Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
This best-ever strawberry rhubarb pie is filled to brimming with juicy, sweet strawberries, tart rhubarb, and the most delectable, buttery streusel topping. It’s my favorite summer pie!
I wait for rhubarb season all year long just to make this pie. There is no question about it being my most favorite summer pie by a landslide.
No competition.
Rhubarb is Underrated
I have a few favorite rhubarb recipes that foster my rhubarb obsession:
This Rhubarb Streusel Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce is insanely delicious (have you made it?).
And these Brown Sugar Rhubarb Muffins are tasty, tasty.
But by far, my most favorite thing to make with fresh rhubarb is this strawberry rhubarb pie.
Perfect Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Filled to brimming with juicy, sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb, it is uncomplicated and perfect.
And that buttery streusel topping is the perfect compliment to the sweet/tart filling. Plus, it means you don’t have to bother with rolling out a pie crust for the top.
Speaking of Pie Crust
As you may notice from the recipe, you’ll need an unbaked, 9-inch pie crust for this delectable pie. Storebought, homemade – don’t stress too much about the pie crust.
It’s just a simple vehicle to the amazing strawberry rhubarb filling. No need to bake it first! It’ll bake in the oven with the fruit filling.
Here are two of my favorite homemade pie crusts:
This strawberry rhubarb pie is a classic, and it has been one of our favorite pies for more than ten years. Tried-and-true, it’s a recipe that will be passed down from generation to generation!
And it’s one of the main reasons I battle a behemoth rhubarb plant year after year. Best pie ever!
Also, here are a few of my most-used pie making supplies:
Disclaimer: Amazon affiliate links listed below.
-This 9-inch pie plate is functional, inexpensive, durable and wonderful. I’ve had mine for at least a decade, if not longer.
-Pie server = not optional. This is the one I have and I love it.
-I have this pastry cloth/board for rolling out pie crusts (I got it years ago in Minnesota when I was learning how to make lefse), and honestly, it has changed my pie-making game. It makes rolling out pie crusts so foolproof. I love it and can’t recommend it enough.
-Fave rolling pin right here. Nothing fancy – all function.
And for more details on making perfect pies at home, check out my Pie Boot Camp Series HERE! The series includes:
All About Pie Making Equipment Essentials
How to Make Pie Crust (Foolproof Recipe, Rolling Out, Crimping + Video Tutorial)
All About Blind Baking + How to Do It and Why (Bonus: Chocolate Ganache Cream Pie Recipe)
Double Crust Pies and How to Make an Easy Lattice Crust (Bonus: Printable for Easy Reference to Sum Up Pie Boot Camp)
One Year Ago: Summer Roasted Vegetable Orzo Salad with Fresh Basil
Two Years Ago: Little Lemonies (Lemon Brownies)
Three Years Ago: No-Bake Chocolate Granola Bites
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
- Single crust pie dough (see note)
Filling:
- 2 ¾ to 3 cups (340-455 g) sliced rhubarb about 1/4-inch thick, about 5-6 medium stalks
- 2 cups (about 455 g) sliced strawberries
- ⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (28 g) cornstarch
Streusel Topping:
- 1 cup (142 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) cold butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and cornstarch. Mix well. The mixture will start to turn thick and syrupy as it is stirred.
- Roll out the pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie plate, trimming and fluting the edges.
- Pour the strawberry/rhubarb mixture evenly in the crust.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar.
- Add the butter, and using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter to the flour/sugar mixture until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top of the pie (but not covering the edges of the pie crust).
- Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet (in case any of the filling bubbles out), and bake at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes (see note for time edit – over the years, I’ve started baking this pie for 75-90 minutes so it’s fully set up and not runny), until the streusel is golden and the filling is bubbling and hot. Cover the pie crust edges halfway with foil or a pie crust shield to prevent over-browning, if needed.
- Let the pie cool completely before cutting (the filling will thicken as it cools). Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened, whipped cream, if desired!
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally published May 2010; updated with new photos, commentary and recipe notes.
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Update: this pie crust recipe (below) was included in the original post for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie seven years ago. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on this no-fail pie crust as my favorite, go-to pie crust, but I’ll leave the following recipe listed in this post in case anyone still uses it (don’t want anyone panicking over a lost recipe!).
No-Chill All-Butter Pie Crust
adapted slightly from Jen K.
