Rhubarb Pie – Made with fresh rhubarb

This Classic Rhubarb pie is a great summer dessert, it is rustic, old-fashioned, easy to make, and uses basic ingredients. Not to mention it’s a great way to use any extra rhubarb you might have laying around. And it’s one of those nearly impossible-to-mess-up desserts!

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This beautiful, rustic, dare I say homely pie has a way of winning me over time and time again. It seems to have a way of bringing out the best in me, even though making one requires almost zero skill whatsoever.

It reminds me of simpler times. And that if the dishes are done, the cow has been milked, and this pie is cooling on the stove, then it has in fact been a rather good day.

There is just something about tart rhubarb mixed with just the right amount of sugar, sandwiched between a flaky crust. That makes me smile and reminds me that it’s the little things in life that matter the most.

That being said, however, I have to admit that rhubarb pie and I have quite a love-hate relationship. Some years I love it, other years I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to make a pie with just rhubarb in it. Cooking with rhubarb has never been a favorite of mine, and chopping it always takes way longer than I expect it to.

Some years I manage to do a lot with my rhubarb, other years I forget it exists. But it seems that no matter what my current feelings toward rhubarb are, I will sooner or later end up in the kitchen making a pie. Why? Because that’s the way I cook, also because I love pie. And also, because rhubarb pie on a summer evening, or warmed up for breakfast is just something I can’t help but enjoy. And that first bite is always amazing and delicious.

This is also a great recipe to make for parties, bring potlucks, Or a gift to friends. It’s especially good for those days when eating a whole pie by yourself just seems like the right thing to do.

It comes together fairly quickly and is even better if allowed to sit overnight before serving. It’s also great if this rhubarb season has left you with far more rhubarb than you know what to do with(it’s amazing how much you get from a single rhubarb plant isn’t it?)

How To Make Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients

• Homemade pie crust or store-bought pie crust.
• Fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped
• White sugar
• Corn starch
• All-purpose flour

Directions.

Preheat the oven to 375F

In a large bowl, combine the chopped rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Mix well and set aside.

Prepare your crust, and divide the dough into two pieces.

Using a rolling pin roll out the first half of the pie dough to the thickness of your likely on a lightly floured surface(skip if you are using a pre-made crust).

Place the bottom crust in an 8-inch pie pan. Roll out the second crust.

Spoon the rhubarb mixture from the bowl into the pie pan, be sure to scrape out the bowl so you get all of the sugar and juices! Cover the pie with the top crust, trim if needed, then crimp the edge of the pie. (you can also make a lattice crust if you like.)

Poke a few holes in the top of the pie using a fork, or cut 3-4 slits in the top with a knife.

Cover the edges of the pie with foil or a silicone pie crust shield and place it in the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil or the silicone pie crust shield and bake for another 25 minutes, or until the top has turned a very light golden brown. Allow the pie to rest for 15-20 before serving.*

It is great topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

notes

*personally I think is best served after it has been allowed to sit at room temperature overnight.

A trick I like to use when baking pies is to place a foil-lined baking sheet on the oven rack below the pie. This will catch any excess liquid from the filling of the pie that might spill over.

The pie can easily be heated in the oven at 200F the next day. It will last on the counter covered with foil or plastic wrap for 3-5 days.

You also put an egg wash on your crust if you like, but I usually don’t.

This recipe will also work well for a 9-inch pie plate

Tips For Cooking With Fresh Rhubarb.

Cooking with rhubarb can be tricky sometimes, and stringy! Here are a few tips to help you avoid these problems.

Choose smaller/thinner stalks. The bigger the rhubarb gets the tougher and woodier it gets(the large stalks for great for making jam by the way!). To ensure that the rhubarb that your pie will be soft, opt for the thinner bright red stalks.

Use smaller pieces. For the best end result, I would recommend slicing your rhubarb no thicker than a 1/2 inch for pie. Bigger pieces might not cook as well or as quickly, and no one wants to bite into a chunky piece of pie! Larger pieces also take longer to break down in the sugar. This means you’ll either have to let your pie filling sit longer or run the risk of having a tart pie.

Tips to avoid strings. Rhubarb tends to be rather stringy sometimes, okay all of the time. The easiest way to avoid strings is to make sure you have a sharp knife. If your knife can cut through both the peel and stalk with ease, it is almost a 100% guarantee that you won’t have to worry about strings. Another option is to peel the bottom of the rhubarb stalk.

How To Peel Rhubarb. Simply cut a slice of rhubarb, then grab any strings or peel that is left and pull down the length of the stalk. This is by far the easiest way to get rid of most of the annoying strings rhubarb has. Still, it is far from foolproof and can be time-consuming. Overall, I would highly recommend getting sharper knives or sharpening the ones you have. Trust me you won’t regret it!

For More Rhubarb Ideas? Check Out These Posts

Homemade Rhubarb Bars

3 Ways to Preserve Rhubarb at Home

Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Sweet and Spicy Refrigerator Rhubarb Pickles

Homemade Rhubarb Simple Syrup