This strawberry rhubarb pie combines juicy strawberries, tart rhubarb, and a homemade flaky all-butter pie crust for a classic spring and summer dessert. The filling bakes up thick and jammy, so every slice holds its shape beautifully. As always, letting the pie cool completely before slicing is non-negotiable for a thick, set filling.
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips, including an optional stovetop step that helps guarantee a thick pie filling.
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb are the ultimate spring pie duo, and this updated strawberry rhubarb pie recipe gets the balance just right. With a flaky all-butter pie crust and a thick, jammy filling that slices beautifully, this is the kind of classic fruit pie that’s worth the wait.
The filling uses strawberries, rhubarb, a touch of orange juice, and just enough cornstarch to keep the pie from turning soupy, which is a common issue with strawberry rhubarb pie. If you’ve ever had a strawberry rhubarb pie turn into a runny mess when you slice it, follow this recipe to prevent that from ever happening again.
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Perfectly balanced sweet-tart flavor from fresh strawberries and rhubarb
- Thick, jammy filling that slices easily
- Flaky, buttery homemade pie crust
- A wonderful make-ahead spring or summer dessert
Start With the Pie Crust
A sturdy, flaky pie crust is essential for holding the juicy filling. I like to use my all-butter pie crust, which makes enough for both a bottom and a top crust. You could also use this flaky pie crust instead, which uses a mix of butter and shortening.
Start the dough ahead of time because it needs to chill for at least 2 hours before rolling out.
Don’t want to mess with pie crust? If you have a copy of Sally’s Baking 101, see page 164 for a Simple Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble!
Ingredients That Make This Pie Work
- Fresh Rhubarb: Look for firm, crisp stalks with a deep pink or red color. Slice the rhubarb into uniform 1/2-inch pieces so it softens evenly while baking.
- Fresh Strawberries: Use ripe, flavorful strawberries and chop them into small chunks. Since strawberries release more liquid than rhubarb, I use slightly more rhubarb than strawberries for the best filling consistency.
- Sugar: I use both white and brown sugar here, for some flavor depth as well as sweetening that tart rhubarb.
- Cornstarch: Our thickening agent—absolutely essential.
- Salt: To enhance and balance all the flavors.
- Orange Juice: A splash of orange juice brightens everything up and makes the flavors pop.
- Vanilla: Vanilla adds warmth and depth. It’s a great pairing in this strawberry vanilla crisp, too.
- Butter: Dot the pie filling with small cubes of cold butter before applying the top crust. Why? It adds buttery richness and actually helps prevent the formation of bubbles on the filling’s surface.
How to Prevent a Runny Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling
One of the biggest challenges with homemade strawberry rhubarb pie is excess liquid. Strawberries release a lot of juice while baking, which can lead to a runny filling. This recipe uses cornstarch to help thicken the liquid as the pie bakes, creating a filling that’s juicy but sliceable.
After you combine the filling ingredients together, set it aside and roll out the pie dough for your pie dish. During this time, your filling is already working as the sugar pulls juices from the fruit.
When you’re ready to assemble your pie, if you notice a lot of juice has pooled at the bottom of the bowl with the filling, it could be that your berries were extra ripe or you prepped the filling in advance and it sat for a while. If that happens, use a slotted spoon to transfer the fruit to the pie crust, but don’t discard the juice—it’s where a lot of the cornstarch ends up, and we need it!
Instead, pour the juice from the bowl into a small saucepan. You may only have a few Tablespoons, but that juice is packed with flavor and cornstarch, so don’t waste it. Reduce the juices in a saucepan over medium-low heat, just for a few minutes until it thickens into a syrupy consistency, then let it slightly cool for about 5 minutes before pouring over the filling in the pie. Gently stir it into the filling as best you can.
This optional pre-cooking step helps activate the cornstarch before the pie goes into the oven, giving you extra insurance that the filling will thicken properly. I use this same method in my cherry pie and blueberry peach pie, and it ensures those juicy fruit fillings set up nicely.
After a few minutes on the stove, the juices will thicken quickly into a jammy, syrup-like consistency. Pour the thickened juices over the pie filling, then gently stir and toss to distribute them throughout the filling:
Lattice Pie Crust
Now it’s time to add the top crust. A lattice topping not only looks beautiful, it also allows steam to escape so the filling can thicken properly. If you’re new to working with pie dough or need a little refresher, check out my tutorial on how to lattice pie crust.
You could even skip the top crust and use the crumble topping from our blueberry crumble pie. Lots of options!
Don’t Forget the Finishing Touches
These are quick and easy steps that make a world of difference, believe me!
