Delicious Apple Rhubarb Pie

If you ask me, apple rhubarb pie is one of spring’s best desserts.

This homemade pie brings together tart rhubarb and sweet apples in a flaky, buttered crust. The filling gets a warm spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves that makes your kitchen smell amazing while it bakes.

The rhubarb adds a nice tang that balances out the apples, while a touch of lemon juice and vanilla round out the flavors. A sprinkle of sugar on top gives you that golden, slightly crisp finish.

It’s the kind of pie that disappears fast at family dinners, and it’s easier to make than you might think.

SAVE NOW

What Kind of Apples Should I Use?

For apple rhubarb pie, you’ll want to pick apples that hold their shape during baking and won’t turn to mush. Granny Smith apples are a popular choice because they’re tart and firm, which balances nicely with the rhubarb’s tanginess. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or a mix of tart and sweet varieties like Granny Smith and Golden Delicious also work great. Whatever you choose, avoid soft apples like Red Delicious or McIntosh since they tend to break down too much when baked. If you’re using sweeter apples, you might want to cut back slightly on the sugar to keep the filling from getting too sweet.

SAVE NOW

Options for Substitutions

This pie is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Rhubarb: If rhubarb isn’t in season or you can’t find it, you can use all apples instead – just increase to about 4-5 apples total. You could also try strawberries for a different fruit combination.
• Apples: Any firm baking apple works great here. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn are all good choices. Just avoid soft apples that turn mushy when baked.
• Shortening: You can replace the shortening with additional butter for an all-butter crust. It’ll be a bit less flaky but will have great flavor.
• Brown sugar: Regular white sugar works fine if that’s what you have. You can also use honey or maple syrup, but reduce the amount to 3 tablespoons since they’re sweeter.
• Spices: Don’t have all three spices? You can use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice instead of the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
• Lemon juice: Lime juice or even a splash of apple cider vinegar will give you that same bright, tangy note.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake you can make with apple rhubarb pie is skipping the pre-bake of your bottom crust, which leads to a soggy, undercooked base that can ruin an otherwise perfect pie.

Another common error is cutting your rhubarb and apples into uneven pieces – aim for uniform chunks about 1/2-inch thick so everything cooks at the same rate and you don’t end up with mushy rhubarb and crunchy apples.

Make sure to toss your fruit filling with the flour and spices until everything is well coated before adding it to the crust, as this helps thicken the juices and prevents a runny filling.

Finally, don’t rush the cooling process – let your pie cool for at least 2 hours before slicing, or those beautiful juices will run all over your plate instead of staying put in neat, clean slices.

SAVE NOW

What to Serve With Apple Rhubarb Pie?

A warm slice of apple rhubarb pie is absolutely perfect with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top – the cold creaminess balances out the tart rhubarb and sweet apples beautifully. If you’re not an ice cream person, a dollop of fresh whipped cream or even some Greek yogurt works great too. I love serving this pie after a casual dinner with friends, alongside hot coffee or tea, especially during spring when rhubarb is in season. For a really indulgent treat, drizzle some caramel sauce over your slice before adding the ice cream.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your apple rhubarb pie covered loosely with foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want it to last longer, pop it in the fridge where it’ll stay fresh for about 4-5 days. I actually think fruit pies taste even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to meld together!

Freeze: This pie freezes really well, either baked or unbaked. For a baked pie, let it cool completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze it unbaked, which is great for having a homemade pie ready to go whenever you need it.

Serve: If your pie is frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight. To warm it up and get that fresh-baked taste back, heat it in a 350°F oven for about 15-20 minutes. Cold pie straight from the fridge is pretty delicious too, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1800-2000
• Protein: 21-24 g
• Fat: 45-52 g
• Carbohydrates: 340-370 g

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 5 tbsp cold water

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 cups rhubarb (sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces)
• 4 apples (peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping:

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sugar

Step 1: Make and Chill the Pie Dough

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 5 tbsp cold water

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

Cut the cold butter and shortening into small cubes and add to the flour mixture.

Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces throughout—this creates a flaky crust.

Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, gently tossing with a fork until the dough just comes together.

Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Step 2: Prepare the Fruit Filling

• 1 1/2 cups rhubarb
• 4 apples
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

While the dough chills, peel and slice the apples into 1/4-inch wedges.

Slice the rhubarb into 1/2-inch thick pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the apple slices and rhubarb with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.

Toss gently until the fruit is evenly coated with the spice mixture.

I like to let this sit for 10 minutes so the fruit releases some juice and the flavors meld together—this prevents a watery pie with muddled flavors.

Step 3: Preheat Oven and Prepare the Crust

• pie dough from Step 1

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half.

On a floured surface, roll one half into a circle about 1/8-inch thick and large enough to fit your 9-inch pie dish with slight overhang.

Transfer to the pie dish, letting the excess drape over the edges.

Prick the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent excessive bubbling during baking.

Step 4: Pre-Bake the Bottom Crust and Roll the Lattice Top

• remaining pie dough from Step 1

Place the prepared crust in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until it’s set but not yet golden.

While it bakes, roll out the remaining dough half into a thin rectangle on a floured surface.

Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into strips about 1/2-inch wide—these will form your lattice pattern.

Step 5: Assemble and Top the Pie

• fruit filling from Step 2
• dough strips from Step 4
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sugar

Remove the pre-baked crust from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes.

Pour the fruit filling mixture from Step 2 into the warm crust, spreading it evenly.

Weave the dough strips from Step 4 into a lattice pattern over the filling, trimming and tucking the edges under.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon water to create an egg wash.

Brush the lattice and crust edges generously with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar for a sparkling finish.

Step 6: Bake Until Golden and Cool

Bake the assembled pie at 375°F for 35-40 minutes until the lattice top is deep golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling slightly at the edges.

If the edges brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil halfway through.

Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 2 hours at room temperature before slicing—I recommend this cooling time because it allows the filling to set properly, giving you clean slices instead of a runny mess.

Delicious Apple Rhubarb Pie

Delicious Delicious Apple Rhubarb Pie recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings 8 slices

Calories 1900 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dough

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 5 tbsp cold water

For the filling

• 1 1/2 cups rhubarb (sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces)
• 4 apples (peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the topping

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sugar

Instructions

 

• Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter and shortening into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, work the butter and shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with pea-sized pieces throughout—this creates a flaky crust. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time, gently tossing with a fork until the dough just comes together. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
• While the dough chills, peel and slice the apples into 1/4-inch wedges. Slice the rhubarb into 1/2-inch thick pieces. In a large bowl, combine the apple slices and rhubarb with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Toss gently until the fruit is evenly coated with the spice mixture. I like to let this sit for 10 minutes so the fruit releases some juice and the flavors meld together—this prevents a watery pie with muddled flavors.
• Preheat your oven to 375°F. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and divide it in half. On a floured surface, roll one half into a circle about 1/8-inch thick and large enough to fit your 9-inch pie dish with slight overhang. Transfer to the pie dish, letting the excess drape over the edges. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent excessive bubbling during baking.
• Place the prepared crust in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until it's set but not yet golden. While it bakes, roll out the remaining dough half into a thin rectangle on a floured surface. Using a sharp knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into strips about 1/2-inch wide—these will form your lattice pattern.
• Remove the pre-baked crust from the oven and let cool for 2 minutes. Pour the fruit filling mixture from Step 2 into the warm crust, spreading it evenly. Weave the dough strips from Step 4 into a lattice pattern over the filling, trimming and tucking the edges under. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with 1 tablespoon water to create an egg wash. Brush the lattice and crust edges generously with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the remaining sugar for a sparkling finish.
• Bake the assembled pie at 375°F for 35-40 minutes until the lattice top is deep golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling slightly at the edges. If the edges brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 2 hours at room temperature before slicing—I recommend this cooling time because it allows the filling to set properly, giving you clean slices instead of a runny mess.