Classic and scrumptious rhubarb pie! A flaky buttery double pastry crust stuffed with fresh rhubarb. This tart yet sweet rhubarb pie recipe is a straight-up simple yet elegant dessert, perfect for the spring, summer or fall seasons. Including tips and tricks for perfect rhubarb pie filling and instructions on how to make flower decorations with leftover pastry dough. Inspired by the rhubarb pie from Stardew Valley.
This rhubarb pie is so delicious. It’s sweet and tart, yet not overly so, and the pastry crust is soft, buttery and flaky. Serve this rhubarb pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to make it even more decadent!
While you will definitely be tempted to eat this whole pie in one sitting, it also does freeze exceptionally well. Just pop slices of pie into a freezer-safe storage container for up to 2-3 months.
You can also tightly wrap the pieces of pie in foil for freezer storage, if you don’t have quite the right container on hand. Wrapping the pieces in foil also makes them super easy to reheat in the oven – just throw them in as-is at 350˚F for about 10-15 minutes, and there you have it! Warm reheated pie.
Obviously if using a microwave, don’t microwave the foil! Just unwrap the pie slice and microwave it on a plate for 1-2 minutes.
I love rhubarb pie, with its tart flavours and vibrant colours – plus we grow so much rhubarb and it’s so much fun to harvest it. You just grab the stalks and tug – they pop right out of the ground!
The lattice crust is also a fairly traditional top crust for rhubarb pie, and you can make it look just perfect with a little egg wash and a sprinkle of sugar before baking. Lattice crusts might look a little complex, but trust me, they are easier than they look.
You can also add little decorations to the top of your pie, if desired, using leftover pastry dough. Just don’t add too, too many extra embellishments or the pie might not bake correctly.
Rhubarb – A Vegetable or Fruit?
Although rhubarb is usually used in desserts, it’s technically a vegetable. Rhubarb can come in various shades, including red, green, and even pink. The color doesn’t necessarily indicate ripeness or flavor. It’s important to note that while rhubarb stalks are safe to eat, the leaves contain oxalic acid and should not be consumed, as they can be toxic.
How To Choose The Best Rhubarb?
Choose firm, crisp rhubarb stalks for your pie, making sure to avoid limp or woody stalks. Rhubarb is naturally tart, so it requires sweetening. Commonly used sweeteners for rhubarb include sugar, honey, or maple syrup. Adjust the amount based on your preference and the tartness of your rhubarb.
Rhubarb also works well in combination with other fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, or apples. Combining the rhubarb with an additional fruit can also reduce the tartness and contribute to a sweeter flavour.
How To Avoid Soggy Rhubarb Pie?
Rhubarb has a high water content, and it’s a common problem to find you’ve made a rhubarb pie with a soggy pie crust. Nothing is more frustrating, especially when you put time, money and effort into making a pastry.
To prevent a disastrous soggy pie, consider macerating the rhubarb with sugar before assembling the pie.
You can also mix tapioca starch into the pie filling to help absorb excess moisture. This works surprisingly well.
A lattice or streusel top crust is also popular for rhubarb pies, plus they help allow steam to escape and contribute to the thickening of the filling.
How to Grow and Harvest Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a perennial plant that prefers a well-drained, fertile soil with full sun to part shade. It’s best to plant rhubarb in early spring or fall. Rhubarb should be planted 3 to 4 feet apart, to allow enough space for the large leaves to spread – and boy, do they branch out! These plants can get absolutely huge.
You can start harvesting rhubarb the second year after planting – I guess this is why in Stardew Valley it isn’t a Year One crop! Look for the stalks that are the most pigmented on the plant, whether that be red or pink (you don’t want to eat the super green parts of the stems).
Pull the stalks by gently twisting them at the base, and they will pop right out! Take care that you don’t harvest more than one-third of the plant’s stalks at once. Always leave a few stalks to allow the plant to continue growing in a healthy manner, and you’ll have rhubarb forever and ever.
Do note that in colder places, you may want to cover the base of the rhubarb plant with a layer of mulch in the fall, to protect it through the winter to next spring.
Rhubarb Pie In Stardew Valley
Did you know you can make rhubarb pie in Stardew Valley? I was so excited when I discovered this after receiving the recipe in the mail from Marnie – you’ve got to have at least 7 hearts with Marnie to get this special recipe from her.
You can make rhubarb pie in the upgraded farmhouse kitchen or using a cookout kit. Just combine rhubarb with wheat flour and sugar. So easy!
Rhubarb Pie in Stardew Valley: Rhubarb + Wheat Flour + Sugar
Rhubarb pie is a beloved favourite treat for both Jodi and Maru, so gift it to them if you want to get in their good books. As with most foods in Stardew Valley, Harvey, Krobus, Leo and Willy despise rhubarb pie. I’m beginning to wonder if they like anything besides the occasional fish or some void mayonnaise… espresso, maybe, I guess.
