This really is the best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie recipe made with a sweet-tart ruby-hued filling in a flaky, buttery homemade pie crust! It’s fantastic all on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
I love the combo of strawberry and rhubarb in desserts. In fact, one of the first recipes I ever posted here on House of Nash Eats was for these delicious Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Bars that I made on the tail end of rhubarb season, which typically runs between April and May.
Rhubarb is this crazy vegetable with poisonous leaves and insanely sour/tart stems but if you add a some sugar and mix them with berries in a pie crust, they create the most wonderful sweet-tart pie that you can possibly imagine. The kind of pie that wins awards in pie baking contests.
Since the season is short and I love rhubarb so much, I always buy extra rhubarb stalks to take home and chop up to freeze for off-season use. You also might like my strawberry rhubarb coffee cake!
We love all things rhubarb! When it’s in season we freeze it to have plenty year-round and we use it to make Rhubarb Crisp, Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream, and this wonderful Easy Rhubarb Breakfast Cake.
Why you’ll love this Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie
- The filling is made with equal parts strawberries and chopped rhubarb with a just a little cinnamon for warmth and depth, lemon juice and zest for brightness, and tapioca for thickening.
- It’s the perfect pie for a lattice-top pie crust, which never fails to impress, since the holes in the lattice allow moisture from the juicy berries and rhurbarb to escape while the pie bakes so it’s not soggy.
A memory from when I originally posted this recipe back in 2017 when my girls were 5 and 3 years old:
“I dished up a slice of this strawberry rhubarb pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a treat one afternoon and sat on the back step to watch the girls play in the yard while I ate it. Except I couldn’t even get a bite to a myself because Rose and Clara hovered right next to me and devoured the whole thing spoonful by spoonful while making happy “mmmmmmm” sounds.”
Rhubarb Strawberry Pie Ingredient Notes
- Rhubarb: This vegetable can vary from brilliant pink to a muddy green-ish color. Both taste the same and work in this recipe so there is no need to hunt down pink rhubarb, unless the color is important to you. You could always add a drop or two of red gel food coloring (affiliate link) to your filling if you only have the greenish kind.
- Strawberries: This is a great way to use up strawberries that are looking a little past their prime or aren’t quite as sweet. Nobody will notice slightly bruised strawberries once they are baked into a pie! Just cut off any bad parts.
- Tapioca: Instant tapioca makes a fantastic thickener for fruit pies. The perfect pie should be on the juicy side but still sliceable.
How to make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Start by making your pie crust. I have a whole post on how to make the best pie crust with all my best tips and tricks! I even have a video tutorial on my YouTube channel that helps show you how. It makes enough for both a top and bottom crust and freezes great so you can always have crusts on hand in the freezer for whenever you want to make this strawberry rhubarb pie recipe.
- Roll out the bottom crust until it is slightly larger than your pie plate (affiliate link). I use a 9-inch standard pie plate. Carefully roll the pie crust onto your rolling pin, then transfer it into the pie plate and set aside.
- Wash and hull the strawberries, then slice them into quarters or halves. Wash the rhubarb well and discard any leafy ends, which are poisonous. Chop the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Add the strawberries and rhubarb to a large bowl with the sugar, tapioca, flour, cinnamon, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Toss to distribute everything evenly, then dump the strawberry rhubarb pie filling into the bottom pie crust.
- Dot with small pieces of butter, which will add richness to your filling (I forget to do this half the time and the pies still always turn out fantastic, but it really does take your pie to the next level).
- Roll out the top crust and cut it into strips. Carefully lay half of the strips going one direction across the pie filling, then gently fold back every other strip about half way. Lay another strip going perpendicular across the other strips, then return the folded back strips to their place and fold back the alternating strips. Repeat this process, adding more strips to form the lattice crust on top of the pie.
- To create a finished look, trip away excess overhanging pie crust and tuck the edges under. Use your thumb and forefingers to crimp the edges in a decorative fluted pattern other other finish.
