but a fair amount of it drains off while the rhubarb and strawberries macerate.
- DON'T FORGET THE CORNSTARCH! I did once and although the pie still tasted delicious, the filling was very watery and I was very sad.
- Put the egg wash and sugar on BEFORE you transfer it to the foil-lined baking sheet. If there are sugar granules all over the baking sheet, they will burn in the oven. (Also something I know from experience 😜.)
- Check on your pie a couple times throughout the baking process, if it looks like it's getting too dark around the edges, cover them with strips of foil.
This beautiful pie is exceptionally delicious with some vanilla ice cream.
If you're on the hunt for more fruity desserts, try these Classic Lemon Bars or these Key Lime Cheesecake Bars!
Yummy noises await you!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
For the crust
- 3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 22 tablespoon cold butter, cut into ½ inch pieces (2 ¾ sticks, or 1 ⅜ cups)
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 9 tablespoon ice water
For the filling
- 1 ¼ lbs fresh rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces (about 4 ½ cups)
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 3 cups)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 egg, beaten with a small splash of water
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar
Instructions
Prepare the pie dough
- Add flour and salt to a large bowl and stir with your (clean!) fingers to combine. Add the cubed cold butter, tossing to separate pieces and coat with flour. Use your fingertips to mash the butter into the flour until you have a mixture that looks mostly like coarse cornmeal, but with some larger pieces of butter still intact.
- Drizzle in the vinegar and ice water while stirring gently with your other hand to evenly distribute the liquid. Knead in the bowl with your hands just until a shaggy ball starts to form, then turn it out onto your work surface and use your hands to gently bring it together into a disk.
- Cut the disk into 4 pieces, stack the pieces on top of each other and press down with your hands to flatten and combine, patting any straggler dry pieces back in. Cut again into two pieces and form each into a disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Roll out the pie dough
- Let chilled pie dough sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to slightly soften before rolling. Starting with one disk, roll out on a well floured work surface until about ⅛" thick, frequently rotating the disk as you roll to prevent it from sticking to the counter and to help minimize large cracks on the edges.
- Carefully roll it up around the rolling pin to help you transfer it into a deep 9-inch pie plate (this will be the bottom crust). Gently ease the dough into the pie plate by lifting up the edges of the dough with one hand and lightly pressing it into the corners of the pie plate with your other hand. Put the dough-lined pie plate back into the fridge.
- Roll out the second disk the same way you did the first. Carefully roll crust up around the rolling pin to help you transfer it to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (this will be the top crust). Put the baking sheet back into the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling & put it together
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly to combine. Transfer mixture to a large colander, set colander back inside the mixing bowl to catch the juices, and let it sit and macerate for about 15 minutes.
- Add cornstarch to the rhubarb/strawberry mixture and mix thoroughly to combine. Transfer mixture to the prepared pie plate and smooth the top into an even layer. Top with the chilled circle of pie dough and press lightly around the rim of the pie pan to adhere the top and bottom together. Trim excess dough around the pie, leaving about a ½ inch overhang. Fold the edges up and under to seal and going around the perimeter of the pie, and use your thumb and index finger on one hand and your index finger on the other hand to crimp the edge of the pie.
- Brush top of pie with the egg and water mixture, sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, and use a sharp knife to cut a few vents in the top. Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees, and bake for an additional 45 minutes, checking the pie a few times to make sure the crust isn't getting too brown. If it is, cover it with strips of tin foil.
- Allow the pie to cool to room temperature (3-4 hours or preferably overnight) before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- When working with the crust, keep everything as cold as possible. This helps it get flaky and tender instead of tough and greasy. Pie crust gets its desirable flakiness when the fat (i.e. butter, which has a high water content) in the dough melts in the oven and creates steam.
- This is also why we start the initial baking temp high and then drop it - the fat melts more quickly at a higher temperature, creating that steam that helps with the flakiness. We then lower the temp so the bottom crust & filling has a chance to cook without the top burning.
- If at any point the dough feels too soft when you're working with it, pop it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- This recipe does call for a lot of sugar - but a fair amount of it drains off while the rhubarb and strawberries macerate.
- Put the egg wash and sugar on BEFORE you transfer it to the foil-lined baking sheet. If there are sugar granules all over the baking sheet, they will burn in the oven.
- Check on your pie a couple times throughout the baking process, if it looks like it's getting too dark around the edges, cover them with strips of foil.
Wow!! So absolutely beautiful in color!!
This is my all time favorite!
This looks amazing! Now I’m going to have to go find some rhubarb!
It is almost to pretty to put your fork into. Lovely. My mother in law taught me all about rhubarb....pie, bread, sauce. Pie is on the baking schedule. Thank you for sharing. Be happy to share the Rhubarb Bread recipe with you too.
Beautiful photos, Rachel! It looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for all the great tips too! Nice to hear the tried and true ways to reduce a runny filling! Sure way to ruin a perfect pie, I will definitely make sure I macerate the fruit! Saving that strawberry rhubarb simple syrup for a cocktail is genius! I'm on it!!! LOL!
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Thank you Rachel. Letting the fruit strain in a colander was great advice. Family and grand kiddos approved. Hope the photo came through
Thank you
Thank you Nancy, I’m so happy you liked it! Straining the fruit makes a HUGE difference. I can’t see the picture here but my mom forwarded me one you sent to her, thanks for making it! 😊 I would love the rhubarb bread recipe!
I made this for a party and it was a huge hit! Excellent recipe.
That’s so great! Thank you!