Easy Rhubarb Pie Recipe From Scratch

Indulge with this delicious rhubarb pie made with a buttery, flaky crust and plump juicy rhubarb filling. You only need 10 ingredients and 15 minutes prep!

I will show you how to easily make the best rhubarb pie right in your own kitchen. This blog post has a step-by-step guide and photos to help you out along the way. 

Love the combination of strawberries and rhubarb? Then take a look at my strawberry rhubarb crisp. 

Why this recipe works:

1. It is super easy to make. 
2. You only need 10 ingredients. 
3. It truly is a crowdpleaser. 

Instructions

Place flour, salt, sugar, and butter in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times. Pea-sized butter flakes should still be visible. Then add one tablespoon water after another and pulse 1-2 times after every tablespoon. Stop adding water when the dough starts to clump and looks like in the picture below.

Note: If you don't have a food processor, then make it with a pastry cutter or two forks instead. In this case mix together flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Then add butter and cut it into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal with pea-sized butter flakes. Then add water little by little until the texture starts to clump.

Divide pie crust into two halves and form 1 - 1.5 inch thick discs without kneading. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

While preheating the oven to 375 degrees F, prepare the filling. 

In a large bowl stir together both sugars, cornstarch, and salt. Add rhubarb and vanilla and stir to combine. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the first dough disc into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. The edges of the pie crust should hang out of the baking form. 

Spoon the filling without any liquid into the crust. Discard all the excess fruit liquid. Then cut butter into small pieces and put on top of the filling. 

Roll out second dough disc and cut to your preference. Arrange it on top of the filling and seal and flute the edges. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 45-50 minutes. 

Cover after 20-30 minutes with parchment paper to prevent it from browning too much if necessary. Let cool to room temperature and chill for 4 hours in the fridge — store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Top Tips

• Always use cold butter when making the crust because that is what causes the flaky crust. 
• Allow it to rest after baking until it is completely cool. Then transfer it to the refrigerator. 
• Before serving, allow it to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 

Substitutions

Egg

If you can't or don't want to consume eggs then replace with vegetable or canola oil or melted butter. Brush it lightly on top and sprinkle with sugar.

Gluten-free

You can replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour instead. Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour works fine with this recipe.

Dairy-free

Thankfully, there are several different dairy-free alternatives if you can't or don't want to have butter. Keep in mind if you use a substitute, the texture and flavor may be slightly different than this recipe. The crust will be less flaky.

You can simply replace the butter with vegan butter, shortening, lard, or coconut oil. If you go with coconut oil, always choose refined, so it doesn't make the pie taste like coconut. Also, it's a good idea to refrigerate the coconut oil, so it doesn't get too warm too quickly when you are mixing it up. 

Variations

You could add the following flavors if you wish:

• Add 1 teaspoon (2g) of orange zest to the filling. 
• Add 1 tablespoon (15g) of lemon juice to the filling.
• Replace 1 cup of rhubarb with 1 cup of strawberries or blueberries. 

FAQ's

Why is my filling watery?

If you run into the issue of having a watery pie, you may just need to drain any excess juice off the filling. This is especially true if you add in extra fruits like blueberries, strawberries, or apples.

They tend to have a lot of water in them, and when they sit for a few minutes, the water will drain out of the fruit. To combat this issue, place the filling in a colander and allow to sit for 10 minutes or so, then discard any liquid that comes out. 

How do I prepare the rhubarb?

If you haven't cooked with rhubarb, you may be wondering how to prepare rhubarb for baking. Begin by cutting the leaves off of the rhubarb and throwing it out. Wash the stalks and chop the rhubarb up like you would celery. That's all you need to do, and it's ready to bake!

Storing

It will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it sits on the counter it will last for 1 day. I recommend keeping it in the fridge all the time.

Freezing

Tightly cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. This will keep it from becoming freezer-burnt. After you cover the pie, place it in a freezer-safe airtight container. You can store it in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before serving. 