- Butter: Dot the filling with small cubes of butter before adding the top crust. This adds richness, helps create a more cohesive jammy filling, and even helps prevent bubbles from forming on the filling’s surface. We do the same thing when we make peach pie.
- Crimp or flute the edges: Once your lattice is assembled, you’ll want to crimp or flute the pie crust to finish it off. I fluted the pie crust in these photos.
- Egg wash: An egg wash is simply an egg mixed with milk (or water) and you use it pretty much whenever you’re baking pie dough… as well as other shaped dough, such as stromboli, homemade bagels, brioche, choux pastry, croissants, etc. Egg wash helps develop that beautiful golden sheen. Without it, the baked dough looks dull and lackluster.
- Coarse sugar: This is optional, but I love finishing sweet pies with coarse sugar because it adds a little crunch and sparkle. I usually use Sugar in the Raw or these coarse sugar sprinkles, both of which can be found in the baking aisle of major grocery stores or online.
Now your pie is ready to bake! I recommend placing a baking sheet (lined with parchment for easy cleanup) on the rack below the pie, to catch any juices that may bubble over.
Start the Pie at a High Oven Temperature
Why do some pie recipes call for an initially hot oven temperature that you eventually lower? Baking this pie at 400°F (204°C) for 20 minutes helps set the pie crust shape, and activates the cornstarch in the filling (as does heating it on the stove). After that, reduce the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C) to continue baking the pie. We use this same trick when we make blueberry pie and triple berry pie.
How to Tell When Your Pie Is Done
The pie is done when the filling is bubbling up through the lattice and around the edges of the pie. For a more accurate test of doneness, check the pie with an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should reach at least 200–212°F (just about 100°C).
This might be the hardest part: you have to let it cool for several hours. During this time, the filling thickens and fully sets. If you cut into it too soon, it will be runny—no matter how well you baked it.
Success Tips for the Best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Pre-cook the filling juices on the stove to activate the cornstarch and reduce the liquid.
- Don’t shorten the long cooling time because the filling needs several hours to fully set.
- Bake the pie over a baking sheet to catch any bubbling-over juices.
- Start baking at a high temperature, then reduce the oven temperature and add a pie crust shield.
If you’re lucky enough to snag a slice of this pie during rhubarb’s short season, you’ll know why it tastes extra special. Rhubarb’s entire life goal is to end up in this dessert. Bake it while you can get it!
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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours
- Yield: 1 pie
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This strawberry rhubarb pie combines sweet strawberries, tart rhubarb, and a flaky buttery pie crust with a thick, jammy filling that slices beautifully. Includes plenty of success tips to help prevent a runny pie filling.
Ingredients
- All Butter Pie Crust or Homemade Pie Crust (both recipes make 2 crusts, 1 for bottom and 1 for top)
- 3 cups (about 300g) sliced rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces)
- 2 and 1/2 cups (about 380g) chopped fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (32g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon (15g/ml) orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15g/ml) milk
- optional: coarse sparkling sugar, for topping
Instructions
- The crust: Prepare either pie crust recipe through step 5. The pie dough needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange juice, and vanilla together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out 1 disc of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the filling into the crust. If you have leftover juices in the bottom of the bowl, reserve them for the next step. Refrigerate the pie, uncovered, as you reduce the juice in the next step.
- Optional—reduce the juices: If your pie filling sat for awhile or if your strawberries are particularly juicy, a lot of liquid may pool at the bottom of the bowl. Pour the leftover liquid into a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the juice has slightly reduced and thickened, about 3–4 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the filling in the pie crust. Do your best to gently toss together with the fruit. Dot the pieces of cold butter on top of the filling. Place the pie in the refrigerator while you roll out the top crust.
- Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut the dough into strips about 1-inch wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. See this post on How to Lattice Pie Crust for help with this step. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use kitchen shears or a small paring knife to trim off excess dough. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top and edges of the pie crust with egg wash. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar, if using. Place the pie in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes while your oven preheats.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Place the pie on the center oven rack, and place a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup) on the rack beneath it, to catch any bubbling-over juices. Bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, reduce the temperature to 350°F (177°C), add a pie crust shield, and bake for an additional 50 minutes or until the top crust is golden brown and the filling juices are bubbling around the edges and/or through the lattice. For a more accurate test of doneness, check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer; it should reach at least 200–212°F (around 100°C).