*Note: this pie crust makes for a sweeter-than-normal pie crust. If you want more of a traditional pie crust, since they aren’t known for being overly sweet, decrease the sugar by half.
*Makes 2 pie crusts (for 2 single pies or 1 double crust pie)
1 cup (2 sticks) very cold butter (I cut my butter into about 16 small pieces, put them on a plate and place the plate in the freezer for about 15 minutes before using in the recipe)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup very cold water, plus an additional tablespoon or two if needed
In a food processor or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl, if mixing the dough by hand), combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix for a second or two to blend. Add the butter and, on low speed (or by hand with two knives or a pastry cutter), work the mixture until it is crumbly and the largest pieces of butter are no bigger than a pea. The butter should remain cold and firm. If the butter is becoming too soft, refrigerate the mixture for a 10-15 before continuing. Once the butter/flour mixture resembles large coarse crumbs, on low speed (or tossing with a fork, if mixing by hand), sprinkle the 1/4 cup cold water evenly over the flour mixture, and mix just until it pulls together in a shaggy mass. Add a tablespoon of cold water additionally at a time if the dough isn’t pulling together well. The object isn’t to have a smooth, tight ball of dough – the dough should still have loose pieces of flour here and there but should just start coming together when the water is mixed in.
Dump the dough out onto a work surface. Using your hands, pull the dough together and gently press it into a large ball. It should start joining more cohesively and forming more of a dough-like consistency. Separate the dough in to two pieces. Set one piece aside and gently cover while working with the other.
Using a lightly floured work surface (a roul’pat works great here!), begin rolling from the center of the dough outward. Stop the pressure 1/4 inch from the edge of the dough. Lift the dough and turn by a quarter and repeat the rolling until the dough is at least 12 inches in diameter. The lifting and turning is important because this will let you know if the dough is sticking and if more flour is needed on your work surface.
Carefully fold the dough into quarters and place in the pie dish (or roll up on your rolling pin and gently unroll in the pie dish). Ease the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish without stretching (if the dough is stretched to fit the pie plate, it will shrink while baking). Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, trim the excess dough around the edge of the pie plate so that there is still about 1/4 to 1/2-inch hanging over the edge of the pie plate. Fold this excess under the edge of the pie to form an extra thick edge on top of the pie plate rim. Flute the edges with your fingers. Cover the pie plate loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight before filling and baking. Repeat with the second half of the pie dough.
I love the simplicity of the 4-ingredient filling. Just the right sweetness level, and why complicate it with cinnamon, orange zest, and other added flavors? This let the taste of the rhubarb and strawberries shine. This will be my go-to from now on.
This is now my go-to recipe! It was fabulous, and my hubby didn’t think he liked rhubarb!
I love this recipe!! I made it just as directed and it was amazing. The streusel topping makes it different from other strawberry rhubarb pies.
Wow! Great recipe!
I harvested some rhubarb from my garden and went to the local farmer’s market to get fresh strawberries. Followed the directions exactly, using a frozen crust. The pie was perfect and my dinner guests devoured it. I’m making it again( more rhubard to harvest) to bring to a friends home.
I have made this pie twice now for my dad. He said it’s the best strawberry rhubarb pie he’s ever had! So glad I found this recipe!
That makes me happy – thanks, Alicia!
terrific recipe – thank you!
Being a Midwest woman living in Florida 30 years, I’ve been rhubarb deprived too and try to catch the very brief rhubarb season here. Many times it just doesn’t get here. I made your pie today for Father’s Day and it was a delicious hit! I love crust and wasnt as excited to try the crumble, but it played nicely with the fruit filling. This is a keeper. Thank you!
OMG! I made this recipe and it is absolutely delightful! Used the pie crust recipe also. Oh my! The family loved it and demanded another for Father’s Day! Thank you! This will be passed down for generations in “GRANDMAS FAVORITE RECIPE BOOK” 10 STARS **********
I made this recipe and the taste was phenomenal but i can’t figure out why it was watery. I added the three tablespoons of cornstarch, yet still runny. Any suggestions?
Hey Jessica – so much will depend on the variety/ripeness of strawberries. That may contribute to the a liquidy consistency…
Question- I used a frozen pie crust (in the pie pan). Was I supposed to pre-cook the crust? The end result was delicious but the crust was raw. This was my first pie ever, so I guess I need some help. Thanks!