Related recipes

If you are looking for the perfect recipe for your next summer BBQ, try the following recipes as well: 

• Blueberry Pie
• Blackberry Pie
• Pineapple Pie

Recipe and Video

Easy Rhubarb Pie Recipe from scratch

5 from 4 votes

Author Sabine Venier

Calories: 342kcal

Servings: 12 servings

Prep 45 minutes

Cook 45 minutes

Chill 4 hours

Total 5 hours 30 minutes

Print Pin Rate Video

Indulge with this delicious rhubarb pie with a buttery, flaky crust and plump juicy rhubarb filling. You only need 10 ingredients!

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Crust

• ▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ ½ tsp granulated white sugar
• ▢ 1 cup cold butter
• ▢ 4-6 tbsp cold water

Filling

• ▢ 1 cup granulated white sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup brown sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup cornstarch
• ▢ ¼ tsp salt
• ▢ 5 cups rhubarb, chopped into ½ inch pieces
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean*)
• ▢ 1 tbsp butter

1 egg + 1 tbsp coarse sugar for the crust

Instructions

Crust

• Make it with a food processor: Place cold butter, flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times. Pea-sized butter flakes should still be visible. Add one tablespoon water after another and pulse 1-2 times after every tablespoon. Stop adding water when the dough starts to clump.
• If you don't have a food processor, then make it with a pastry cutter or two forks instead: In this case mix together flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Then add butter and cut it into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal with pea-sized butter flakes. Then add water little by little until the texture starts to clump.
• Divide pie crust into two halves and form 1 - 1.5 inch thick discs without kneading. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. 

Filling

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• In a large bowl stir together both sugars, cornstarch, and salt. Add rhubarb and vanilla* and stir to combine. Set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out the first dough disc into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. The edges of the pie crust should hang out of the baking form. Add the filling without any excess liquid to the crust. Discard the excess fruit liquid. Then cut butter into small pieces and place on top of the filling. 
• Roll out the second dough disc and cut to your preference. Arrange the crust on top of your filling and seal and flute the edges if applicable. Brush with an egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cover after 20-30 minutes with parchment paper to prevent it from browning too much if necessary. Let cool to room temperature and chill for 4 hours in the fridge. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Video

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Notes

*First, cut off the straight end of the vanilla bean. Then place the tip of your sharp knife below the curled end and cut the vanilla bean through the middle of the bean lengthwise. Although you don't need to cut it all the way through, it's ok when you do so. Then open the vanilla bean and scrape out the flavorful seeds with the back of your knife. Then just use the seeds.

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Top Tips

• Always use cold butter when making the crust because that is what causes the flaky crust. 
• Allow it to rest after baking until it is completely cool. Then transfer it to the refrigerator. 
• Before serving, allow it to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 

---

Egg

If you can't or don't want to consume eggs then replace with vegetable or canola oil or melted butter. Brush it lightly on top and sprinkle with sugar.

---

Gluten-free

You can replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour instead. Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour works fine with this recipe.

---

Dairy-free

Thankfully, there are several different dairy-free alternatives if you can't or don't want to have butter. Keep in mind if you use a substitute, the texture and flavor may be slightly different than this recipe. The crust will be less flaky.

You can simply replace the butter with vegan butter, shortening, lard, or coconut oil. If you go with coconut oil, always choose refined, so it doesn't make the pie taste like coconut. Also, it's a good idea to refrigerate the coconut oil, so it doesn't get too warm too quickly when you are mixing it up. 

---

Prepare the rhubarb

If you haven't cooked with rhubarb, you may be wondering how to prepare rhubarb for baking. Begin by cutting the leaves off of the rhubarb and throwing it out. Wash the stalks and chop the rhubarb up like you would celery. That's all you need to do, and it's ready to bake!

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 293mgPotassium: 184mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 555IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1.4mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword easy rhubarb pie recipe, how to make rhubarb pie, rhubarb pie

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