Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with a flaky double crust is the ultimate spring dessert that has been gracing American tables for generations. Sweet strawberries meet tart rhubarb in a buttery homemade crust that’ll make everyone at your table ask for seconds, then thirds. What makes this the classic version is that gorgeous double crust. Unlike crumb-topped pies, this one has a full top crust that you can make as simple or fancy as you want.

Love More Recipes? Try My Rhubarb Cake with Butter Sauce or this Rhubarb Doughnuts next.

Why You’ll Love This

• Buttery, flaky homemade crust that melts in your mouth and tastes infinitely better than store-bought versions – once you try homemade, you’ll never want to go back
• Perfect sweet-tart balance in every single bite that makes your taste buds dance – the strawberries provide natural sweetness while rhubarb adds that signature springtime tang
• Gorgeous lattice top or decorative cutouts that’s easier to make than it looks and impresses everyone who sees it on your table
• The crust recipe is incredibly versatile and works for absolutely any fruit pie you can dream up throughout the year
• Makes your whole house smell amazing while it bakes – that combination of fruit, butter, and sugar is pure heaven

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Ingredients

For the Flaky Pie Crust (Makes 2 crusts):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• ½ cup vegetable shortening, cold and cubed
• 4-6 tablespoons ice cold water

For the Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:

• 3 cups rhubarb, sliced and cut into small pieces
• 3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into small pieces
• ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1 large egg white (for brushing)

Note: Keep all fats ice cold for the flakiest possible crust. I keep my butter and shortening in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting, and I actually add a few ice cubes to my water to make absolutely sure it’s freezing cold.

The combination of butter and shortening is the secret to perfect crust – butter provides incredible flavor while shortening creates those beautiful flaky layers. Don’t skip either one!

Why These Ingredients Work

Butter + Shortening Combination: This is the magic duo that creates pastry chef-level pie crust at home. Butter alone tastes amazing but can make crust tough because it has water in it that develops gluten. Shortening alone creates flakiness but tastes like nothing. professional bakers everywhere.

Ice Cold Water: Temperature is absolutely everything when making pie crust. The cold water keeps all those little pieces of fat (butter and shortening) solid and distinct as you’re mixing the dough. When the pie bakes, those cold fat pieces melt and create steam pockets, which is what creates those beautiful flaky layers we’re after.

Lemon Juice in the Filling: This brightens all the fruit flavors and adds a layer of complexity that makes the filling taste more vibrant and interesting.

Egg White Wash: Brushing the top crust with egg white before baking creates that gorgeous golden, shiny finish that makes your pie look bakery-professional.

Cubed Butter in Filling: Those little butter pieces scattered throughout the filling melt during baking and create pockets of rich, buttery goodness.

Tools Needed

• 9-inch pie plate (metal works best for crispy crust)
• Pastry blender or two forks for cutting in fat
• Rolling pin
• Large mixing bowls
• Plastic wrap for chilling dough
• Pastry brush for egg wash
• Pie shield or aluminum foil strips
• Sharp knife or pizza cutter for lattice strips

How To Make Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Make the Flaky Pie Crust

Mix flour + salt. Cut in cold butter and shortening until crumbly. Add 4–6 tbsp ice water, just until dough holds together. Divide into 2 discs, wrap, and chill 1 hour.

Prepare the Fruit Filling

Mix chopped rhubarb + strawberries with sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and lemon juice. Let sit to release juices.

Roll Out the Bottom Crust

Roll out bottom crust, place in pie dish, chill. Fill with fruit (no extra liquid), dot with butter. Add top crust (lattice or full), seal, vent, and brush with egg white.

Fill the Pie and Add Top Crust

Bake at 425°F for 15 min, then 375°F for 50–60 min until golden and bubbly.

Bake to Golden Perfection

Let cool at least 3 hours before slicing.

You Must Know

Cold ingredients are absolutely non-negotiable for flaky crust. This is the number one rule of pie crust that you cannot break. If your butter and shortening warm up, they’ll blend into the flour instead of staying in distinct pieces, and you’ll end up with tough, dense crust instead of flaky layers. Keep everything ice cold – butter, shortening, and water. Some bakers even chill their flour and bowl!

Don’t overwork the dough or you’ll activate too much gluten. When you’re mixing the dough, you want to handle it as little as possible. Mix just until it comes together, then stop. Overworking develops gluten, which makes bread nice and chewy but makes pie crust tough and dense. Gentle hands make flaky crust.

Chill the dough before rolling – this step is mandatory, not optional. The chilling time serves multiple crucial purposes: it allows the gluten to relax so the dough doesn’t shrink when you roll it or bake it, it firms up the fats so they’re easier to work with, and it makes the whole thing infinitely easier to roll out without tearing or sticking.

Amelia’s Secret: Place your unbaked pie on a preheated baking sheet or pizza stone that’s been sitting in your oven during the preheat. This gives the bottom crust an extra blast of heat from below, which helps it cook through completely and prevents that dreaded soggy bottom.

Pro Tips & Mistakes to Avoid

Always use a slotted spoon when transferring filling to the crust. Leave that pool of liquid behind in the bowl. If you pour all that juice into the pie, it will absolutely make your bottom crust soggy and prevent the filling from setting up properly. The fruit has plenty of moisture on its own.