- Brush the top of the pie crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar and a little coarse demerara sugar. The granulated sugar will melt while baking to form almost a crackly glaze while the large granules of demerara sugar will hold their shape and add sparkle and crunch to the top of the pie crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then drop the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for another 45-50 minutes (about 60 minutes total bake time) until the crust is golden brown on top and the filling is bubbling. You may want to bake the pie on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for easier cleanup because it has a tendency to bake over in the oven.
- Cool completely, usually about 4 hours, before slicing and serving.
How do you know when a strawberry rhubarb pie is done?
You can tell when your strawberry rhubarb pie is done by looking at the color of the pie crust which should be a nice golden brown color. The filling should also be bubbling up through any slits or lattice for venting the pie.
Serving Suggestions
We suggest serving this pie with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream. Or if you have a slice leftover and really want to take things to the next level, add it to a blender along with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and milk to make an incredible pie milkshake!
Storing this recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
To store any uneaten pie, keep it covered with plastic wrap on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or you can store it for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe FAQs
I use frozen rhubarb all the time to make this pie recipe. The best way to use it is to thaw the rhubarb on the counter for a few hours and discard any liquid. You can get away with using it straight from the freezer, but it will increase your bake time by as much as 20-30 minutes, which can cause the crust to get too brown on top unless you cover the whole thing. You will need to judge doneness by checking to see if the filling is bubbling and thickened in the center of the pie, not just the edges. You can also use frozen strawberries, but they don’t do quite as well as the rhubarb since they will be mushier when thawed and release more of their liquid.
Yes, you can assemble this pie and then freeze the whole thing before baking. I recommend wrapping it in plastic wrap, then again in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen, adding an additional 20-30 minutes to your bake time.
If you have leftovers, you can freeze individual servings and reheat in the oven or microwave. They won’t be quite as good – the crust loses some of its texture – but it’s still pretty delicious warmed up with a scoop of ice cream on top.
Yes, cornstarch is another good pie thickener and I use it often to make pies. You can replace the tapioca with an equal amount of cornstarch. I find I get more consistent results with this pie using tapioca, but both will work.
The filling for this strawberry rhubarb pie recipe uses tapioca and a small amount of flour to keep it from being runny without setting the pie so firm that it tastes gummy. Be sure to also let the pie cool completely before slicing so it has plenty of time to set up. If you slice a fruit pie too soon, the filling will always be runny no matter how much thickener you use!
No, there is no need to cook the rhubarb before baking this pie. It has plenty of time to break down in the oven to create a soft, juicy, and delicious filling.
My strawberry rhubarb pie tastes sweet and tart and intensely fruity because we keep other flavor additions like a tiny amount of ground cinnamon and lemon juice and zest to a minimum. I have found from years of experimenting with this pie that the simplest approach is really the best so that the bright, sunny flavors or strawberries and tart rhubarb can really shine through.
My top recommendation for preventing a soggy pie bottom is to use a metal or glass pie plate instead of a ceramic one. They do a better job of transferring heat and letting the pie crust cook all the way through. But also, be sure to watch for tears in your pie crust that would allow juice to leak through. And if soggy crusts continue to plague you, try brushing the bottom crust with egg wash after laying it in the pie plate, before filling it with your pie filling.
Best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Tips
- Be sure to freeze rhubarb while it is in season so you can enjoy this pie all year long!
- Don’t chop the strawberries up too small. They will break down a lot while they bake, so you really just want to quarter them, unless they are really large strawberries. If they are small, you may only need to halve them.
- A homemade pie crust makes such a difference! I really recommend trying one if you haven’t in a while, but you can always use a frozen or refrigerated pie crust to make things easier.
- Let the pie cool COMPLETELY before slicing into it. It takes at least 4 hours for a fruit pie like this to cool all the way so it has time to set up.
More Pie Recipes for Homemade Pie Lovers
- Best Homemade Cherry Pie Recipe
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Southern Peach Pie Perfection
- Best Key Lime Pie Recipe
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
Equipment
- Pie Pan (my favorite one!)
