Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
This gluten free strawberry rhubarb pie just screams summer when topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream! It's the perfect combination of sweet and tart, making it a great summer potluck dessert.
This gluten free strawberry rhubarb pie is perfectly sweet with a little tartness from the rhubarb. It’s absolutely perfect for any summer party that you may be attending. Just don’t forget to serve it with vanilla ice cream!
If there’s one classic pie flavor combination that always comes to mind, it’s strawberry rhubarb pie. The perfect combination of sweet and tart.
With a homemade gluten free pie crust, this strawberry rhubarb pie is great to bring along to parties of all types this summer. It may seem daunting to make your own pie crust, but it’s a lot easier than you think.
Plus, I’m sharing ALL of my tips to make the perfect gluten free pie crust every time!
Trust me, this strawberry rhubarb pie is such a crowd pleaser, you’ll want to make it again and again.
What is Rhubarb?
If you’ve never had rhubarb before, you’re in for a treat. This dark pink vegetable has long stalks, similar to celery, and a sour, bitter taste when eaten. Its leaves are poisonous, so if you harvest it yourself make sure to cut off any leaves and only eat the stalk. Rhubarb is often paired with sweeter fruits, such as strawberries or other berries, to offset it’s bitterness in desserts. In fact, it’s a favorite in my gluten-free vegan rhubarb blueberry peach galette!
When is rhubarb in season?
Prime rhubarb season is from April to June, though the actual season lasts a little longer so don’t let that deter you from looking for it at your local stores and farmers’ markets. When you’re looking for rhubarb, look for firm stalks that are not wilted. The color of the stalks may range from pale green to deep red. There are some subtle variances in flavor, with deep red being the least tart, but it’s not a huge difference if you ask me so buy whatever is available.
What does strawberry rhubarb pie taste like? As previously mentioned, rhubarb is a rather bitter vegetable and fibrous, so it is almost always cooked with sugar to balance its taste. Rhubarb itself has a mild tart flavor, which makes it pair beautifully with strawberries.
Strawberry rhubarb pie has a sweet and tart combination that is so perfect with topped with a creamy vanilla ice cream. The pie crust is flaky and buttery in every bite! It’s such a tasty combination.
What makes this strawberry rhubarb pie gluten free?
To make this strawberry rhubarb pie gluten free we just have to make a few easy swaps.
First, in the pie crust, use a gluten free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour. I love using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in this recipe, but Namaste Perfect Baking Blend works well, too!
If your blend does not already contain it, you’ll need to add some xanthan gum which acts similarly to the gluten protein in baked goods.
Instead of using flour as a thickening agent in the filling, we use cornstarch. Cornstarch is a great way to thicken gluten free pie fillings, as well as sauces, soups and gravies.
Tips for Gluten Free Pie Crust
Gluten free pie crust only taste a few simple ingredients: a gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum (if your blend does not already contain it), sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, shortening, and water.
I like to use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in this recipe. It already contains xanthan gum in it so you don’t need to add it. You can find it at most grocery stores or online.
There are so many brands of gluten free flour blends on the market now, so find one that works for you!
The key to making gluten free pie crust, or any pie crust really, is to keep your ingredients cold. You want the butter and shortening to be super cold so that when you work it in, it doesn’t melt.
Have those solid pieces of butter in the dough makes a super flaky crust, which is exactly what we want. I like to cut my butter and shortening in tablespoon size pieces and freeze it for at least an hour before using.
The same thing goes the water, you want it cold. I like to add ice cubes to my water before adding it to the pie crust dough.
How to Make A Gluten Free Pie Crust
While you could certainly use a store bought gluten free pie crust to cut down on the time in this recipe, making your own gluten free pie crust is really easy and something I encourage you to try!
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First, combine the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), salt, baking powder and granulated sugar. Whisk until completely combined.
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Then, you’ll want to add the frozen butter and shortening. You can cut it into the flour mixture by using a food processor and just pulsing until pea sized butter pieces form. You can also do this by hand or with a pastry cutter.
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Next, add the ice cold water into the mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Stir in between until a dough forms. You don’t want to add too much water, just enough until you can form together the dough.
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Turn the dough out onto a floured piece of parchment paper and knead it a few times (being careful not to overwork or melt the butter), until it forms a nice ball. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.
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Finally, when you’re ready to make the pie, you’ll cut the dough in half and roll out each piece of pie dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness so that it’s about 12 to 13 inches in diameter. You’ll want to continually pick the dough up and turn it to make sure it’s not sticking to the surface.
How to Make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling
To me, the best part of any pie is the filling! this strawberry rhubarb pie filling is a combination of sweet and tart.
To make the filling, combine ripe quartered strawberries, diced rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon. Let it sit for a at least 30 minutes to let the strawberries and rhubarb macerate.
Then, drain the juices from the filling and toss with cornstarch. Now it’s ready to go into your pie crust!
Tips to Make Sure Your Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is NOT Runny
I often find that strawberry rhubarb pie filling can be so runny which is not what you want. There are a few tricks that I use to make sure that the filling stays nice and thick every time.
