Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie
Make this old-fashioned rhubarb pie when rhubarb is at its peak of freshness. It is a flavorful burst of summer any time of the year.
What is rhubarb?
Rhubarb is a spring vegetable that only has a few weeks of availability. It is a perennial garden plant (comes up year after year) that is easy to grow in temperate climates.
Depending on your climate, it is harvested in March-June and makes many delicious sweet and savory dishes.
The only edible part of the plant is the leaf’s beautiful pink stems (botanically known as the petiole). The leaves and roots of the rhubarb plant contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can be lethal if taken in large quantities!
Rhubarb freezes quite well. If you obtain very fresh rhubarb, freeze it to use in recipes throughout the year.
Did you know that rhubarb has many health benefits? It is high in calcium and fiber, contains significant quantities of vitamins K and C, and high in iron and manganese.
The rhubarb flavor is quite tart, so it’s often used in baked goods. This old-fashioned rhubarb pie is both tart and sweet and has a creamy texture because of the egg custard used in the filling.
What you need
- fresh, tart rhubarb stalks
- sugar – we use raw sugar
- flour
- eggs
- double butter pie crust – you can lattice the top of the pie if you would like too
How to make it
How to Make Pie Crust
Pie crust is really ridiculously easy to do. You can use a store-bought pie crust if you don’t have time.
Cut butter into squares. Place it back in the refrigerator. The butter must be very cold.
Measure the flour and salt and place them in a food processor bowl.
Add the butter to the food processor.
Pulse until the butter resembles small peas.
Add ice water, dropping one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. 5-7 tablespoons total.
Gather dough. Wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for at least one hour to several days.
To Roll the Crust
Place the pie dough on a floured cutting board.
Roll to a 12″ diameter circle.
Crimp the edges.
How to Blind Bake the Crust
**For a single-crust pie.
- Blind bake the pie crust. This is a very important step. If the crust isn’t blind-baked, it will end up a soggy mess because of the moisture in the filling.
- Poke holes all around the bottom of the crust with a fork to minimize the formation of bubbles. Spread a large sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper onto the crust. Spread pie weights evenly along the bottom of the crust. (If you don’t have pie weights, use dried beans. Keep the beans for pie weights in a canning jar. Don’t use them for food.)
- Bake the crust at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
For the Filling
Step One:
Slice rhubarb into 1-inch pieces.
Step Two:
Measure the remaining ingredients.
Step Three:
Mix sugar, flour, and rhubarb in a large bowl.
Beat the eggs. Pour over the rhubarb mixture and mix well.
Pour the rhubarb custard filling into the pie crust. Top with second crust crimp well. Poke several holes in the top with a fork for air to escape.
You can cut the second crust into strips and make a lattice top. Make sure to crimp the edges well. You can brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle sanding sugar on the top if you’d like.
Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 25-30 minutes. For easy cleanup, bake it on a rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper or aluminum foil to catch drips. Bake it until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
Remove it from the oven and cool thoroughly on a wire cooling rack. Serve a piece of pie with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an epic dessert.
How to Store Leftovers
Storage: Store the leftover pie on the counter for about five days. You can store it in the fridge, but it may sweat and get soggy.
Freezing: Since rhubarb has such a short season, make a couple of pies and freeze one to enjoy later in the year. Freeze it before baking. Wrap well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil; double up to keep it from freezer burn.
You can also freeze baked pies. Wrap them well. Freeze for at least three months.
Reheating: Heat the leftover pie in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
For Frozen Baked Pies: Don’t use an egg wash on top of a pie you intend to freeze. Remove the pie from the freezer. Let it thaw on the counter at least overnight until completely thawed. If you want it a little warm, heat it in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes until the crust is heated.
For Frozen, Unbaked Pie. Remove the pie from the freezer. Place it on the counter. Then, preheat the oven. Remove all of the freezer wrapping. Place the frozen pie on the lower rack. Bake it for about one hour at 350°F. Keep an eye on it towards the end. If it gets too brown, use a pie shield or cover the edges with foil strips.
It is slightly tangy and slightly sweet at the same time. Serve with vanilla ice cream for an extra special dessert.
More Delicious Fruit Pies
Other Recipes with Rhubarb
- Rhubarb Jam
- Gluten and Dairy Free Rhubarb Crisp
- Rhubarb Vinaigrette
- Rhubarb Vinegar
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling
Helpful Equipment
Want to grow your own rhubarb? If you love growing your own produce, these posts are packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! Don’t miss “How to Start a Garden Series!” The first part is Planning Your Garden! Second is Preparing the Garden Site. The third is Choosing Plants and Planting Your Garden. The fourth is Garden Maintenance, and the last is Harvesting a Garden and Preserving the Harvest, this post has over 100 FREE recipes for preserving your harvest!
This old-fashioned rhubarb pie is a seasonal favorite of everyone who tries it.
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
My Mom’s Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
- 3 cup rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- double crust pie crust. store bought or homemade
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Pour into prepared 9″ pie tin on bottom crust. Wet edges with water.
- Cover filling with top crust. Crimp edges together. Poke several holes in top crust to allow steam to escape.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Then lower oven temperature to 325°F and continue baking for 25-30 minutes.
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Nutrition
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Thank you, thank you, thank you Beth’s mum for this recipe. I will have to buy the rhubarb as my plant died and I will probably find them at the same price. Buy, what can I say. Next year I will plant another one. Eric, shame on you, when you come to the South of France I will make my peach tart tatin
Oooh! I would love the peach tart tatin! We have 4 peach trees that will be ripe next month! Is the recipe on Your Guardian Chef?
Such a yummy pie Beth, how I love rhubarb, drooling! I couldn’t find any in my area this year, for the one recipe I made, I brought my rhubarb all the way from Switzerland…
It is getting harder to find around here, too! Luckily for me, I have a neighbor across the road who promised to give a piece of his plant, so I should have a bit of my own next year, yay! Thanks, Patty! Switzerland is a long way to go for rhubarb!
Visiting my son in Montreal and see lots of rhubarb, but never tried it. Heard of rhubarb crisp/crumble and pie but always wondered how it would taste.
IT is very good! Very tangy so that is why you add it to sweet baked goods but I want to try it in some savory dishes! Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until next year! It’s too big now! Thanks for comment, Mayuri!