I don’t precook the crust…but if your crust was frozen, that’s probably why it wasn’t cooked all the way. Did you let it thaw before filling?
Wonderful pie! Thanks for sharing. With a bumper crop of rhubarb this year in Colorado, I have made this pie about half a dozen times. I have one in the oven as I write this note. Love the simplicity.
I love rhubarb and for the first time my planting has produced enough stalks to harvest. This was just WONDERFUL. The topping was perfect. I am not a big fan of pie dough, so this was a great compromise for my crust-loving husband. I am making it again this afternoon.
This pie was delicious! Instead of the streusel topping, I just put a top crust on the pie. Was a little tart since it was missing the sweetness of the topping, but a little vanilla ice cream took care of that!
I like the recipe. It came out of the oven smelling like fresh jam. This was the first time for me tasting rhubarb. I was surprised at how “perky” the pie was. I would definitely increase the sugar in the pie filling by a half of cup.
This recipe looks amazing! Could I use frozen strawberries in this recipe?
I haven’t ever used frozen strawberries, so I’m not sure – I think it might make the pie a lot more soupy and liquidy?
Hi I used frozen strawberries from a farm I picked myself. They are smaller and juicier than store bought. It turned out fine not runny at all.
I’ve never eaten rhubarb until I made this pie, so I had no idea what I was getting into… but it’s my new favorite pie. I did use slightly less sugar than the recipe called for since I had very ripe strawberries and I wanted to make sure I didn’t mask the tartness of the rhubarb. I didn’t end up using about 1/4 of the topping, but that’s just my preference. It was a big hit, so thank you!
I’m glad you loved it, Andie – thanks for letting me know!
I made your pie recipe today, and was so good, it was gone immediately!! I have another one in the oven now. Thanks!
This recipe came out perfect! So delicious- however, I did add a teaspoon of lemon rind and a teaspoon of lemon juice.
The strawberry rhubarb pie was excellent!
Do I need to refrigerate leftovers?
Yes, I usually refrigerate leftovers.
I’m planning on making this tonight and taking it along somewhere tomorrow, but I can’t decide on the best storage to keep my streusel from going soggy- covered vs uncovered, fridge vs room temp…. Any advice?
Making it ahead of time definitely will make the streusel a bit softer. I usually store it covered in the fridge and reheat the leftovers.
Love it. It looks so delicious I posted a picture on Facebook and got a lot of likes. So proud I gave some to my mom and she thought it was great! Oh I didn’t mention I don’t really know how to bake or cook? You will not be disappointed
I didn’t know I liked strawberry rhubarb pie until I made this one! My husband has been asking me to make one for years, and I’m so glad I finally did it! I knew your recipe wouldn’t fail me, they’re always perfect!
Ive never baked with rhubarb…. wanting to make this pie today! Bought fresh rhubarb- how do I cut it for this pie? Chopped? Small chunks? Maybe silly question…. Thanks!
As long as the pieces are uniform in size, it doesn’t really matter. And a lot depends on the size of the stalk of rhubarb. I usually try for about 1/2-inch pieces.
I am making this today and my husband is so excited. I can’t wait to eat it lol. This pie looks so amazing.
Looks yummy I use Nana oil pie crust recipe on YouTube easy crust and flaky.
I tried this recipe but made some adjustments as it seemed like a lot of sugar. I cut the sugar in 1/2. Also, for the topping I used a 1/2 cup of oatmeal & 1/2 cup flour , 1/4 cup brown sugar & 1/4 cup butter. Turned out really good. It was a little tart but when topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you couldn’t even tell.
What about using the tapioca flour instead of cornstarch you use in the peach pie? Want to make for diabetic uncle- any idea on amount or type of sugar substitute?
Hey Linda – you could definitely try the tapioca here; I haven’t tried it so I don’t know how it would work exactly. I don’t have much experience with sugar substitutes, I’m afraid. Sorry!
I was looking at this recipe and I’m curious – do you freeze your rhubarb? You mentioned waiting for rhubarb season and I wasn’t sure if it is because you prefer fresh rhubarb or you haven’t tried freezing it yet. We have a ton here in South Dakota (which is great because it’s my husbands all time favorite thing on the planet) so we always make sure to chop and freeze our rhubarb (usually in 2 or 4 cup amounts) so that we have enough to eat rhubarb all year long. We have been in our house now for 2 years and are babying our new rhubarb plants (4!) so that we can stop stealing from relatives 😉
When I’ve had a lot I’ve frozen it but I’m back to nurturing my main rhubarb plant back to health. 🙂
I made this pie yesterday and it turned out perfect; not runny and the perfect level of sweet. I added some peaches to the strawberries and rhubarb and I added chopped pecans to the streusel topping. It was the perfect bite of summer.
