Classic Rhubarb Custard Pie (With Crust Recipe)

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 05/04/21
Classic rhubarb custard pie recipe

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
371 Calories
15g Fat
57g Carbs
5g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 371
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 9g 44%
Cholesterol 81mg 27%
Sodium 274mg 12%
Total Carbohydrate 57g 21%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 38g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 184mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This fabulous rhubarb custard pie is adapted from a vintage recipe leaflet from Washington State Rhubarb Growers. It's such a simple recipe, and if you use a frozen or ready-made pie crust, it takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare. A small amount of nutmeg adds flavor to the pie but feel free to use ground cinnamon instead.

The all-butter pie crust is easy to fix with a food processor, but you can cut prep time by about half if you make the pie with a frozen pie crust. Feel free to use frozen or homemade pastry, or use refrigerated pie pastry sheets. A rhubarb pie with a custard filling with set up nicely and you won't have to worry about fruit juices running—a common scenario with pies filled exclusively with fruit.

Serve this pie at your next cookout or take it along to a potluck dinner. This is a fantastic way to use fresh rhubarb, and your family and friends will love it. It's no wonder rhubarb was once called "the pie plant!"

Ingredients

For the Pie Crust

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 scant teaspoon sugar, optional

  • 8 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into small pieces

  • 4 to 6 tablespoons water (with ice)

For the Rhubarb Custard Filling

  • 3 cups diced rhubarb

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • Pinch salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 tablespoons milk

  • 1 tablespoon butter

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for rhubarb custard pie

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska 

  2. To make the pie crust, combine the 1 1/4 cups of flour with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a large bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly.

    Flour, salt, and sugar whisked in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. Add 8 tablespoons of cut-up butter and work it into the flour mixture with fingers or a pastry blender. Some pea-size pieces of butter should remain intact. 

    Butter added to flour for pie crust

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Stir in 4 tablespoons of ice water. Add more ice water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, just until the mixture begins to hold together.

    Stir in ice water
    The Spruce Eats/Ulyana Verbytska

  5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and press until you have a smooth dough. Do not overwork or the crust will be tough.

    Turn the dough out

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. Shape it into a flattened disk and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

    Pie dough wrapped in plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. Heat the oven to 400 F (200 C/Gas 6).

  8. Roll the dough out into a circle about 11 inches in diameter.

    Roll out dough

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  9. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough and crimp the edge as desired.

    Pie plate with pie crust

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  10. In a large bowl, combine the diced rhubarb with the sugar, flour, salt, and nutmeg; blend thoroughly.

    Rhubarb, flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  11. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk.

    Eggs whisked together with milk

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  12. Add the egg mixture to the rhubarb and stir until blended.

    Eggs added to

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  13. Turn the rhubarb mixture into the prepared pie crust. Dot with butter.

    Rhubarb in pie crust

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  14. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until set. 

    Rhubarb pie baked and cooling

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  15. Remove the pie to a rack to cool completely before slicing.

  16. Serve rhubarb custard pie with a big dollop of freshly whipped cream or ready-made whipped topping.

    Rhubarb custard pie served with whipped cream

    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Tip

You can use frozen rhubarb for this custard pie. Just make sure you defrost and pat the fruit completely dry. It may also benefit you to add a little bit of flour or cornstarch to absorb any excess liquid.

How to Store and Freeze Rhubarb Pie

  • Because this pie includes custard, eat it or refrigerate it within 2 hours. Cover and store leftover rhubarb custard pie in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • If you want to freeze this pie, it's best to freeze it before it's baked. Then, you can bake it whenever you want to have fresh pie. It will just need about ten more minutes in the oven.

Do You Have to Peel Rhubarb for Pie?

Fresh and peak-season rhubarb does not need to be peeled before baking with it. Some people like to peel rhubarb when it's a bit further along in the season, because the exterior can be a little tough.