This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is one of my favorite spring (and early summer) desserts. It starts with a buttery, flaky homemade pie crust and a jammy filling made from cooked rhubarb and strawberries, with fresh strawberries folded in after the mixture cools. The contrast of sweet and tart in every bite is what makes it so good. And instead of a top crust, it's finished with soft swirls of whipped cream. It’s simple, fresh, and perfect for any occasion.
If you love fruit pies with that perfect balance of sweet and tart, this one’s for you. For another strawberry-rhubarb dessert, try my rustic Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Galette. If you’re looking for something a little more classic, consider my Rhubarb Pie, with a brown sugar crumble.
What Makes This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Different
Unlike most strawberry rhubarb pies, the top of the pie is covered with whipped cream instead of a second crust. I love strawberries and cream, and this fruit pie does not disappoint.
Here are the tips I learned to make a delicious pie that holds its shape when you cut into it, but is perfectly creamy and fruity.
- To get the best flavor and texture, I cook the rhubarb with half the strawberries, then stir in the remaining fresh strawberries once the filling has cooled. The cooked fruit creates a thick, jammy base, while the fresh berries add brightness and juicy texture in every bite. Plus, the pieces of strawberry make the pie look extra pretty.
- Prebaking the crust ensures a nice flaky, golden brown bottom crust throughout. My recipe ensures you won't have a soggy crust, and leftovers will be delicious.
I tested this filling multiple times to get the right amount of cornstarch, too little and the filling is runny, too much and it has a rubbery texture.
Add the whipped cream topping just before serving, and you get all the flavor of a spring (or summer) fruit pie that's yummy and looks beautiful on the table.
Tips for Success
- Use sweet strawberries and fresh rhubarb. Taste your fruit before baking to ensure an amazing fruity flavor. Look for rhubarb with a slight shine for the most moisture and brightness, and strawberries that are mostly red in the center.
- Let the filling chill completely. After cooking the filling, let it cool before stirring in the fresh strawberries and spooning it into the crust. If the filling is hot or warm, it will cook the fresh strawberries, which we don't want.
- Blind bake the pie crust with foil. Foil molds better to the pie dough than parchment and protects the sides more evenly during baking. It's also easier to lift out of the crust, which is filled with pie weights. These pie weights (also called pie beans) are my new favorite.
- Use a metal pie plate. It conducts heat more effectively than glass or ceramic, resulting in a crisp, golden crust. I can't guarantee the results if you use glass or ceramic.
- Don’t rush the dough. Chill it after making and before blind baking. I know, a lot of chilling, but it's worth the wait. A rested dough is easier to roll and bakes more evenly.
Strawberry Rhubarb Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Step 1: Make the pie dough according to the instructions for my all-butter pie crust. Use the ingredient list for the single-crust pie.
Step 2: Shape the pie dough in the pie plate and refrigerate it.
Step 3: Bake the pie dough until the edges and bottom are golden brown.
Step 4: Cook the rhubarb until it's soft.
Step 5: Add the sliced strawberries and cook until they're soft. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened and shiny.
Step 6: Pour the mixture into a bowl. Refrigerate it and chill it before adding the fresh strawberries.
Step 7: Add the fresh strawberries to the filling and pour the filling into the prebaked pie shell.
Step 8: Decorate the top with fresh whipped cream and serve. Delicious!
Did you make strawberry rhubarb pie? If yes, please leave a rating and a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
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Recipe Update: I’ve tweaked the filling so each slice stays neat and holds together, and I’ve refined my pie-crust method for an even flakier, buttery result.
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Fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 recipe Single Pie Crust
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- 1 pound (454 grams) fresh rhubarb sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pound (454 grams) strawberries divided
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons (32 grams) cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1-1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream chilled
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Pie Crust
- Make the pie dough from my all-butter pie crust recipe. Make the version for the single crust pie. Chill the dough for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
- Flour your work surface. Roll the dough into a 13-inch circle. When rolling the dough start in the center and roll the rolling pin out toward the edge, but stop at the edge. Don't roll over the edge. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat the rolling. Continue to roll and rotate until the pie dough circle is the right size.
- Fold the dough in half and gently lift into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving about a 1-inch overhang around the edge. Gently unfold the dough and press it into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
- Trim the overhang to 1-inch beyond the edge of the plate. Fold the edge under itself so the edge of the dough is even with the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the dough around the edge of the plate with your fingers or seal the edges with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate the dough-lined plate for at least 1 hour.
