For pie-lovers in colder northern climates like mine here in New York, rhubarb is the first fresh garden gift of the season and there is always a lot of excitement when it begins to poke its pretty pink neck out of the earth.
A straight-up rhubarb pie is a fine thing, but since strawberries debut themselves shortly after rhubarb — not to mention the fact that their sweetness cuts rhubarb's lip-puckering tartness — it makes perfect sense to put the two together. A strawberry rhubarb pie smacks of the beginning of summer as much as that sweet melody of the last school bell ringing.
There's no twist here, nothing fancy whatsoever. I want you to have access to the best, most balanced approach to a strawberry rhubarb pie. This is a recipe to keep in your back pocket, taped to the inside of your pantry cabinet, or simply seared into your mind.
Though I've seen them open-faced, strawberry rhubarb pies do best with a little modest top crust: either whole or as a lattice. The filling is quite juicy, so you need flour or cornstarch to help contain some of that liquid, and also a pie crust that can stay intact. I've linked to our Easy Cream Cheese Pie Crust, but you can also use your favorite pie crust recipe, as long as it can hold up to a juicy filling (no tender all-butter crusts here).

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie1 recipe unbaked homemade double pie crust
2 1/2 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 large stalks)
2 1/2 cups hulled and sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour or 1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Prepare the bottom crust by rolling out one of the pastry disks to an 11-inch circle. Nestle the crust inside the pan so about an inch hangs over the sides. Press the pastry down. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Mix the fruit with the sugar, flour (or cornstarch) and lemon zest. Using the tines of a fork, poke the bottom of the pie crust evenly about five times. Pour the fruit mixture into the chilled pastry. Dot with the butter pieces.
Moisten the edge of the bottom crust with a finger dipped in water. Put on the top pastry in one piece and slice in a few air vents, or in a lattice pattern, trim, and crimp the edges.
Brush the egg glaze over the crust. Transfer the pie to a baking sheet.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake another 30 minutes longer, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before serving.
• Related: Back to Basics Cherry Pie
(Images: Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan)
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Comments (10)
Do you peel your rhubarb first, or just wash well and then cut up?
I love strawberry rhubarb pie - fav of all time! I see someone asked about prepping the rhubarb - And I just wash & cut mine. I had to tell you I made the Sweet Potato Soup with Miso and Ginger the other night. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
@SRIVANIS a lot of people peel but I don't. The skin cooks down pretty well. I like the color and texture it gives.
@SRIVANIS- I don't peel my rhubarb for anything unless there is a string hanging off it while cleaning it- I'll pull the one stringy peice but don't peel the rest. Sharp knife is the key to stringless rhubarb.
I don't ever peel rhubarb. I think it needs the skin for better texture. However, I do string it if it is really fiborous.
I am not personally a fan of cooked strawberries but I can highly recommend the Pie Bible's strawberry-rhubarb pie. The rhubarb is cooked to a puree and free strawberries are placed on top.
My mom used to make cherry rhubarb pie. She used a can of cherry pie filling.
I think I'd like to try your recipe. Thanks!
How timely! I went to opening day of our farmers market and bought Michigan strawberries and rhubarb! Was going to do a google search for strawberry rhubarb, now I don't have to! Thanks!
I'm not a fan of adding strawberries,but will say that if you were to use all rhubarb and no lemon this would be pretty close to my grandmother's rhubarb pie. That makes it a winner.
PS--If you are not used to using rhubarb, please remember that the leaves are poisonous. The stalks are fine. Don't be paranoid. As kids we ran all over the place waving the leaves, but don't eat 'em.
Rhubarb is simply the best thig that ever happened to pie. Amen.
My standby strawberry-rhubarb pie recipe is Deb's from Smitten Kitchen: strawberry-rhubarb pie, improved. It pairs perfectly with her all-butter pie crust, and the use of instant tapioca solves the sloshiness problem I've had with most other recipes.