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Always drain the juices from the strawberries and rhubarb before adding to the pie crust. The sugar will macerate them and create lots of liquid that you don’t want to add to your crust.
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Add the cornstarch to the strawberry rhubarb mixture after the liquid is drained. If you add the cornstarch and then drain the mixture then you’re also discarding some of the cornstarch.
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Sprinkle a little bit of gluten free flour over the bottom crust before pouring in the filling. It helps to soak up the liquid instead of a soggy bottom crust.
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Let the pie cool completely before cutting. I like to let my pie cool for at least 3 hours before slicing to make sure the filling is solid. If you like warm pie, you can briefly reheat each slice before serving.
How to Crimp Pie Crust
If you’ve ever wondered why you crimp a pie crust before, it’s for more than just looks! Crimping the crust helps to keep the filling in the pie while baking. Plus, it looks gorgeous!
Luckily, there are so many ways to crimp a pie crust! My favorite way to crimp a pie crust is the traditional “pinch” method.
When I roll out the pie crust and place it into the pie dish, I like to make sure there is about an inch of overhang over the edges.
Then, when you place the top pie dough layer over the filling, also make sure it hangs over the edges about an inch.
Roll the dough under itself to give it a higher edge. Use two hands to pinch the dough, using the thumb from one and the thumb and index finger from your other hand. Continue until you’ve completed the entire rim of the pie.
Should you refrigerate strawberry rhubarb pie?
Fruit pies, like this gluten free strawberry rhubarb pie should last covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
You can refrigerate it for longer storage. It will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Cover the pie before storing.
Love rhubarb? Try these other gluten free rhubarb recipes!
- Rhubarb Blueberry Peach Galette & Gluten-Free and Vegan
- Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
- Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Rhubarb Glazed Donuts
More gluten free tarts and pies for this summer
- Gluten-Free Vegan Apple Hand Pies
- Blueberry Hand Pies
- Gluten-Free Fruit Tart with Lemon Curd
- Peach Blueberry Crisp for Two
- Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
- Strawberry Cobbler – Gluten Free & Vegan
Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
Nothing says pie in the summer like this gluten free strawberry rhubarb pie. Sweet, tart and oh so good. It makes a great dessert for summer entertaining and potlucks. With it’s perfectly golden brown crust and luscious filling, this pie is always a family favorite!
Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
This gluten free strawberry rhubarb pie just screams summer when topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream! It's the perfect combination of sweet and tart, making it a great summer potluck dessert.
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 459kcal
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (if your blend doesn't already contain it)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter (cut in pieces and very cold)
- 4 tablespoons shortening (cut in pieces and very cold)
- 3/4 cup ice cold water
Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:
- 3 cups strawberries (hulled and sliced)
- 4 cups rhubarb (cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 stalks total))
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon gluten free flour blend
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)
Instructions
For the Pie Crust:
- In a food processor, combine the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), sugar, baking power, and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Then add the very cold butter and shortening to the food processor. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas.
- Place the flour/butter mixture in a large bowl.
- Add the water, tablespoon by tablespoon, until the dough is able to be pinched together. You may not need the full 3/4 cup of water. If you need additional water, add one tablespoon at a time until your pie dough comes together.
- Form the dough into a ball on a piece of parchment paper.
- Then, refrigerate for at least and hour.
For the Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:
- In a large bowl, mix together strawberries, rhubarb, granulated sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
- Let sit for at least 45 minutes to let the juices release.
- Carefully drain the juices from the bowl.
- Then stir in the cornstarch until combined.
To Assemble the Pie:
- Take the pie dough out of the refrigerator.
- Slice the dough in half so you have two equal sized portions.
- Generously flour a surface or parchment paper with gluten free flour.
- Take one of the pie dough portions and roll it out to a round 1/8 inch thickness about 3 inches wider than your pie plate. So, if your pie plate is 9-inches, you'll want your dough round to be 12 inches in diameter.
- Repeat with other pie dough portion, keeping the dough, surface and rolling pin generously floured to make sure it does not stick.
- Carefully transfer one of the rolled out pie crusts to a 9-inch pie plate. You should have about 1/2 inch overhang of dough.
- Add 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour over the bottom crust to soak up any additional juices from the filling.
- Then, pour the strawberry rhubarb pie filling over the bottom crust.
- Carefully place the other pie crust on top of the filling.
- Roll the edges of the overhanging pie crust under itself until it reaches the pie plate. This will give you a higher crust for crimping.
- Crimp the pie crust as desired.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water until combined. Brush the egg wash over the pie crust with a pastry brush.
- Make a few slits with a knife in the top crust to let air escape during baking.
To Bake the Pie:
- Place the pie plate on a baking sheet for easy handling.
- Bake at 400F for 55-60 minutes, until the crust is a golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Let cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before slicing to make sure filling sets up.
Nutrition
Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 487mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 37.4mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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Note: This post was originally posted on June 26, 2012 and updated on June 26, 2019 with new photos, recipe and tips and tricks to help you make this easy gluten free dessert perfectly every time!