I didn’t have time to make the crust, so I skipped it and made this as a crumble. I followed the fruit and topping recipe exactly and just baked it in a greased, 7 x 11″ pan. It was amazing! My husband and I ate it in 24 hrs.
Yum!!
I plan on making this pie today – it sounds so delicious! I am currently living in Krakow, Poland and I can not buy corn starch here. I can get potato starch – would that be an okay substitute or should I use regular flour? Thank you for posting this recipe – I really can’t wait until I can eat some! 🙂
Hi Karen – I don’t know how potato starch would fare. Can you get arrowroot powder? You could try flour and see how it goes. Good luck!
This was delish!! It was perfect. I made one small change and that was to add one extra tablespoon of cornstarch because I had the fruit piled high. I used the recommended crust recipe (wow!) and followed the remaining instructions exactly. This one’s going in the recipe box for sure!
Definitely THE BEST strawberry rhubarb pie ever! Shared this with cousins and two aunts in their 80’s ….. and everyone agreed it was fantastic!
Wow! Strawberry rhubarb pie is my husband’s FAVORITE pie. I’ve never quite figured out why…until now. I’m sold! I decided to finally attempt it after you posted this recipe (I didn’t have much of a choice on Father’s Day!) and I am so glad I did. I absolutely loved it! And, of course, he did too. Many “mmmm”‘s while eating. Thanks for this recipe, felt like I just earned major points today! ( :
Such a yummy recipe! I have made it a few times in the last couple years…have you ever froze the pie as a whole? I have all the stuff and it needs to be used but I wanted to wait 5 days until the weekend to serve it? Just wondering if you have ever tried? Thanks so much for sharing the love!
I haven’t tried that, Alicia – but I’m guessing it would probably work fine based on the ingredients.
Mel,
I adore rhubarb pie and this recipe looks fantastic. Allow me to suggest an an alternate topping in place of the strusel: maple icing. I make this pie ONCE a year because it is exceedingly sweet but it is really amazing.
Directions: 1. Make pie as described in your post (typically I leave the strawberries out and go full on rhubarb, but it works with strawberries as well). 2. Maple Icing: 3/4 cup of REAL maple syrup (none of that “maple syrup flavor garbage!), 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 egg white (or 2 if you want more frosting), 1 tsp vanilla. Boil syrup and sugar until it threads off the tip of a spoon. While boiling, stiffly beat egg whites. When syrup threads, slowly pour into stiffly beaten egg while while beating until it holds its shape. Add vanilla. Spread quickly over the cooled rhubarb pie. Enjoy! Apologies for the poor formatting on here but I’m sure you can follow. This pie is my one weakness…… 🙂 I love your site and recipes and I’m hoping that you get a chance to try out this suggestion – I suspect that you’ll enjoy it!
Sounds delicious. Thanks, Jason!
Of course! Let me/us know if you try it! It sounds a little odd but it really is spectacular!
This pie is the very best, family members said it was excellent. I do a lot of baking and it is a wonderful pie. Thanks for posting
This pie is the very best, family members said it was excellent. I do a lot of baking and
This recipe was so easy and delicious! My husband declared it his new favorite pie. I made it in a smaller pie tin and adjusted the ingredients accordingly. (On a side note, I love the new addition of a weekly menu to the bottom of your site; thank you for all of the wonderful recipes!)
Thanks, Megan!
This pie is awesome!
I make your recipes all the time and love every single one! You amaze me and inspire me to try things outside my comfort zone. Like homemade pie crust. I made this pie and it is delicious. Even though I screwed up the crust somehow. I used your best ever no fail pie crust recipe and it was beautiful. However, the pie came out pretty runny and it seemed like the bottom part of the crust wasn’t really done all the way. Should I bake the crust first by itself and then fill it and bake again? I really want to make this again and get it right because it is SO DANG GOOD!
