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:
- It is super easy to make.
- You only need 10 ingredients.
- 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:
Recipe and Video
Easy Rhubarb Pie Recipe from scratch
Ingredients
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
Notes
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!
Hi there,
I made your rhubarb pie yesterday and I didn’t add anything other than the rhubarb
After leaving it in the fridge overnight
It was watery,
What could have happened
I did add the orange zest, vanilla extract, lemon juice
The 2 sugars and the cornstarch was added to the 5 cups of rhubarb plus the butter on top of the filling before covering it up with the other piece.
I did puncture two holes on top for the air to escape.
The flavour was there, no doubt but not sure what happened with the filling.
I thought maybe we needed some flour to congeal it but it wasn’t written in the recipe which I thought I forgot.
I’m looking forward to hearing from you and by the way, the crust was amazing, I feel bad because it’s sitting in the fridge and I’m thinking it’s getting all soggy from all the liquid.
Thank you
Hi, I'm sorry that you had a watery pie. I recommend after combining all ingredients for the filling, that you let it sit for about 10 minutes that the fruits start to lose some water. Then spoon the filling with a slotted spoon without any excess liquid into the filling and discard all the excess fruit liquid. Then after baking, I recommend chilling it for about 4 hours or even overnight before you cut the pie. This gives the filling the needed time to firm up a bit. I hope that helps! Have a great day.
Sabine this looks incredible! I love the photos and want a fork to dive into this dish right now!!! 🙂
I'm happy that you like it Jen! Thank you so much!
I always knew you were highly talented and smart, Sabine. I can tell by how you structure your website and how you take photos--not to mention your incredibly delicious recipes you dream up. May I ask--since I am fascinated to have landed on the page of a genius--what are you studying for, or what major/degree are you pursuing? You are so gifted...whomever you work for is very lucky to have you.
Thank you so much, Amanda. Your nice words mean so much to me. If you could see my red cheeks right now...
I'm studying economic psychology. It's a bachelor degree, and I'm already in the 4th out of 6 semesters. This is not my first study, I'm already an MBA but I wanted to have a marketing specialized degree, so I've decided to study again.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Amanda. Always nice to talk to you <3
You amaze me, Sabine. I am so lucky to have somehow come across your website. I should probably be exclaiming, "Wow! You are so smart," but I already can tell that from all that you put out for the world to see--and you are incredibly hard-working. I have come across a few people like you (i.e. highly gifted and talented), and it is always an inspiration to know that there truly are good, brilliant, tenacious people in this world. And please do not blush from my compliments (even if it sounds like I am fawning over you.) I am just purely and simply highly impressed. I wish I could bake a loaf of bread. Maybe I will start with one of your banana bread recipes one of these days. Economic psychology sounds fascinating. Can't wait to see what else you contribute to this world.
Amanda, this means so much to me I can't tell. I'm speechless and this literally never happens. I'm beyond happy that you like my work and my blog.
If you need any help with any recipe, just let me know. I'm happy to help. Banana bread sounds great and is easy to make. I'm sure that you will bake a delicious one.
Thank you so much for your support, Amanda.
Sabine xo