What we love about this pie? 🥧 The tapioca thickens the juicy, crimson filling with no starchy gooey-ness, letting the bright, tangy strawberry flavor shine through.
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Old fashioned strawberry pie with plenty of flavor.
- I love this simple pie recipe for Spring and Summer when strawberries are at their best.
- Be sure to read the instructions for freezing fresh rhubarb in season. You can also buy it commercially frozen.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
The simple ingredients in this pie mean that it's doubly important that everything be as fresh and ripe as possible!
📖 Variations
- Replace the tapioca called for in this recipe with an equal amount of cornstarch. The filling won't come out quite as thick and glossy but it will still taste amazing.
- Use a crumble topping instead of a pie crust topping.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Mix the tapioca and sugars.
Add to berries and rhubarb.
Put in crust then add butter.
Top with lattice and brush with milk. Bake.
🍴 Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
- rolling pin
- mixing bowls
- lattice pie top cutter (for the look here)
You'll find everything you need in the Restless Chipotle & Co. pie department! It's full of fun finds and favorite things!
🎥 Video
🥫 How to store leftover strawberry rhubarb pie
Leftover strawberry rhubarb pie should be covered with plastic wrap or placed in a pie keeper and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
It freezes well for up to 3 months, baked or unbaked.
How to freeze rhubarb
Rhubarb is not generally available all year. You can freeze fresh rhubarb easily, though, so that you can have it any time. Use it in stewed rhubarb, strawberry rhubarb pie, rhubarb crisp... you name it.
- Slice it in ½-inch slices.
- Blanch in rapidly boiling water for 1 minute.
- Drain quickly and plunge into a bowl of ice water.
- Leave in the ice bath for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain well and pat dry.
- Flash freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
- When solidly frozen remove the pieces of rhubarb to a freezer container.
- Rhubarb keeps in the freezer about a year.
- Thaw it in a colander before baking with it and be sure to discard any juice that forms.
Expert tip:
If you're buying rhubarb in the store the leaves will probably be removed. Sometimes they're left on when it's sold at farm stands and farmers' markets. Be sure to remove the leaves and discard them. The leaves are poisonous if they are eaten.
💭 Things to know
- Thaw rhubarb in a colander before using if it's been frozen and discard juice.
- If you want a firmer pie be sure to let it cool completely before serving. It's delicious warm but the filling will spread over the plate. Honestly - it's my favorite that way!
- If you've refrigerated it let it warm up a little or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.
- Choose bright red, plump stalks with no obvious bruises or bad spots.
- The redder the stalk the sweeter the rhubarb.
- One pound of rhubarb is equal to about 3 cups sliced.
- Like celery, rhubarb sometimes has tough strings running through it. You can remove them just like you do with celery. If the rhubarb is young and tender you don't need to worry about it.
- Store fresh rhubarb in the refrigerator as it wilts pretty quickly.
- If you're using frozen rhubarb you may want add an extra half tablespoon of tapioca if you like it very firm.
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes! I don't like it as much but just replace tapioca with an equal amount of cornstarch.
I find using a glass pie plate makes all the difference. A cast iron pie plate works, too.
📚 Related recipes
Here are more strawberry dessert ideas.
- Easy strawberry sheet cake is topped with a creamy strawberry frosting. I love this one for Spring potlucks.
- Strawberry angel food cake is a no bake delight!
- Whether you call it a punch bowl cake or a trifle this no bake strawberry dessert is a favorite.
Need more? Check out my favorite strawberry recipes for Spring and Summer.
📞 The last word
Old-fashioned strawberry rhubarb pie is perfect with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream but just as nice on its own, as far as I'm concerned. I may be a bit jaded but my aunt's original recipe is blue ribbon worthy - the best strawberry rhubarb pie recipe ever.
Blackberry cobbler is another country fresh favorite!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 9" Double Pie Crust, unbaked
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, a little more if you want a sweeter pie
- 2 tablespoons tapioca, quick cooking (Minute) - use an extra half tablespoonful if your rhubarb has been frozen
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
- 3 cups rhubarb, sliced in ½-inch slices
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut in small cubes
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Mix the tapioca with the salt, light brown and granulated sugars until well blended.
- Add the prepared strawberries and rhubarb to the sugar mixture and toss gently until completely coated.
- Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Stir the vanilla into the strawberry mixture.
- Fit the pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate.
- Fill with the strawberry mixture.
- Dot with the butter.
- Cover with the other half of the dough, crimping the edges together.
- Cut vents in the top crust to allow the steam to escape.
- Brush pastry with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
- Place on a cookie sheet to catch the drips the place the whole thing in the oven.
- Bake at 400F for 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 350F and cook for 45 to 55 minutes more, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Replace the tapioca called for in this recipe with an equal amount of cornstarch. The filling won't come out quite as thick and glossy but it will still taste amazing.
- If you're buying rhubarb in the store the leaves will probably be removed. Sometimes they're left on when it's sold at farm stands and farmers' markets. Be sure to remove the leaves and discard them. The leaves are poisonous if they are eaten.
- Leave berries in large chunks.
- One pound of rhubarb is equal to about 3 cups sliced.
- Like celery, rhubarb sometimes has tough strings running through it. You can remove them just like you do with celery. If the rhubarb is young and tender you don't need to worry about it.
- Thaw rhubarb in a colander before using if it has been frozen.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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First published August 30, 2017. Last updated March 18, 2024 to update images and make editorial improvements.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
I am told that when I was two I had my first bite of strawberry rhubarb pie, a memorable concoction that my aunt created in her farmhouse kitchen with bright red strawberries still warm from her garden and home grown rhubarb from her deep freeze. Apparently my eyes got big and I dove in to the rest of the pie all hands and head.
At this point in my life there is no one to confirm nor deny the story so I'll just assume it is true.
It wouldn't surprise me - there's just something about the sweet-tangy combination in strawberry rhubarb pie that dances the ChaCha across your tongue before the rich, buttery pastry finishes the bite with a slow waltz of flavor.
Tracy says
Fabulous recipe! Absolutely loved the crust. I did use cornstarch instead of tapioca and I did a crumble on top. Probably the best pie I have ever made.
carol barrett says
how do I get the recipe
Marye says
It's at the bottom. If you click on the jump to recipe button you'll go right there.
TanyaP says
Thanks for an amazing recipe! It had just enough sweetness, not over done so you could appreciate the fresh strawberries and rhubarb. Mine did turn out a little soupy (still delish) so maybe next time I’ll add an extra tapioca. ❤️
Marye says
I am so glad you liked it! Yes, I think I may add a bit more tapioca to the recipe ... it's tough since some fruit is juicier than others!