Ingredients
- 1 recipe double-crust pie crust
- 2 1/2 cups rhubarb chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 1/2 cups strawberries washed, hulled and cut into pieces about the same size as the chopped rhubarb
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons minute tapioca
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- Extra sugar for sprinkling on top of crust
Instructions
- Prepare double-crust pie crust recipe. Roll out one half of the crust and cover the bottom of a pie dish, while reserving the other half of the dough for the top crust.1 recipe double-crust pie crust
- Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, flour, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, and vanilla together in a large bowl and pour out into prepared crust. Slice the butter into small chunks and place them around the top of the strawberry rhubarb filling.2 ½ cups rhubarb, 2 ½ cups strawberries, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 Tablespoons minute tapioca, 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- Roll out the remaining half of the pie crust and gently place it over the filling either as a solid crust with slits cut into it for ventilation or by cutting into strips and laying them out in a lattice pattern. Crimp to seal edges.
- Make an egg wash by beating the egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, then brush it over the top of the pie with a pastry brush and sprinkle the top of the pie with a teaspoon or two of sugar.1 beaten egg, 1 teaspoon water, Extra sugar for sprinkling on top of crust
- Loosely cover the edges of the pie with foil and bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Decrease temperature to 375 degrees F and bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is a golden brown.
- Let the pie cool for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in April, 2017. The photos and content were updated in November, 2021.
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I still haven’t bought any rhubarb this year, I will need to go to the grocer today and get some. It pairs very well with strawberries though!
I know – it’s always exciting when it shows up in the produce section!
I love the combination of strawberries and rhubarb! I especially love it in a pie. Your pie is gorgeous and it looks yummy!
This looks amazing and I wish I knew how amazing it smelled too! Thank you for sharing! Yummy! Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Gorgeous pictures. Feeling like biting into the pie.
Thanks Raksha!
My grandmother used to make the best rhubarb and strawberry pie. I grew up eating it and it’s one that I miss now that I’ve moved away from home. Can’t wait to give this a try!
i have never tasted rhubarb. the pie looks delish, i should give it a try sometime. your pics are great
Love eating my pies with a couple of scoops on top especially when its still hot :). I’m sold on this recipe, I need to find some rhubarbs so I can make it. Thanks for sharing!
I have never tried rhubarb, but I’ve heard it’s pretty good. This recipe may just tempt me.
It really is delicious!
This is my kind of pie, I love strawberry and rhubarb. My dad makes strawberry and rhubarb jam every year and my mum makes a crumble. Pinning for later 🙂
I cannot wait for fresh berry season here. Although winter was mild….I love the warm sun and the wonderful food we can get at the markets. This pie looks totally delicious….and the classic combo will never get old.
I so wanted to make some rhubarb treats last year but try as I might I just couldn’t get my hands on some decent rhubarb. Let’s hope this is not the case this year because I want to make a strawberry rhubarb pie as pretty as this beauty.
I’ve never made anything with rhubarb but your pie looks/sounds so good I need to get hold of some to try this.
I’ll do anything for pie, and this looks so beautiful with the lattice crust. And you know it’s good when the kids devour it. Can’t wait to bake one of my own to share with my girls.
Oh man! That reminds me of my childhood! Love those Spring pies! Surely going to use your recipe to bring back those memories! Yum!
This is happening as soon as spring rolls around. My parents got a rhubarb patch at their new house and we are always looking for fun ways to use it!
I love rhubarb! Sadly it’s very hard to find here in Italy. But when I next come across it, I’d love to try this pie. It sounds divine!
Your Strawberry Rhubarb Pie looks delicious and I love it, I’m sure my little girl will love this too. I will try this one when it is available. Thanks for sharing
What a wonderfully summery pie, rhubarb grows wild around here and we grow a tonne of strawberries so I guess I have no excuse!
