This Old Fashioned Rhubarb pie is everything rhubarb pie should be, tangy, sweet, and fruity. The sweet strawberries balance out the tartness of the rhubarb and the crumb topping adds a satisfying crunchy texture to every bite.
Rhubarb Strawberry Pies will forever remind me of my mother-in-law, Marlene. I guess you could say Strawberry Rhubarb Pie was her signature dish. Unfortunately, we never got her recipe, but I think I nailed it!
Although Marlene's rhubarb pie usually had a top crust with pretty slits cut into it, Scott and I both prefer crumb topped pies, so that's what I chose to make. I hope you enjoy this Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie recipe as much as we do!
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🎥 Recipe Video
🧐Why This Recipe Works
- Similar to zucchini, rhubarb grows in abundance. So if you're looking for a way to use some of the rhubarb in your garden, rhubarb pie is a great option!
- Using a store-bought crust significantly cuts down on the recipe's preparation time.
- Adding strawberries to the rhubarb pie brings out the sweetness of the rhubarb so that the pie is not overpoweringly sour.
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Rhubarb: You'll need approximately 3 stalks of rhubarb or 12 ounces. Once chopped, the rhubarb should equal 3 cups. Whether you grow your own rhubarb or buy it at your local grocery store, choose fresh rhubarb with nice, vibrant color, and firm, unbruised stalks.
- Pastry: This recipe calls for a single pie dough crust for the bottom of the pie. Instead of adding a top crust, we'll be making crumb topping. If you prefer, you can make a lattice top rhubarb pie instead.
- Spices: If you'd like, you can add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the filling, but I find that adding cinnamon to the crumb topping is enough to add a touch of cinnamon flavor without masking the strawberry and rhubarb flavor.
- Tapioca: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie can often be too watery. This issue can be avoided by using tapioca to thicken the filling juices. I find that it works better than flour or cornstarch.
*Ingredient list and quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🥧How to Make A Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
STEP 1: Form pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and flute the edges. Whisk egg and brush the pastry to form a barrier between the crust and the pie juices.
STEP 2: Chop rhubarb into ½-inch pieces and slice strawberries in half or quarters (depending on their size). Place the chopped fruit into a large bowl. Add sugar, vanilla, orange zest (and juice), salt, and tapioca. Stir to combine and set aside for 15 minutes while you work on the crumb topping.
Prepare Crumb Topping
STEP 3: Pour flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon into a medium bowl. Add cold, cubed butter and cut into the flour and sugar using a pastry blender until crumbly.
Pro Tip: If you don't have a pastry blender, you can use a fork, food processor, or the hands that God gave you. 😉
Preheat oven to 425 F
STEP 4: Pour the fruit filling into the pie pan, including the liquid.
STEP 5: Place the filled pie dish onto a baking sheet to catch the juices. Gently sprinkle the crumb topping over the filling. Make sure the filling is covered completely. If you'd like, use a silicone pie crust shield.
Baking Instructions
Tent pie with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and turn the oven temperature down to 375-degrees F. Bake for an additional 45 minutes or until the pie is golden brown and the juices begin to bubble and ooze out of the crumb topping.
Pro Tip: During the last 15 minutes, check to make sure the crumb topping or the edges are not overcooking. If so, tent the pie loosely with foil.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
No, you don't need to cook rhubarb before putting it into a pie. Although the rhubarb will release some liquid, the combination of heat and tapioca will thicken the juices and give the pie a great consistency.
Besides adding tapioca to the filling to firm up the pie, some people like to strain the excess juices from the macerated rhubarb (rhubarb mixed with sugar). The sugar helps to release the juices from the rhubarb. However, don’t toss the strained rhubarb juice, use it to make rhubarb lemonade.
Yes, rhubarb can be eaten raw, but most often it's cooked in a rhubarb pie, rhubarb crisp, or used to make rhubarb jam or jelly. Rhubarb is commonly paired with strawberries because the two compliments each other so well, one being sweet and the other sour.
Although the leaves are toxic to humans and dogs if eaten in large enough quantities, the rhubarb stalk is sometimes dipped into sugar and enjoyed raw as a sweet and sour snack.
💡Pro Tips
- Avoid adding the rhubarb leaves to the rhubarb pie since they are considered toxic, especially when eaten in large amounts.
- If you are short on rhubarb or strawberries, use chopped apples to make up the difference.
- When adding the pie dough to the pie plate, roll the dough onto a rolling pin and unroll it into the pie dish. Another option is to fold it into 4ths and fit into one-quarter of the pie dish before unfolding it the rest of the way.
- If you prefer a double-crust pie, omit the crumb topping and use an additional pie crust, either as-is or arrange it in a lattice pattern (see my huckleberry pie for more information).
- When baking a pie, it's always a good idea to place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch all the juices. It's even better to line the cookie sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
🍓Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie with Crumb Topping
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 Pillsbury pie crust
- 1 egg (optional)
Filling
- 3 cups chopped rhubarb
- 3 cups chopped strawberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ orange zested, plus 1 tablespoon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup tapioca
Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Form pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and flute the edges. Whisk egg and brush over the pastry to form a barrier between the crust and the pie juices.
- Chop rhubarb into ½-inch pieces and slice strawberries in half or quarters (depending on their size). Place the chopped fruit into a large bowl. Add sugar, vanilla, orange zest (and juice), salt, and tapioca. Stir to combine and set aside for 15 minutes while you work on the crumb topping.
Prepare Crumb Topping
- Pour flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon into a medium bowl. Add cold, cubed butter and cut into the flour and sugar using a pastry blender until crumbly.
Preheat oven to 425 F
- Pour the fruit filling into the prepared pie dish, including the liquid.
- Place the filled pie dish onto a baking sheet to catch the juices. Gently sprinkle the crumb topping over the filling. Make sure the filling is covered completely. If you'd like, use a silicone pie crust shield.
Baking Instructions
- Tent rhubarb pie with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and turn the oven temperature down to 375-degrees F. Bake for an additional 45 minutes or until the pie is golden brown and the juices begin to bubble and ooze out of the crumb topping. Serve topped with French vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Avoid adding the rhubarb leaves to the rhubarb pie since they are considered toxic, especially when eaten in large amounts.
- If you are short on rhubarb or strawberries, use chopped apples to make up the difference.
- When adding the pie dough to the pie plate, roll the dough onto a rolling pin and unroll it into the pie dish. Another option is to fold it into 4ths and fit into one-quarter of the pie dish before unfolding it the rest of the way.
- If you prefer a double-crust pie, omit the crumb topping and use an additional pie crust, either as-is or arrange it in a lattice pattern (see my huckleberry pie for more information).
- When baking a pie, it's always a good idea to place the pie on a cookie sheet to catch all the juices. It's even better to line the cookie sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
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