Read along for this delicious, from scratch, strawberry rhubarb pie recipe, perfect spring and summer dessert idea!
Summer is right around the corner and the days are starting to get longer and hotter. If you are like me you’ll try to cram all of your baking into these last few days of spring, before it gets too hot in the house to bake!
Whenever there is a cooler day in the spring, I try to stay home all day and bake. Everything from homemade sourdough bread, to bagels (great for freezing), and even pie!
Hence, this delicious and seasonal, strawberry, rhubarb pie. We’ve been enjoying it served cold in the evenings, and its the perfect spring and summer treat.
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Why Strawberry Rhubarb Pie?
What’s up with strawberries and rhubarb (pretty much red celery) coming together in a pie?!
First off, both are in season right now. Eating seasonally is a wonderful, old-fashioned, sustainable, and healthy thing to do. Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for a Summer Seasonal Produce Guide!
If you can, head to your local farmer’s market to get both fruits. OR, ask a friend, neighbor, local farmer if you can snag some of theirs! Be sure to take them a slice of pie if you do;)
Not only are they both in season, but strawberries are rhubarb are the perfect combo for a spring/summer dessert! Rhubarb has a tart flavor and is less mushy, while strawberries are sweet and tend to get really mushy when cooked. The two complement each other perfectly in this pie.
No Shortening Pie Crust Recipe
I’ve made pies for a long time and I’ve always used the same recipe for pie crust that I got from my grandma. Its a delicious recipe and always results in a perfect, flaky crust. BUT, its made with shortening!
If you have looked into eating fresh, whole foods at all, then you know that shortening is high up on the list of ingredients to do away with.
I still make my grandmas crust on occasion, because: balance. But I am happy to have found an alternative recipe that makes a yummy, buttery crust without any harmful ingredients. I just substituted the shortening in my grandma’s recipe 1 for 1 with butter.
One of the keys with making a flaky crust is to not overwork your dough. It may be hard to work with, but you just have to be patient. The flakier your dough, the flakier your crust.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup cold butter
- 1/4-1/2 cup cold water
For the Strawberry Rhubarb Filling
- 2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb
- 3 cups chopped, fresh strawberries
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp butter for topping the filling
- 1 tbsp milk for brushing the crust
- course sugar for garnish
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Instructions
Make your pie crust by combing the flour and salt in a medium bowl and whisking. Take out 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and set aside.
Add 3/4 cup of cold butter in small pieces to the larger flour mixture (or grate the cold butter with a cheese grater). Use a pastry blender or two knives to blend until it resembles course crumbles.
Add 1/4 -1/2 cup of cold water to the flour mixture you set aside. Whisk until smooth.
Pour the flour/water mixture into the flour/butter mixture. Use your hands to mix and combine until you can form it into a ball and it all stays together. Do not over mix though!
Roll out into 1/4 thickness and place in a prepared pie dish, cutting off any excess (saving the excess though to roll out for the top crust). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you make your filling.
Now, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, arrowroot powder, orange juice, and vanilla, in large bowl and mix well.
Pour into the prepared pie dish, discarding any extra liquid, and add chunks of butter to top of filling. Top with whatever crust topping you’d like (traditional, lattice, shapes, etc.)
Brush the crust with milk and add course sugar for garnish.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove and add a crust shield while dropping oven temperature down to 350 degrees. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes.
Let pie rest at room temperature for a few hours so the filling can set. We served ours chilled! Enjoy!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cold butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1/4-1/2 cup cold water
- 2 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb (1/2 inch slices)
- 3 cups chopped strawberries
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk
- course sugar for garnish
Instructions
Shortening Free Pie Crust
- Whisk flour and salt in medium sized bowl. Remove 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and set aside.
- Add cold butter in small pieces to the larger flour mixture. Using a cheese grater to grate the butter works really well. Combine flour and butter with a pastry blender or two knives.
- Once the mixture resembles course, pea-sized crumbles, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water to your flour mixture that you set aside. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour flour/water mixture into flour/butter mixture. Use your hands to combine and knead until you're able to form a ball. Try your hardest to not over mix and just work it enough until you can form a ball. Add more cold water by the tablespoon as needed.
- Place onto a floured surface, sprinkle with more flour, and roll out until 1/4 inch thickness. Your dough should be crumbly, which will result in a flakier crust! Continue adding flour on top to keep it from sticking.
- Use a knife if you have to help pull the rolled out dough off of the counter and place in a pie dish. Cut off any excess dough and save to roll out for the topping later. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to make your filling.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, arrowroot powder, orange juice, and vanilla, in large bowl and mix well.
- Pour into prepared pie dish, discarding any extra liquid. Top with 2 tbsp of butter, chopped into small pieces.
- Use the remainder of your dough to add a pie crust topping. You can roll it out and cut strips for a lattice, different shapes, or a normal, flat crust.
- Brush the top of the crust with milk. Add course sugar for garnish.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove and add a crust shield and drop your oven temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is cooked through.
Notes
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