You can, as with most ingredients and dishes, use it to make clothing. Just pop a rhubarb pie on Emily’s sewing machine to make a dapper red shirt. How fancy.
Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Pie
Sweet and tart perfect rhubarb pie, ready from start to finish in just 2 hours.
This recipe makes about 6-8 servings.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups flour
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup cold butter
- ½ cup ice water
Rhubarb Filling
- 4-5 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
Glaze Topping
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp sugar
Tools
- 9-10 inch glass pie plate or tart pan
- knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- spatula
- oven mitts
- optional: pie blind, or cooking foil
Instructions
1. Make the pastry dough and the bottom crust.
- Add flour, salt, zest, sugar, and baking powder to a bowl, then mix.
- Knead in the cold cubes of butter until a shaggy dough forms.
- Slowly add the ice water while kneading, until the dough is smooth and malleable.
- Divide the dough in half. Wrap one portion in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.
- Place the other portion of dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out in a flat circle, ⅛ inch thick and 1-2 inches wider than your pie plate.
- Lay the dough into the pie plate. Gently press the pastry into the bottom and corners.
- Cover with plastic wrap, then put it in the fridge to chill.
2. Make the rhubarb filling.
- Wash and finely chop the rhubarb, then add the pieces to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the lemon juice and tapioca to form a slurry. Add the tapioca slurry, beaten egg, flour, sugar, vanilla and salt to the rhubarb. Mix well to combine.
- Pour the filling into the chilled pie crust. Smooth it out evenly, then top with pieces of cold butter.
3. Prepare the lattice top crust.
- Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust, ⅛ inch thick and 1-2 inches wider than your pie plate. Cut this dough into ½ inch wide strips.
- Cover the filled pie with the strips of cut pie dough. Interweave them to form a lattice top.
- Trim the edges of the pie pastry. Crimp these edges together, or simply seal with a fork.
- Add any desired pie decorations using leftover pastry dough.
Optional: How To Make A Decorative Pie Flower & Leaves
I opted to add a few leaves and a rose made from leftover pastry dough to my rhubarb pie, as decoration. You don’t need to add any decorations to your pie, but if you’re curious, here’s how I made some leaves and a rose from leftover pastry dough:
- For the leaves, I just rolled out the leftover dough, cut out leaf shapes, then scored some veins on to them. Press them gently onto the pie to attach, whereever you wish to place them.
- To make the rose, I rolled out the leftover dough, then cut it into a variety of small pieces. I pressed my fingers into each piece of dough, to make a small petal shape. I gradually gathered the petals in my hand, rotating the forming flower in my hand a little each time before adding the next petal. I pressed the petal bottoms together to meld them into one flower before placing the flower on the pie top, nestled amongst the leaves I made before.
4. Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
5. Beat the egg, then use a pastry brush to paint the top crust with egg wash. Sprinkle sugar over the pie.
6. Bake the pie at 450˚F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temp to 325˚F and bake for another 35 minutes.
7. Remove the pie from the oven. Let it rest for 30 minutes before serving.
A Note on Pie Blinds
You might want to consider using a pie shield (also known as a blind) so the crust doesn’t burn. I usually add mine about 20 minutes into the total baking time with apple pies.
If you don’t own a pie shield, don’t worry – you can make one out of baking foil. Measure the circumference of the top lip of your pie plate, then cut a piece of foil that is a little bit longer than this. The foil piece should be about 3-4 inches wide.
Then, fold the foil into thirds width-wise, to make it long and skinny but without any rough edges. Basically, the foil should look like a scarf. Yes, think of this as a scarf for a pie’s neck (the crust) – except it’s preventing overheating instead of a chill.
Before baking, carefully wrap the long foil piece around the pie plate edge so that it covers the top crust lip and part of the side the whole way around the pie. Wrap the loose ends around each other and crush the foil a little to help them stay in place on the pie. Your shield should not be so tight that the foil is in danger of ripping, but also not so loose it will fall off during baking.
When it comes time to attach your homemade pie blind, unless you can easily reach your pie, remove the pie from the oven to apply the blind. Quickly attach your pie shield and return the pie to the oven.
The Perfect Pie for Spring and Summer
Rhubarb pie is amazing any time of year, though I especially enjoy making it in spring and summer, with fresh rhubarb straight from the garden.
You can also use frozen rhubarb for these pies, but keep in mind to let it fully defrost before using it, and you’ll want to squeeze as much water out of the defrosted rhubarb as possible.
I find that I always end up using twice as much rhubarb if I use frozen. To avoid this, you can also mix in some diced apples to add more bulk to the filling.
Did you make this rhubarb pie recipe? Let me know!
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