Pre-bake the Pie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a half baking sheet the oven.
- Line the chilled pie shell with aluminum foil. Cover the edges to prevent burning. Fill the pie plate with pie weights or raw beans.
- Bake until the edges begin to turn lightly brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and remove the foil and pie weights. Place the pie back in the oven and bake the pie for another 5-10 minutes until it is light golden brown all over and the bottom is golden brown (slightly darker than the edges). Let the pie crust cool completely on a wire rack, before adding the pie filling.
Make the Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- Slice 227 grams (8 ounces) of the strawberries and place in a bowl. Wash and slice the rhubarb 1/2-inch thick. Place the rhubarb, sugar, and salt in a stainless steel saucepan and stir until the sugar coats the rhubarb. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. This process will begin to draw moisture from the rhubarb.
- Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and stir until there are no lumps. If you don’t have enough lemon juice, use water.
- Cook the rhubarb over medium heat, stirring frequently, until about half of the liquid is evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the sliced strawberries, and stir continuously as the strawberries release their liquid. Cook until most of the liquid from the strawberries evaporates.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry, add it to the fruit. The fruit will be cloudy. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes until the fruit mixture is shiny. If the fruit starts to stick to the pan, remove it from the heat and continue stirring. We want to cook the rhubarb-strawberry mixture until it no longer has that cornstarch taste.
- Place mixture in a heat-proof bowl. Cool it to room temperature and then refrigerate it until completely chilled, about 1 hour.
Assemble the Pie
- Slice the remaining strawberries in half or in quarters if larger than 1-1/2-inches. Combine with the chilled rhubarb strawberry mixture. Scrape the rhubarb-strawberry mixture into the pre-baked pie shell and refrigerate. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Pour the heavy cream into a mixing bowl and add the powdered sugar. In the bowl of stand mixer or with a hand mixer mix on low speed. When the cream has started to thicken increase to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form.
- Pipe the whipped cream around the edges of the pie filling or you can use a spatula it over the filling. If you pipe the whipped cream around the edges you will have enough cream left over to serve with individual slices.
Storing the Pie
- Without the whipped cream topping the pie can sit at room temperature for about 4 hours because of the fresh strawberries mixed into the cooked filling. With the whipped cream topping it should be kept in the refrigerator and only brought out when serving it.
- To store the pie in the refrigerator for more than 1 day, cover it lightly with plastic wrap and store up to 4 days. Because of the fresh fruit in the filling, don’t freeze this pie.
Lisa says
I made this for the first time and everyone enjoyed it. it's similar to my jam recipe so it felt familiar. I did get a little extra filling because I made tarts instead of a whole pie which worked out great. I made everything in advance and just assembled the tarts as needed so no soggy crusts. the filling was also used to top pancakes- it's not too sweet so offset the sweetness of the pancakes perfectly. I've made more filling and canned it but didn't process in a water bath because I intend to freeze it to use mostly as a topping for ice cream or waffles or whatever. This is another winning recipe, up there with hand pies and strawberry rhubarb curd. I'm very happy to have another strawberry recipe to go to when the season is good. thank you for sharing!
Corrine says
Just made this and it turned out perfectly and is delicious! One note though, ignorer to get that pretty red colour you may need to add red food colouring. Not all rhubarb is red, some when ripe stay green and the colour is rather ugly lol.(like green mud ) not to fear, red food colouring fixed it and it is very pretty now! decorated with sliced fresh strawberries and will serve with whipped cream.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Corrine
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and leaving this wonderful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. You're right about the color. The bright red in the photos comes from bright red rhubarb and local strawberries that are red all the way through. Thanks for pointing out that the color of the final pie may vary based on the color of the rhubarb [and strawberries[.
Corrine says
My pleasure and thank you for the recipe! I live in Canada and in this part of Canada produce is trucked in most of the year and my rhubarb in the garden is the GREEN variety! You can imagine the ugly mess of a color I started with lol. Thank goodness I keep red food gel on hand . The flavor as I said was just perfect as was the texture, the pie held together beautifully. Could this be made also with a graham cracker crust?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Corrine
That's a good question about the graham cracker crust, and the honest answer is I don't know. If I were to try it, I would prebake the crust at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.