- Remove pie from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool for at least 5-6 hours before slicing and serving. The filling will be too juicy if the pie is still warm when you slice it.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: There are a couple ways to make this pie ahead of time. Prepare the pie in full 1 day in advance. After the pie cools, cover tightly and keep at room temperature. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Small Saucepan | Pastry Wheel or Pizza Cutter | Pastry Brush | Coarse Sparkling Sugar | Baking Sheet | Pie Crust Shield | Instant-Read Thermometer | Cooling Rack
- DIY Pie Crust Shield: You can make your own disposable pie crust shield from a piece of aluminum foil. Fold a 12-inch square of foil in half, and cut a half-circle in the center of the folded edge. When unfolded, you’ll have a foil square with a circle cut out of the center. Place it over the pie and carefully tuck the edges down around the crust.
- Pie Dish: I strongly recommend baking this pie in a glass pie dish so you can easily monitor the bottom crust’s browning. Glass pie dishes also bake pie crusts more evenly than ceramic dishes.
- Use Fresh, Not Frozen: I strongly recommend fresh strawberries and fresh rhubarb in this pie. Frozen fruit releases too much excess liquid and can lead to a soupy filling.
- Why Are We Reducing the Liquid on the Stove? If your fruit is especially ripe or juicy, don’t skip the optional stovetop reduction step (step 4). It helps activate the cornstarch and guarantees a thicker filling.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Could use some more sugar in the filling but that might depend on the ripeness of the fruit. But I love the crust it’s amazingggg!
These bars are wonderful! Rhubarb and strawberry season are very short around here, but so good to have such a great recipe to make them shine!
Can you use frozen rhubarb – and if so, do you need to make any changes? When I thaw it there is always a lot of juice and not sure how much to add (or not).
Hi Phil! For best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
I’ve made this with canned rhubarb. It’s better with fresh, but canned works–just drain it very well, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the filling to the crust, so you bring as little liquid as possible.
Hii, I was looking for a rhubarb and apple recipe but don’t want to risk not using one of sallys recipes do you think I could swap the strawberry for apples with minimal change to the end result? (as in consistency, obviously the taste will be different)
Hi Jess! We would try adding rhubarb to our apple cranberry pie (instead of cranberries), instead of trying to adapt this one, since strawberries have so much more moisture than apples. Let us know if you give it a try!
Great recipe! Nothing says welcome to summer like a strawberry rhubarb pi!
Has anyone saved the excess fruit juice and used it for anything? I have sooo much juice that came out of the filling mixture and hate to put it down the drain.
I plan to use the excess juice in a fruit mixture for dessert. It could be stirred into plain Greek yogurt as a flavouring.
This was a very simple and delicious pie! Everyone loved it at our church fellowship meal. It was perfect along side some vanilla ice cream as well. I will definitely be making it again!
Amazing recipe. Don’t change a thing. Crust recipe is perfect. The combo of butter and shortening made the flakiest crust. Filling has just the right amount of sweetness with the tartness of the rhubarb.
Love this recipe! Thank you! I adore your all butter pie dough as well. One thing I wish I’d done was put the unbaked assembled pie back in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking as my crust shrunk up more than I’d like. Otherwise delicious!
Wow!!! This pie tastes INCREDIBLE! Not too sweet not too tart. I added a few extra berries, extra OJ and both sugars to compensate. I measure vanilla with my heart lol so definitely a splash more than called for. I also cooked the juices/cornstarch a bit and mixed with the berries before putting in the pie dish. This is my first strawberry rhubarb but it definitely won’t be the last! I’m making fresh whipped cream to go on top!
First time making this pie. I must say this is one of the best pies i have ever had. Outstanding. I did the crumble topping instead of second crust. Thank you
Hi Lindsey, we’re so happy to read this!
I did not read the instructions for this recipe completely. I accidentally left all of the liquid in the pie shell before I baked it at 350°. I added an extra 10 minutes to the baking time turned off the oven and left the pies to cool off in the oven. It rescued the pie. I am going to try the recipe again correctly!
This pie was a huge hit! It set up really well and the taste was amazing!
Another stellar recipe. Absolutely delicious.
Hi there, I love strawberry rhubarb pie. My first time making it. I did feel like the ratio between the strawberries and the rhubarb needed more balance. It tasted a little too tarts. Is there another way to cut the tartness other than increasing the amount of strawberries? I did spoon it out instead of pouring the whole mixture into the pie dish, but should I have maybe let it sit longer in all of the liquids before spooning it into the pie shell? I would love to perfect this.
Hi Loey, rhubarb is very tart in general, so you need the strawberries and sugar to balance it out. But this pie is still going to have that sweet-tart flavor. If it’s a little too tart for your taste, we recommend topping your slice with some vanilla ice cream!
Excellent recipe for pie!
This pie turned out a bit on the tart side. I’ve never used rhubarb before maybe it wasn’t ripe or something. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi BR, rhubarb is very tart in general, so you need the strawberries and sugar to balance it out. But this pie is still going to have that sweet-tart flavor; it’s not as sweet as, say, a peach pie. If it’s a little too tart for your taste, I recommend topping your slice with some vanilla ice cream!
