Deep-Dish Rhubarb Pie
If you love rhubarb as much as we do, this Deep-Dish Rhubarb Pie recipe is for you. It isn’t overly sweet, allowing tart flavor to take center stage.
By Yankee Magazine|Apr 28 2021|
We love rhubarb not just because it signals spring, but also because its tart flavor and silky texture produce great pies.
Yield
8 servings
Total Time
90 minutes
Hands-on Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
Easy Pie Crust
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus extra for garnish
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
Juice of 1/2 orange
2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons heavy or light cream, for brushing the crust
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°. Unwrap larger disk of Double-Crust Pastry Dough. On a well-floured counter, roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness and transfer to 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Trim dough 1/2 inch beyond rim of pan and set aside.
Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add rhubarb, orange zest, and orange juice; toss until well mixed. Turn into pastry shell and dot with butter.
On the same floured counter, roll out remaining dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer to pie, trimming excess dough to line up with bottom crust. Cut several vents in the top crust. Fold the bottom crust up over the top, rolling it to tuck neatly under. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to crimp the edges, pressing it into the dough at an angle every inch or so around the pie. Brush dough with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is thick and bubbly, 50 to 60 minutes.
Double-Crust Pastry Dough
Ingredients
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
18 tablespoons (2-1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
6—8 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt until well combined.
Sprinkle butter over flour mixture, and use your fingers to work it in (rub your thumb against your fingertips, smearing the butter as you do). Stop when the mixture looks like cornmeal, with some pea-size bits of butter remaining.
Sprinkle 6 tablespoons ice water on top, and stir with a fork until dough begins to come together. If needed, add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three times, or just enough to make a cohesive dough–don’t overmix!
Gather into a ball; then divide into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Press each piece into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Rhubarb pie is often paired with strawberries; for a bright, tangy and delicious change, replace strawberries (if included in recipe) and orange juice, with 8oz. of drained, crushed, pineapple. Layer pineapple over prepared rhubarb before placement of top crust.
Thanks for all the great looking recipes. We love rhubarb and grow it in our garden. I find one fault with the recipes-personally, I find it much easier to measure with cups instead of stalks of rhubarb. So, I am going back to my family’s tried and true recipe measuring with cups.
Thanks
Hi Kathie. Great point! Here’s a handy way to keep track of rhubarb measurements from http://www.rhubarb-central.com/
Rhubarb Measure Conversions (approximately):
1 pound of rhubarb = 3 cups chopped rhubarb
3 cups chopped rhubarb = 2 cups cooked rhubarb
15 medium stalks of rhubarb = 6 cups chopped rhubarb
Sorry, but I am a purist. I have a hard time understanding why anyone would add something like strawberries to that wonderful fruit called rhubarb. It is PERFECT all by itself! I can’t wait for the new crop to come out. I will pick a LOT of it over the length of the season and make a number of pies..which don’t last very long, and then freeze the rest of the rhubarb to use after the growing season is over. It freezes very well so I have fresh pies up to and beyond thanksgiving.
My mom made rhubarb pie that was to die for! So delicious with vanilla ice cream on top OR just bare!!!
I have a few questions… is it required to “peel” the rhubarb first of its stringy strands like celery & then cut to size pieces desired? We have our first rhubarb plant growing in our raised bed (the green variety) & I was told I had to peel away the stringy strands first. Also to freeze rhubarb…do you have to par-boil the rhubarb first or just freeze the cut pieces (per recipe size) for pies, muffins, etc.? And one more question, when is the absolute latest time you can harvest rhubarb? Thanks so much for any input… your recipe looks wonderful, can’t wait to harvest my plant & try it!
Try to get another plant of red rhubarb, I found green is much tarter and it grows a flower stalk very early while red never does this
How many stakes equal 1 1/4 pound
I use wild black raspberries in place of strawberries, and sprinkle in a 4-serving package of strawberry gelatin for “very berry rhubarb pie “
Diane, I am new to this site so don’t know if someone answered your concerns about how to handle rhubarb. 1) First season harvest only the very largest stalks. Succeeding years always leave several small stalks to provide nourishment for the rhubarb plant to produce the next year. Depending on your locality it is best to stop harvesting when the temperature gets very warm. The stalks will also not be as tender and flavor not as good. Be sure to cut the stalk about 1-2 inches below the base of the leaf to ensure no poison from the leaf. 2)Peeling is totally unnecessary (you will loose most of the stalk of rhubarb). So cut the stalks in about 1 inch pieces, then no string problems. 3)No parboiling before freezing. 4)I usually freeze about 2 cups of pieces per 1 quart freezer bag then spread the pieces out flat so they freeze quickly and are easier to separate when thawing. If you need to measure for a recipe then measure before thawing and let drain in a colander over a bowl. I save the juice to either use in that recipe or mix with other juices for a juice drink or any recipe that you would like the rhubarb flavor. Good luck and enjoy!
I have been using rhubarb for about 40 years, what I have learned is that if you continue to pick it , it continues to grow, I have it for months! This works well, since my husband of nearly 50 years is addicted to it! Glad it’s spring! Happy Baking…. PeggyDwyer
Don’t forget rhubarb crisp with va nilla I ce cream. Yum yum
I have had a loving relationship with rhubarb and sugar ever since I was 6 years old. I am 86 years now so t hat has been a long time. My brother and I would sneak out Mom’s treasured sugar (sugar was rashned then) and hide somewhere to dip rhubarb in that wonderful sugar having as a stolen treat. Today there is always rhubarb pie each spring for our annual treat. Freezing rhubarb in very small pieces is an expected Christmas pie dessert for Christmas dinner.
Does anyone still eat rhubarb sauce?
I love rhubarb, either as a pie (no strawberries) or sauce. When I make the sauce (not chunky), I like to eat it by itself or stir it into vanilla yogurt.
Yes!
As a type II diabetic, I am conscious of sugar! I recently have been using Apriva, or Splenda in place of the sugar. If it calls for a cup of granulated sugar, I use 1/2 a cup of the sugar substitute for the rhubarb mixture. Adding a teaspoon of ground cinnamon adds flavor. Have used strawberries with great success, just don’t cut them too small. Used peeled apple chunks a couple of times creating an unusual tart sweet dessert
Very good
I use scissors to cut my rhubarb into pieces. It prevents getting the strings.
When I find myself needing to add something to pair with the rhubarb, I fill out the recipe with a few cranberries which have a similar degree of tartness.
More than 50 years ago a friend told me after the cut my rhubarb into pieces for pie to put it in a large bowl and cover with boiling water for no more than 10 minutes. It cuts down on the tartness of the fruit so not as much sugar is needed. She also told me to use either cornstarch or tapioca as part of the thickening agent when adding the sugar. I have done this ever since and have had great success and no runny pies.
How do you freeze? Cut up cooked not sure how. Thanks
this will be my First try at Rhubarb Pie. My mother made it all the time but never cared for Rhubarb…THEN. This Recipe sounds to good to pass up.
My Nana made a similar recipe but didn’t write it down. The orange was the key to her rhubarb pie. Closest thing I’ve found to that memory. I don’t care for cornstarch so will replace with appropriate substitution of flour next time. Also I remember a pinch of nutmeg. My husband loved it as is. A very pretty pie!
This was the most beautiful and delicious pie. Everyone throughly enjoyed your recipe!