Hi Andrea – do you think the pie needed more time overall? Definitely unbaked pie crusts that are filled with fruit filling (like this recipe) and baked tend to be a little “softer” than prebaking the pie crust – however, prebaking the pie crust beforehand can make it overcook in the oven when filled (although you could definitely cover the edges of the crust while it bakes). I would try adding more time to the strawberry rhubarb pie (even 10-15 minutes or more) and just cover the edges of the pie crust if they are getting too dark.
Thank you for responding, Mel! I’m kinda having a fan-girl moment! You are such a rock star! I will definitely try adding more overall cooking time next time!
You are so cute, Andrea! 🙂
Made this tonight and it was delicious and easy! Thanks for always providing amazing recipes
So happy you loved the pie, thanks for taking the time to comment!
We love rhubarb! I have a similar recipe using raspberries with the rhubarb instead of strawberries. I made your recipe today with the raspberries and it was outstanding. Your recipes do not disappointed. Thank you for the time you take in testing and adjusting recipes so your readers can just run with them.
Oh yum, the raspberry variation sounds delicious!
I have a “thing” with chunks of cooked fruit. I hate them. But my sweet 84 year old neighbor gave us some rhubarb a couple of years ago and I sucked it up and made a strawberry rhubarb pie. Because I hate fruit chunks I searched for THE best recipe bc I wanted it to be worth the effort. And I LOVED it. So good! I look forward to it every year topped with vanilla ice cream, of course. And it’s pretty much the only time I eat cooked fruit chunks all year. I do believe the recipe I use is the best! But I trust you & I will try your recipe this year. My recipe is from Cindy Crawford of all people, but it’s sooo good! I was skeptical about the crust recipe, but if you try it, just trust the recipe & go with it. It’s so good! http://www.oprah.com/food/cindy-crawfords-strawberry-rhubarb-pie
I’m looking forward to making this recipe soon! I live in MN and my one rhubarb plant is ready to be picked! =) When you get enough rhubarb, you should try this jam recipe. I found it a few years ago and the jam was wonderful! I gave it to everyone at Christmas.
http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/?s=rhubarb+cinnamon+jam
I’ll have to look at that jam recipe – the one I tried years ago was pretty bad.
I bought the pastry board and cloth. It looks like the cloth can be handwashed in dish soap and water, but how about the board? I saw a review on Amazon saying it can’t be washed, but it seems like it will get flour on it and need to be cleaned. How do you clean the cloth and board? Thanks for this great post!
I ordered the pastry cloth and board and it just came in the mail. It looks like I can handwash the cloth with some dish soap and let it air dry, but what about the board? A review on Amazon said the board cannot be washed, but I’m assuming it will get some flour on it and need to be cleaned. Do you wash the board with soap and water? Sorry to bother you about this; just wondering what you do.
Hey Lucy – the board surprisingly stays quite clean because the cloth is so thick. I usually wipe it with a very lightly damp cloth and call it good.
Thank you! And sorry for the double post of my comment. I’m looking forward to trying out the cloth/board.
I miss having a rhubarb plant! I had a rhubarb at my last home that I totally babied because I love rhubarb. The trick to getting your plant good and strong is to only harvest in the late spring/early summer. When I first moved into my home, the rhubarb plant was a sickly, scrawny thing, I think because it was over-harvested and didn’t have a chance from year to year to really gain strength. I only harvested from it once that summer, and I left about half of the stalks behind to continue growing. The second summer was much better (2-3 harvests in the spring/early summer). By the time I moved 3 1/2 years later, it was one of the most gorgeous plants in my yard. It was 2 feet across at the base and grew stalks that were close to 3 feet long/tall (including the leaf).
Yeah, I definitely think I need to stop harvesting so early!
I don’t mind rhubarb, but my husband LOVES it! Last year he requested a sour cream rhubarb pie for his birthday treat. I made the pie crust using your best ever, no fail recipe and I was so proud. It was gorgeous! That was the first pie crust I’d ever made from scratch. His birthday is in a few days. I just showed him the first photo in this post and he was nearly drooling. I think this will be his pick this year. Rhubarb grows like crazy out here so now will be the perfect time to try it.
This was my first ever, home made pie from scratch, and it was a hit. I had “safe” friends for supper tonight and tried it out on them. It was such a resounding success that I am going to try it again tomorrow with visitors!
My garden has two kinds of rhubarb and I used both in the pie. Amazing!!!
Yay! Glad you loved it!