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 350°F (177°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
Can I use frozen rhubarb? This sounds so good!
Hi Christy, we haven’t tried this with frozen rhubarb, but we don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you thaw it first, just blot some of the moisture off. Let us know how it goes!
I have frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarb, so I guess I’ll just thaw them both and go from there, maybe trying a crumble or streusel topping this time.
I followed this recipe almost to a T, with frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarb (I let them defrost in a strainer and squeezed them a little, and spooned out the filling into the crust, leaving about 1/2 a cup of the liquid behind). The only difference was that I blind baked the crust for about 15 min beforehand. It turned out absolutely perfect! Thank you 🙂
I started making S-R pie years ago after finding it growing wild in my friends backyard. I got a recipe from the “Loaf and Ladle” restaurant cookbook which I visited in the ‘70’s and it was by far the simplest recipe. Now I don’t even use the recipe and it always still comes out wonderfully. I’m a real fan of fruit pies and cobblers and S-R pie is near the top of my most favorites! Thanks!
I made this today and I’m having a hard time waiting the recommended time for it to cool ! Looks and smells so good! Thanks for sharing!
This sounds awesome. Wondering if I could substitute Splenda brown and white sugar? Thank you.
I used stevia and it turned out great!
This took at least 60-70 minutes to bake. Don’t go by time but the look of your pie, make sure it is really golden. I cooked accordingly but I was tired and napping so I removed after the time required. I ate a slice and the crust was not cooked. I drained the excess juices, cooked it for 25 more minutes and now it is perfectly set and golden. 45 minutes is not enough time.
Pie was good I upped the sugar to 1 1/4 cups added a dash of cinnamon – and set the oven to 400 degrees & baked it for about 20 minutes then turned it down to 350 degrees for about 60 minutes more. I agree with the other comments there is no way after 35 minutes this pie will be done. Please recheck your oven & bake timer. Other than that the filling was just fine & set up perfectly with no gooey pink mess.
We followed the recipe exactly and produced a beautifully browned and delicious pie. So yeah, we think the timing is just right. 🙂
I love the recipe but the pie ended up having a soggy bottom 🙁
I did use frozen rhubarb and tried to pat the excess moisture dry…
Thanks for a fool-proof strawberry-rhubarb pie. My family gobbled it up in one sitting! Looks like I will be baking it again and again. NanFromDerbyCity
I am presently chilling the dough for two pies and I am banking on this recipe being another winner!
You’re my go to for all things cake related but today it’s all about pie!
Thanks so much for your recipes and tips
I’m going to make this pie for my fathers 75th birthday, which is a week away. I purchased fresh rhubarb from my local farmers market. I have never done this recipe before and needed your advice.
Should I freeze the rhubarb so it doesn’t spoil before next Saturday? Or bake the pie and freeze?
Hi Tracy, you can do either! If you would prefer to make the full pie ahead of time, see recipe notes for freezing instructions.
Trying this now 🙂
Any reason you don’t blind bake the crust first?
Thanks a lot! Excited!
Hi Ryan! This pie bakes long enough that par-baking the bottom crust isn’t necessary. Also, it’s often difficult to apply a top crust to a par-baked bottom crust (not impossible, just comes with it’s difficulties like filling juices seeping out and the two crusts could separate during bake time). You can certainly try par-baking it and then adding a crumble or streusel topping instead of a top crust. We love the oat crumble topping from this blueberry crumble pie if you need a suggestion.
I made this exactly as written. This pie is amazing! I am an avid baker but have never made this pie with fresh fruit. I will definitely make this again. I’ve been following your recipes for a long time now. I knew you wouldn’t let me down here!
Hi Sally, I hope all is well. If I wanted to make this into a crisp, could I use the same topping as your strawberry vanilla crisp recipe? Is there anything you would do differently with this recipe if you made it into a crisp instead of a pie? Thanks!
Hi Kat! We haven’t tested this filling as a crisp, but let us know if you do! It may be easier to adapt our Strawberry Crisp recipe by reducing the strawberries, adding rhubarb, and a touch of orange juice.
So I use frozen rhubarb and it worked great! I thawed it, drained off the extra moisture, and proceeded with the recipe. The only thing I’d do differently in the future would be to measure the rhubarb thawed and drained, vs frozen. Loved the pie! Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Sally! I’m a big fan of strawberry rhubarb (magenta celery LOL) pie. I tried this recipe and it is wonderful, especially for not being a sloppy mess like some strawberry rhubarb pies can be! My question is, is it ok to substitute flour for cornstarch in this recipe (for those times I don’t have cornstarch on hand) & if so how much would I use?
Love your recipes, thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Sarah, flour works but it doesn’t dissolve quite as nicely in this strawberry filling. Instead, we recommend 1/3 cup instant tapioca instead of cornstarch if you have that. So glad you enjoyed this pie!
Thanks so much Lexi!
MY pie is in oven now- I see The juice running out , I guess I didn’t punch the crust together good enough , I hope some juice stays in .
Smells wonderful .
As for the rhubarb pie – the eggs and white sugar together and flour thicken up as it cools as well , I hope the brown sugar does same thing but it should . Good luck . Let me know how it turns out .
I can’t wait to try the strawberry rhubarb pie – but by the time it cools / it won’t be tonight . Lol
Thanks for the recipes .
