Indulge with this delicious rhubarb pie made with a buttery, flaky crust and plump juicy rhubarb filling. It's the perfect pie for any occasion and a huge crowd pleaser. Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. By the way, have you tried my strawberry rhubarb pie?
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Photo tutorial
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.
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.
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.
Expert tips for success
- Always use cold butter when making the crust because that is what makes the crust flakey. Also, don't overwork the dough in the food processor.
- To avoid a watery filling, place the filling in a colander and allow to sit for 10 minutes or so, then discard any liquid that comes out.
- Cover the pie after 20-30 minutes of baking with parchment paper to prevent it from browning too much.
- Allow the freshly baked pie to rest at room temperature until it is completely cool before you transfer it to the fridge.
- Chill the cooled pie in the fridge for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) so that the filling has time to set.
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 use for baking!
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
Easy Rhubarb Pie Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1 cup unsalted cold butter, cut into a few pieces
- 4-6 tablespoon cold water
Filling
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 cups rhubarb, chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 egg + 1 tablespoon 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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L
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
Sabine
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.
Jen
Sabine this looks incredible! I love the photos and want a fork to dive into this dish right now!!! 🙂
Sabine
I'm happy that you like it Jen! Thank you so much!
Amanda
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.
Sabine
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
Amanda
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.
Sabine
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