Don’t skip the egg wash step. It’s not just for looks (though it does make your pie gorgeous). The egg wash helps seal the crust layers together at the edges and creates a barrier that keeps the crust from getting soggy where it touches the filling.

Let the pie cool completely before slicing. I keep harping on this, but it’s so important. Hot pie filling is liquid. As it cools, the cornstarch does its job and thickens everything into that perfect sliceable texture. Cut into it too early and you’ve wasted all that work.

Mistake to avoid: Using warm water instead of ice cold water in your dough. This is a fast track to tough crust because the warm water melts the fats before you even get the pie in the oven. Always ice cold!

Another mistake: Rolling the dough too thin. You want about 1/8 inch thickness. Thinner than that and it’ll tear and be too delicate. Thicker and it won’t cook through properly and will be dense instead of flaky.

Flavor Variations

Orange Zest Brightness: Add 1 tablespoon of fresh orange zest to the filling along with the other ingredients. The zest adds bright citrus oils that make everything taste fresher and more vibrant without adding juice that would make things too wet.

Warm Cardamom Spice: Mix ½ teaspoon ground cardamom into the filling for an exotic, slightly floral note that makes people ask what that amazing mystery flavor is. It’s sophisticated and unexpected in the best way.

Mixed Berry Medley: Replace 1 cup of strawberries with blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries for a more complex berry flavor profile. Each berry adds its own unique character – blueberries make it sweeter, raspberries add tartness, blackberries bring earthy depth.

Vanilla Bean Luxury: Replace the vanilla extract with seeds scraped from 1 whole vanilla bean for intense, aromatic vanilla flavor that’s noticeably more complex than extract. You’ll see those beautiful little black specks throughout the filling.

Make-Ahead

The Pie Crust Dough: Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated, or freeze it for up to 1 month. If freezing, thaw it overnight in the fridge before rolling. This is huge for party planning – knock out the crust early when you have time.

Unbaked Assembled Pie: You can assemble the entire pie, wrap it tightly, and freeze it unbaked for up to 3 months. Bake it straight from frozen, adding 15-20 minutes to the total baking time. Perfect for having a homemade pie ready to pop in the oven whenever you need it.

Baked Pie: Bake it up to 2 days ahead. The flavor actually deepens and improves as it sits. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with vanilla ice cream melting over warm pie. The cold-hot contrast is incredible and the ice cream mingles with the fruit juices to create an amazing sauce.

Try it with freshly whipped cream sweetened with just a touch of sugar and vanilla. It’s lighter than ice cream and lets the pie flavor shine through.

Drizzle slices with heavy cream just before eating. This old-fashioned presentation lets the cream soak into the crust and filling.

Pair with strong coffee for breakfast. Yes, pie for breakfast is acceptable when it has fruit in it!

How to Store

Room Temperature: Cover loosely with foil and keep at room temperature for up to 2 days. The crust stays crispest this way.

Refrigerator: Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The crust may soften slightly but it still tastes wonderful. Let it come to room temperature before serving or warm it up.

Freezer: Wrap cooled pie tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

Reheating: Warm individual slices at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, or microwave for 30-45 seconds. To reheat the whole pie, cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

Allergy Info

Contains: Wheat (flour), dairy (butter), eggs (egg wash)

Gluten-Free Option: Use a gluten-free flour blend for the crust (1:1 ratio). Cup-for-cup blends like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur work well. The crust won’t be quite as flaky but still delicious.

Dairy-Free Option: Replace butter with vegan butter and use coconut oil instead of shortening. Brush with plant-based milk instead of egg white.

Egg-Free Option: Skip the egg wash or brush with milk instead for color. The pie will still taste great, just won’t have quite as shiny a top.

FAQs

Can I use a store-bought crust to save time?

Absolutely! Life is busy and store-bought crust is perfectly fine. Use refrigerated or frozen pie crusts – you’ll need two for a double-crust pie. Your pie will still be delicious, and there’s zero shame in taking shortcuts that save you time and stress.

How do I prevent a soggy bottom crust?

Three critical steps: use a slotted spoon to drain excess liquid from the filling, bake the pie on a preheated baking sheet or pizza stone for extra bottom heat, and make absolutely sure your oven is fully preheated before the pie goes in. These three things together ensure a crisp, fully-cooked bottom crust every single time.

My rhubarb stalks are really thick and tough, what should I do?

Slice thick stalks in half lengthwise before cutting them into pieces. This ensures they cook through properly and don’t end up tough or stringy in your finished pie. Super thick rhubarb can be a bit fibrous, so cutting it smaller helps tremendously.

My pie is bubbling over and making a mess, what do I do?

First, don’t panic – this is normal for juicy fruit pies! Make sure you have that foil-lined baking sheet under your pie to catch drips. If it’s bubbling a lot, you can add a few more vent holes to the top crust to release more steam, which can help reduce overflow.

Can I make mini pies with this recipe?

Yes! This recipe makes about 6-8 mini pies in 4-inch tart pans or ramekins. Divide the dough and filling proportionally. Reduce baking time to 30-35 minutes total, watching carefully for golden color and bubbling filling. Mini pies are adorable for individual servings!

Why did my crust shrink during baking?

Crust shrinks for two main reasons: overworking the dough (which develops gluten), or not chilling it long enough before baking. Always chill your dough for at least an hour, handle it gently, and don’t stretch it when you’re putting it in the pan – let it relax naturally into place.

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