Followed the recipe to a tee and absolutely delicious! Perfect to be exact!! Thank you for posting!
I just pulled this pie out of my oven… It smells wonderful in the kitchen. The directions and the narrative were very helpful. Pies are the one thing I’ve never been able to get a handle on…
The recipe was so easy to follow, and I had everything here in my cupboards. Are usually harvest rhubarb as soon as it’s ready and freeze as much as possible. This is the first pie from this year‘s harvest.
Can hardly wait for it to cool down and give it a good taste test!
I’ve never worked with rhubarb before. This was my first strawberry rhubarb pie. I forgot to buy tapioca at the store so I made a last minute substitution of cornstarch and it turned out fabulous! Really good. My pie set up nice. It wasn’t runny at all. Good balance of tart and sweet. Got rav reviews from the hubby! I used my regular all butter crust and did a lattice top. Beautiful and delicious!
My husband said it was the best pie he’s ever had
What a sweet surprise, everyone who ate this pie loved it. Thank you for sharing.
what can i substitute minute tapioca with ? cornstarch?
Yes, a 1-to-1 substitution of cornstarch will work instead of minute tapioca.
I made this pie and it was a HUGE hit! I was curious if I could use the filling recipe for other fruits – I noticed in your other fruit recipes its a little different but I have leftover tapioca and this went so well I was hoping to just apply this to any fruit filling. Thoughts? I hope this makes sense?!
Yes you can use tapioca for other fruit pies. Some pies aren’t quite as juicy like apple pie and will need a much smaller amount of tapioca. Tapioca is great for the juicy berry pies or peach pies! Flour and cornstarch are also great thickeners if you do not have tapioca.
I baked up this pie after picking strawberries from a local orchard and harvesting rhubarb from my own gardens. We absolutely loved it! It is the best ever😉 I did not have tapioca so I used corn starch but I otherwised followed your directions to the letter. My husband didn’t even allow me to share 😆
Best compliment ever! I’m so happy to hear that. One of these days I hope to have a rhubarb plant in my yard to harvest from too!
Hi Amy, your pie looks beautiful and I want to make one as soon as possible. My question to you is; can one use frozen rhubarb and frozen strawberries to make this pie. I have both in my freezer. I don’t want it to be too juicy that it would ruin the pie crust. I have made rhubarb pies many times, using frozen rhubarb, but you did not mention anything about using frozen, so I would like your foments..
Yes, absolutely you can use frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarb! I would thaw the strawberries first and discard the juices though. But you don’t need to thaw the rhubarb – I make pies with frozen rhubarb all the time.
Excellent recipe! I’m making this for the second time today. Absolutely loved it as did my family and friends – thank you.
If I don’t have minute tapioca, how much flour do I use for 1 pie?
Hi! You can also use cornstarch if you don’t have tapioca. Just use the same amount of cornstarch. You can also use flour but I would use a little more flour, around 5-6 tablespoons should be fine. If you find it’s still too runny after baking, add a little more next time! This is one of my favorite pies!
Great recipe.
Thank you!
Excellent flavor. I made my own crust but the filling is excellent! I used rhubarb that I had freeze dried and ohhhh soooo good!
This is probably my most favorite pie! I am glad you enjoyed it! So cool you used freeze dried rhubarb. Yum!
This is the best strawberry rhubarb pie! I watched the tutorial on the pie crust because my crusts have always been just ok. This time my crust was light and flakey with a nice buttery flavor. I went with 3 cups of rhubarb and 2 cups of strawberries because my son likes the rhubarb flavor. He loved this pie! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I’m so glad your crust turned out so well!
Can I use canned rhubarb for this recipe?
I have never used canned rhubarb but I can’t see why not.
“Really delicious!”
I was wondering if you blind bake the bottom crust? Anytime I make pies with home made pie crusts the bottom one is kind of soggy.
