Grandma’s Rhubarb Pie

For over half a century, this Rhubarb Raisin Pie has been a cherished family tradition. My Grandma’s recipe combines tart rhubarb with sweet golden raisins in a flaky crust. This classic American dessert is simple to make and perfectly served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

I originally shared this recipe on June 21, 2013, on my Grandma’s birthday, which was perfect because it is my Grandma’s Rhubarb Pie recipe. This was my favorite pie recipe of hers.  She was such a delightful person, and I miss her all of the time. I used to talk to her on the phone almost daily.  She passed when my oldest son was only one month old. She was so excited to hold her first great-grandchild, I hate that she didn’t get to see him become the stellar person he has grown up to be, but, I know that she is watching all of us from heaven.

Rhubarb Raisin Pie

The first time I made this rhubarb pie recipe on my own, my Mom’s cousin had come for a visit from California. She visited  Loup City, Nebraska, her hometown where my grandpa and grandma grew up. She brought back some fresh rhubarb and only seemed right to make this pie in my grandma’s honor.

I had her recipe for her pie crust, one of my favorites, because I have it in her handwriting on an old recipe card. But I didn’t have the recipe for the pie. I reached out to my Mom’s youngest sister, and thank goodness, she did!

What is Rhubarb?

Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable known for its tart, crisp stalks. Despite being used primarily in sweet dishes like pies and jams, it’s botanically a vegetable, not a fruit. It has large, triangular green leaves and thick, celery-like stalks that range in color from pale green to deep red.

Rhubarb has a distinctively tart, almost sour taste, which is why it’s often paired with sugar, or other sweet things like strawberries or raisins in recipes. It’s low in calories and high in fiber, vitamin K, and antioxidants.  Only the stalks are edible. The leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid and are toxic.  

What the is Growing Season for Rhubarb?

Rhubarb is typically available from April to June in most temperate climates, with the peak season being April and May. Some regions may see rhubarb as early as March or as late as July, depending on the local climate. Rhubarb thrives in cooler climates and requires winter dormancy. It’s a hardy plant that can survive harsh winters and return year after year. You can pick up rhubarb in most supermarkets and at a farmer’s market in the US. 

How to select Rhubarb

Rhubarb looks a lot like celery, select long and crisp rhubarb stalks that are firm in texture and blemish-free. The color has no significance in the way the rhubarb tastes, so the green or the red will be just fine. With the larger the stalks, there will be more of a chance that the rhubarb will be stringy. Selecting thinner more medium-sized stalks if possible.

If the leaves are attached, make sure they look nice and fresh and aren’t wilted. Rhubarb can be stored unwashed in your refrigerator and wrapped in plastic wrap for 1-3 weeks.   

Ingredients in Grandma’s Rhubarb Pie Recipe

• Fresh Rhubarb – cleaned and chopped into pieces.
• Sugar-granulated sugar sweetens up that tart rhubarb!
• Whole egg and one egg white – the whole egg is for the pie, and the egg white is to brush your pie crust. 
• Golden Raisins – sweeten the pie. I prefer the golden raisins for this recipe, but you could substitute regular raisins in a pinch. 
• Flour – all-purpose flour will thicken up the pie filling.
• Two Pie Crusts – store-bought or your homemade pie crust. 

How To Make Rhubarb Pie

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay one pie crust into the bottom of a 9″ deep dish pie plate.

In a large bowl, mix chopped rhubarb with sugar and flour. Add beaten egg and raisins. Stir to combine.

Pour the filling into the bottom crust.

Place the top crust over the filling, seal the edges, and vent the crust. Beat the egg white and brush the top of the pie with the egg wash.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake for another 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown. 

Let rest before cutting. 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months in an airtight container. 

Love it? Pin it!

If you can’t wait to try this Homemade Rhubarb Pie recipe, make sure you can find it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go. 

FAQs About Rhubarb for Pie

• Why is rhubarb always paired with strawberry? Rhubarb isn’t always paired with strawberry there are no strawberries in this one, but it’s a popular combination. Strawberries complement rhubarb’s tartness with their sweetness, creating a balanced flavor. 
• How do you keep a rhubarb pie from being runny? Use a thickener like flour, cornstarch, or tapioca. Let the filling sit with sugar and thickener before baking to draw out excess liquid.  When using frozen rhubarb, you will most likely need to add more of the thickening agent, because it will have more moisture. 
• Why is my rhubarb pie soggy? A soggy rhubarb pie can result from underbaking the crust or not using enough thickener to soak up any extra liquid in the filling. Allow the pie to rest in the pie pan before cutting it. 
• Should you soak rhubarb before baking? Generally, you don’t need to soak rhubarb before baking. However, some recipes suggest macerating rhubarb in sugar for a short time to draw out excess moisture. This can help prevent a runny filling, but it’s not necessary for every recipe, including this one.

More Rhubarb Recipes to Enjoy

What’s your favorite way to enjoy rhubarb?  Honestly, I find that there aren’t very many rhubarb recipes.  When I find one that I love, I am always tickled.  So, if you have a favorite — please share!

This Strawberry Rhubarb Dessert is top on my list, and of course, you can’t go wrong with my Fresh Rhubarb Coffee Cake, Rhubarb Crumble Bars, (pictured above), or this Strawberry Rhubarb Bread.

Rhubarb season is fleeting,  but you always have the option to freeze your rhubarb haul from the farmers market! If you use this process you can take the bag from the freezer and use it just like you would fresh. We always had Rhubarb Pie at my Grandma’s at Thanksgiving.  

Pie Recipes

I am a pie fan. Fruit pies, cream pies, pie is my cake of choice and always has been! I have an entire section dedicated to pie recipes right here on my site. If you love them, be sure to check out these favorites: Grandma’s Chocolate Meringue Pie, Pecan Pie, French Silk Pie, and the Best Coconut Cream Pie you’ll ever taste! Love raisins? Me too! This Raisin Pie Recipe is a classic. 

Thanks for the fantastic recipe, Grandma.  I sure miss you. 

This recipe was originally posted on June 21, 2013, It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on July 23, 2024.