Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry rhubarb pie is sweet, tart, and wrapped in a sugar-sparkled all-butter lattice crust. A classic pie recipe for springtime!

Tart, tangy, sweet, all tucked inside a buttery crust — it’s everything I ever wanted in a pie. Springtime makes this favorite pie even more accessible and delicious, now that rhubarb is back in season and strawberries are not far behind. And thankfully, a perfectly flaky, buttery pie crust is always in season!

This pie captures everything I love about spring in every slice. The power of rhubarb, like these mini lemon-rhubarb bundt cakes, fresh strawberries like these strawberry shortcake cupcakes, and a playful touch of lemon like my gluten free lemon bars! In case it wasn’t clear, my heart now fully belongs to strawberry rhubarb pie.

Ingredients

• Strawberries: Choose in-season strawberries that smell fragrant and are red. Time for a trip to the farmers’ market! Out of season berries will have less flavor and more water. Save any extra for a batch of neapolitan thumbprint cookies or easy strawberry jam!
• Rhubarb: Choose rhubarb stalks that are stiff (not limp), and, ideally, are a deep pink to red color. The best, in-season, rhubarb is a dark, almost magenta red. Yes, you can use frozen rhubarb. Don’t worry, it’s all still incredibly tart!
• Lemons: Lemon juice heightens the flavors of the berries and brightens the whole dessert! It also tempers some of the sweetness.
• Granulated Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Quick Cooking Tapioca: This recipe calls for quick cooking tapioca, but if you can’t find it, you can use tapioca flour or small tapioca pearls. I usually grind the pearls in a spice grinder to make them fine. Let the mixed filling sit for 30 minutes to allow the tapioca pearls to hydrate. You don’t have to let tapioca flour or quick cooking tapioca starch sit before baking. Save your cornstarch for a blueberry galette!
• All-purpose flour: You can use either all-purpose flour or pastry flour for this recipe. I do not recommend using cake flour, because it does not have enough gluten for a good flaky crust, nor would I recommend using bread flour.
• Unsalted Butter
• Water: Pie crusts require ice-cold water. Be careful not to add too much water! You want the crust to just come together.
• Kosher Salt: Kosher salt is less salty than table salt and a teaspoon weighs less than other finer ground varieties.
• Egg
• Sparkling Sugar

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Pie Crust: I used my all butter pie crust recipe, but it would also be delightful with my almond flour pie crust, easy pie crust, or a store-bought pie crust if you’re short on time! If you wanted to make an easy turnover variation, get some inspiration from these apple turnovers from puff pastry next.
• Mix up the fruit! Rhubarb tastes great with more than just strawberries! I like to pair it with other naturally sweet fruits such as cherries, peaches, or raspberries like I did in this raspberry rhubarb crisp. You could even add a splash of vanilla extract for a fun twist.
• Top Crust: I latticed the top crust of my pie with strips of dough using the method in this how to lattice pie crust post. You could also place the second pie crust on top without latticing, or replace it with a cinnamon crumble!

Professional Tips for Pies

• Bake your pie with the pie dish on a baking sheet! This way you can be sure any stray berry filling doesn’t end up on the bottom of your oven. Bonus points for lining that cookie sheet with parchment or foil.
• Take a second to chill your pie dough and pie. If you’re going for a lattice-top, you want to be sure all your components are constantly chilled along the way. This includes chilling your crust strips and the assembled pie so that all your flaky layers stay flaky.
• Make in a metal tin or glass pie dish. A metal tin or glass pie dish will allow the filling and crust to cook at the same rate. This way you have a perfectly baked pie crust and thick filling.

How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below!

Step 1: In a bowl of food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add cubed butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs and butter is roughly the size of peas. With the food processor running on low, slowly pour in just enough ice water through the feed tube until dough forms. 

If it’s shaggy and there’s still some loose flour, that’s okay — it should just hold together. Press it with the heel of your hand once or twice to bring it together before dividing.

Step 2: Remove dough from the food processor. Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a disk. Tightly wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.

If chilled overnight, let rest at room temp for 5–10 minutes before rolling to prevent cracking.

Step 3: Heat oven to 400°F. On a well-floured surface, roll one dough disk into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan.

If the dough sticks while rolling, lift the edge and throw a little flour underneath.

Step 4: Slice rhubarb and strawberries into ¼ inch pieces. If your rhubarb is very green, you can peel it with a vegetable peeler for color. In a large bowl, stir rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, lemon juice, salt and tapioca until combined. Pour into a pie plate, mounding in the center.

Step 5: On a well-floured surface, roll out the remaining dough disk to an 11-inch circle. Cut into 2-inch-wide strips (or thinner, depending on preference). Lay half of the strips on top of the pie, spaced evenly apart and longer strips placed near the center. Fold every other strip halfway over itself. Lay one of the remaining strips perpendicular to other strips, snug against the folded edge of strips on pie. Unfold strips over perpendicular strips. Fold strips laying under perpendicular strips back over top. Lay another remaining strip of dough over the pie, snug against folded edges of strips. Continue swapping folded and unfolded strips and adding one new perpendicular strip each time until a lattice pattern forms.

I made an entire pie latticing tutorial complete with a video to help you out!

Step 6: Gently press edges of pie crust together and fold underneath. Use fingers and thumb to decoratively crimp edges of pie, or press with a fork.

Step 7: Brush with egg wash just before baking and sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar for sparkle and crunch. Place the pie pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake for another 30 to 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

If the crust starts browning too quickly, cover the edges loosely with foil.

Step 8: Cool pie completely on cooling rack before slicing.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed pie recipes like this rough puff pastry, or keep it strictly berry and make a blueberry shortcake next!