This looks like a perfect spring recipe! Looking forward to.making it soon. I need to use 6″ pie plates. How long should they bake? Thanks for your suggestion. Keep up the great work! work. Absolutely love your recipes and detailed directions. You rock, Sally!
Hi Diane, we’re unsure of the exact bake time for 6-inch pies, so keep a very close eye on them. If you want to be precise, the internal temperature of the filling taken with an instant read thermometer should be around 200°F (93°C) when done. Hope you enjoy it!
Not only is your butter based crust my “go to” for all things pie – this trick of stirring the berries and rhubarb (and other filling ingredients) together and letting it sit until the cornstarch liquid pools in the bottom of the bowl is genius. The only tweak I made was splashing in some Grand Marnier since I didn’t have orange juice at the time. The perfect summer dessert.
This was the first strawberry rhubarb pie I’ve ever made and it was absolutely perfect! The only modification I made was to follow the comment from Trish L. to thicken the juice and pour that on top of the fruit prior to baking. 100% reccomend and will definitely make again! Thanks Sally. Your recipes never disappoint!
It looks beautiful, just waiting for it to cool before cutting it! I wish I could send a picture.
Hi! Would it be possible to replace the strawberries with cherries? We have a cherry tree so would love to use those!
Hi Kristin, we haven’t tried that here, but we do have a recipe for a Cherry Pie you might love!
Best Strawberry Rhubarb pie I’ve ever made!!! I made my own crust recipe so that’s the only thing I didn’t use. I also used Tapioca instead of the Cornstarch. Great taste and everyone loves is! Thank you for sharing. I put this in my favorite recipe tried and true box.
Thank you for the recipe! I made two of them today, one is for my granddaughters birthday tomorrow. She has been a fan of rhubarb for 7 years! They are cooling now. WE have our own plants that she picks from!
Hi, can I use frozen rhubarb? That’s all I could find in the grocery store.
Hi Weslie, for best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
I use frozen rhubarb which I have picked from my garden, but I thaw it first and drain the water from the ice crystals.
I’ve made this a few times and it always comes out great! I use whatever orange I have on hand, usually a clementine. Zest the clementine then squeeze all the juice into the fruit. I don’t ever throw away that juice on the bottom of the bowl! Let the fruit macerate in the sugars without the cornstarch, then add the juice and cornstarch to a small saucepan, heat to thicken and add that back to the fruit before filling the pie. Is is an extra step that adds a little more time? Sure, but it packs a lot of flavor to the pie!
This gets my vote as the Best Strawberry Rhubarb ever! Wow. I am in love with SR pie all over again. Thank you!
I have my strawberry rhubarb pie in the oven now. I’m looking forward to it as I was looking for a different recipe then what I was using. I did use a frozen pie crust this time because of time. Next pie I make I will be doing your recipe. I have it book marked. My grandsons will be my judge! thankyou for this recipe.
Hope it’s a hit, Louise! What lucky grandsons you have 🙂
Could I use frozen rhubarb?
Hi Donna, for best results, we strongly recommend using fresh strawberries and rhubarb in this pie. Frozen will add too much moisture to the filling.
I’ve used frozen rhubarb. I hold off putting the cornstarch in with the fruit and sugar. The juices and sugar from the bowl can be poured into a small sauce pan, whisk in the cornstarch and heat over medium-low heat until gloopy. Add that back to the fruit, mix to combine then add to pie shell. It works great and adds a lot of flavor!
Seconding this. I used frozen rhubarb and strawberries that I’d prepped fresh a few weeks ago. After fully thawing, I let them drain in a colander.
I mixed them with the sugar and other ingredients per the recipe, skipping the cornstarch at first. I let the filling sit for about 20 minutes to release more juice. Then I poured the juices into a saucepan with 1/8 cup cornstarch, making a slurry with some of the juice before adding. I added the other 1/8 cup of cornstarch to the bowl with the filling.
I brought the juices to a boil until thick, cooled to room temp, then stirred it all back into the filling. It set perfectly — zero liquid in the pie shell. Guests loved it.
Great recipe. Thank you!
Love this recipe! I added a little crushed pineapple in place of orange juice(I was out!) and it was delicious! Love all of your recipes!
This is the best pie ever. I have made this several times and they turn out perfect each time.
I love your recipes.
Hi Sally! Loved this recipe! Could we assemble and freeze right away?
Hi Clair, we don’t recommend freezing an unbaked pie as the crust will likely end up soggy. See recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions.