What is Rhubarb Pie?

Published on March 27th, 2025

Celebrate spring and summer with a delightfully tart dessert

When you think about what makes a great fruit pie, you probably consider a few different things — the flakiness of the crust, the tartness of the filling, how well it holds together… not to mention if it’s easy to make and filled with super fresh fruit. Well, if you haven’t yet made a rhubarb pie, you should! It’s the epitome of the perfect spring and summer pie, even though it’s not technically a fruit. It is, though, tart, sweet, crusty, and super seasonal. Learn all about it here.

What is rhubarb pie?

Rhubarb pie is a tart and sweet dessert pie, using stalks of rhubarb — a crop that typically is ready for harvest from late April to the end of June. It’s typically a double-crust pie, which means that there’s a bottom and top crust. The filling is sweetened with sugar and is a delicious way to celebrate the seasonal vegetable. You likely already have almost all the ingredients for the pie in your kitchen, too!

What does rhubarb pie taste like?

Rhubarb is naturally tart, and for some people, it tastes a little sour, too. When paired with a pie crust and all the necessary ingredients for pie filling (like sugar), the taste is… still pretty tart. That being said, it’s the perfect complement to a springtime meal if you want to enjoy the freshness of the season and get your mouth watering while doing it. If rhubarb pie is too tart for you, try adding ice cream or whipped cream to the top to mellow it out a bit.

What kind of fruit is rhubarb?

Rhubarb may be tart and delicious, but surprise! It’s not actually a fruit. It’s a vegetable, and part of the buckwheat family. You’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise, though; a USDA ruling in 1947 actually classified the food as a fruit because fruit tariffs were lower than vegetable tariffs at the time. There you have it — now you don’t need to get into a big rhubarb when someone asks, what the heck is rhubarb.

What is strawberry rhubarb pie?

Rhubarb pie on its own can be pretty tart and sour if you don’t add the right amount of sugar. Strawberry rhubarb pie is a way to avoid that situation! It’s literally just rhubarb pie with strawberries added into the pie filling. You will likely decrease the amount of sugar you add into the filling, as strawberries bring a decent amount of sugar along with them. But, the combination of rhubarb and strawberry is timeless for its sweet flavor and pretty pink hue.

 What holidays are associated with rhubarb pie?

It seems like every pie has a holiday, and rhubarb pie is no exception. Make one to enjoy during any of these spring and summer celebrations.

• Easter: First Sunday after the full moon on or after the spring equinox
• Mother’s Day: Second Sunday in May
• National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day: June 9
• Father’s Day: Third Sunday in June
• Independence Day: July 4

Weirdly, National Rhubarb Pie Day is January 23 — maybe it’s to get people thinking about the springtime crop in advance?

How to make rhubarb pie

Want to know what rhubarb pie is made of and how to make your own? Follow this simple recipe.

• First, get some pre-made pie dough from the store, enough for a nine-inch double-crust pie. (You can make your own pie crust, sure — but you certainly don’t need to!)
• Line a nine-inch pie plate with the first round of dough. In a large bowl, mix together six cups chopped rhubarb with one cup of sugar and a quarter cup of cornstarch.
• Throw in a pinch of salt and season it with spices like cinnamon or cardamom, if you’d like! Dump the filling on top of the dough in the pie plate.
• Take your other piece and dough and spread it across to the, cutting some holes out for steam to escape.
• You could get fancy and make a lattice if you want! Pinch the edges together, bake the pie for about 40 minutes at 375°, then let it cool for a few hours before diving in!

Don’t want to make your own? Goldbelly will deliver your favorite rhubarb pie — and a ton of other pies and springtime desserts direct to your door. Get out the ice cream and make your slice a la mode!