Although I used my pie crust, I have made this pie twice. It turned out very well and was gobbled up. Do you have a recipe for just rhubarb pie? Would you leave out the strawberries and add more rhubarb?
Hi Nancy, without the sweetness and flavor of the strawberries, this pie would be quite tart. Plus, strawberries let off more moisture so it may take a bit of testing to get the filling ratios right. Let us know if you give it a try!
Hi Nancy! You should be able to use more brown sugar without making any other changes. Let us know how it goes!
The whole family agreed this is one of the best strawberry rhubarb pie recipes we’ve had! Thanks!
Delicious!!
It was my first time making pie and I followed your pie crust recipe. I think maybe I didn’t add enough water because when I rolled out the first dough it cracked like crazy and fell apart. But luckily I was able to get the second one in! So I made it with the crumble topping from your pear cranberry crumble recipe and oooooh so good!!! And the bottom pie crust ended up perfectly flakey 🙂
Thanks so much for the delicious recipe! I vow to make pie every week until I’ve mastered it hahahahah
I was disappointed with the outcome of this pie. I followed the recipe exactly, my first concern was the bottom crust not baking because of setting it on a cookie sheet. And I was correct. I’m on a mission to figure out the solution to this because the pie does bubble over everywhere, which is fine, but the cookie sheet underneath it prevents the bottom crust from baking nicely. Also I’m wondering if the cooking time was off because I followed it exactly and even left it in longer at 350 and after letting it cool completely overnight, the syrup is still cloudy and it’s not set up. It looks beautiful but the filling did not work out. I will have to search for another recipe that will turn out better for me.
Hi Dawn, Thank you for trying this recipe! If you are worried about the pie bubbling over, try putting the cookie sheet (or even a piece of aluminum foil) on the rack below the pie, instead of directly under it. This should help the bottom of the pie to bake more evenly. You can also extend the bake time if needed – just tent the top of the pie with a piece of foil if it’s getting too brown before the bottom is baked through.
This pie filling was amazing! The only thing different I did was that I mixed the fruit with the granulated sugar and orange juice and let it sit and then strained the juices off and reduced them down to 1/4 cup then added back with the other ingredients. My only issue was the crust, I baked 10 minutes more than the recipe suggested but still had a bit of a soggy bottom in the center. The crust wasn’t flaky and tender, more crispy and brittle, still tasted ok though. I may have under mixed and had too many large butter chunks still in there. I think I’ll try an all butter crust next time with this filling again.
Sally is there a difference between green rhubarb and red rhubarb? Someone gave me green stalks and said they are the same. Before I make your recipe, I want to make sure.
Looking forward to making this pie.
Thank you.
Hi Gail! Correct – rhubarb color indicates variety, not flavor. You can certainly use your green rhubarb in this pie, but it may look a little funny with the red and green in the pie. Perfectly delicious, though!
Very easy recipe to follow. Used my own pie crust but followed exact otherwise. Serving it to my dad for his birthday tonight instead of cake.
I made this pie today and it turned out SO GOOD!!! This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Love the recipe but my crust always is soggy on bottom. I add more than recipe calls for in cornstarch to firm up the juice. Last three times I made a galette and cooked on a stone. Better but love the lattice look. Any advice for better crust
Hi Jeanne, I’m happy to help! Next time you can try making your fruit/sugar mixture in step one a little bit earlier so that the berries have time to release more of their juices. When filling the pie crust be sure to leave those juices behind. If you are using frozen fruit try switching to fresh. Also, we always recommend baking pies in glass pie dishes – you will be able to see the bottom to see if it’s fully baked. There is nothing wrong with extending the bake time if needed (just tent the top of the pie with aluminum foil so it doesn’t get too brown if needed). While you could also par-bake the bottom crust we do find it difficult to attach the top lattice crust after par-baking.
I followed your recipe but added most of the juice.Next time will not.I used Tenderflake frozen pie crusts(thawed) and cooked on bottom rack.Absolutely delicious.
Thank you so much.A keeper recipe
I’m dumb and put the excess liquid in the pie. Still tasted good though! Have have leftover ingredients so maybe I’ll try again!
We really enjoyed this recipe. I made a few modifications bc I didn’t have enough strawberries so I added frozen raspberries , some orange marmalade instead of oj and I added some cinnamon. I used a frozen crust and it was just fine.
I saved the leftover juice and we might just use it to make strawberry daiquiri bc it states really good.
I found some beautiful rhubarb and strawberries at my local farmer’s market and found this recipe. Delicious! I used my own butter crust recipe and made a galette style pie just folding the edges over. I used a sieve to drain the fruit mixture after they marinated and I had a bunch of liquid left over. I didn’t want to waste it so I put it in a small pot and simmered it, it thickened and became the tastiest jam/spread and I can’t wait to put it on some buttered toast! Thanks for the recipe!
It turned out okay for the first time making this. I will need to add more sugar (way too tart), and let the mixture sit for a long time to get the liquid out as a half hour wasn’t long enough. The pie came out soggy and soupy, even after sitting for 4 hours before eating it.
I made it and pie produced a lot of liquid . What can I do differently? When I poured mixture in there was no liquid
Do you see any issue with using store-bought pie crusts for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Meredith, you can use a store bought pie crust here. Enjoy!