I usually don’t blind bake the bottom crust for this pie. But if you are having problems with a soggy bottom crust you can brush the crust with an egg wash to seal it or partially blind bake the crust. Another way is to drain the juice from your filling before putting it into the pie. If you don’t want to waste the juices, you can boil it down to a thicker syrup and spread it back over the fruit.
Please add a PRINT option to your recipes.
I want to make the strawberry rhubarb pie but it is inconvenient to have to keep scrolling past ads and photos.
Hi! I always have a print option for the recipe! I find it easier reading the recipe when it is printed. If you scroll down to the recipe card with the measurements and ingredients (or hit the “jump to recipe” button” ) you will find the print button right under the recipe image.
Admitting I used ground ginger instead of cinnamon, but this pie is perfect! I made two for Mother’s Day 💕 the vanilla is such a nice touch
This was perfect. I’ve been growing my own rhubarb and this is the first thing I’ve made with it! I used my own favorite pie crust (all butter, made in a food processor) but I did everything else exactly as written. It made me say “wow” when I tasted it. The perfect amount of lemon and cinnamon to add interest without overpowering the pie, and my pie turned out perfect, no soggy bottom! Thank you so much. This is a keeper.
I made this recipe yesterday with some minor adjustments. I love your Addition of cinnamon – it makes the rhubarb stand out just as much as the strawberry in the pie.
Minor changes I made because I also forget to put the butter in and I don’t like tapioca is: I made a roux of the butter and cornstarch then added the drained liquid from the fruits and added it back into my pie before I baked it.
That way the filling didn’t taste gritty and it thickened nicely. The pie was amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipe. 🙂
Good idea making the roux! Sounds like it turned out great! This is one of my favorite pies.
I followed this recipe.
I cannot say that I am a fan.
Way too much salts let’s all you can taste.
It calls for 3 tbsp of salt.
I put in one and it is far too salty.
Oh no! Yes that would be salty. It calls for 3 tablespoons of salted butter not plain salt. Make it again! I am sure it will taste better next time!
The best recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie. This was my first attempt at making this pie and them came out perfectly.
This was the most amazing recipe! So easy and unbelievably delicious ❤️. Don’t change a thing!
Thank you! It’s such a good pie!
I was wanting to make a sheet pie for a large crowd. Any suggestions on the type of pan I should use? I am thinking doubl the recipe or triple?
Yes you could make a slab pie! That’s a pie cooked in a cookie sheet or a half sheet pan. I have a half sheet pan with higher edges that I love for making slab pies in. I would double the pie recipe (sometimes I triple the pie recipe depending on how much crust I want to use on the topping) and double the filling recipe. And remember you can freeze pie crust dough, so if there is any leftover, just freeze it.
This was my first time making this pie ever, it was easy to follow, the pie came out perfect, hubby loved it !!!
I am so glad!
Great recipe…… wish you had shared your pastry recipe too!
Are you wanting the pie crust recipe? I have it linked several times in the recipe. Here is the link for the crust. https://houseofnasheats.com/perfect-pie-crust/
My hairdresser wanted a strawberry rhubarb pie. Although I never had made one, I said “I’ll make you one!” WELL, today I took it to her and she & the owner of the shop, who hated Strawberry Rhubarb pie, is now a lover of it!!😅🤣 They both just loved it!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!!
Yay! I’m so happy it was so well received!
Made this pie yesterday and it turned out great! I did use 1Tbsp. of orange juice instead of the lemon juice and zest. It was delicious and the perfect consistency. My guests were happy! Will definitely make again.
Oh great! This pie is such a good one. I’m glad you and your guests enjoyed it. I’ve had to use orange juice sometimes as well.
I’ve not tried this recipe, yet, but it sounds amazing! Can this recipe be jarred and water bathed?
I would think so.
this is fantastic, first time i have used a recipe, i usually wing it, but i will add this to my list of recipes,
Thanks for sharing,
Thanks for making it! Glad to make it on the list!
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was delicious, will definitely be making this again.
It’s a good one! Thanks for making it!
I can’t buy it in stores so I am going to make my favorite pie in the world.