Blueberry Rhubarb Pie
intro
Sweet-tart, juicy blueberry rhubarb pie pairs bright summer produce with a flaky buttery double crust, ideal for sharing at casual warm-weather gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare flaky pie crust
In a large bowl, mix 360g all-purpose flour and ¾ tsp fine sea salt. Add 226g cold cubed unsalted butter, and use your fingertips to rub butter into flour until the mixture forms uneven pea-sized crumbs. Drizzle in 80ml ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork until the dough just clumps together (do not overwork, as this creates tough crust). Split dough into two equal discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling.
Mix fruit filling
In a large mixing bowl, combine 450g 1-inch chopped rhubarb, 340g rinsed, patted-dry fresh blueberries, 200g granulated sugar, 30g tapioca starch, ¼ tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp fresh lemon zest, and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon. Toss gently with a silicone spatula until all fruit is evenly coated in the sugar-starch mixture, then let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to let fruit release initial juices.
Line pie dish with crust
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Retrieve one chilled dough disc, and roll it on a lightly floured work surface to a 12-inch (30cm) circle that is 3mm (1/8-inch) thick. Gently lift the rolled dough and drape it over a standard 9-inch (23cm) glass pie dish, pressing it firmly against the bottom and up the sides of the dish, leaving a 1-inch (2.5cm) overhang around the rim. Trim any excess dough longer than 1 inch with kitchen shears.
Add filling and top crust
Pour the rested fruit filling and all accumulated juices into the crust-lined pie dish, spreading it into a smooth, even layer. Roll the second chilled dough disc out to an 11-inch (28cm) circle of the same 3mm thickness, and drape it evenly over the top of the filling. Press the top and bottom crust overhangs together firmly to create a tight seal, then crimp the edge decoratively with your fingertips or a fork. Cut 4 evenly spaced 1-inch slits in the center of the top crust to allow steam to vent during baking.
Add wash and bake pie
Brush the entire surface of the top crust and crimped edge with the 50g beaten egg, then sprinkle evenly with 12g coarse sanding sugar for a crisp, sparkling top. Place the pie on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (to catch bubbling fruit drips) and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and thick, bubbling fruit juice is visible through the steam slits.
Cool pie before serving
Remove the fully baked pie from the oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Let it cool completely at room temperature for a full 2 hours before slicing, to allow the tapioca starch to set the filling into a thick, scoopable consistency. Serve slices at room temperature, or slightly warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.
Tips
2.Never skip the full 2-hour cooling time: the tapioca starch thickener sets as the pie cools, and slicing the pie hot out of the oven will cause the filling to run out into a loose, soupy mess.
3.If the crimped crust edge browns faster than the rest of the pie during baking, wrap a narrow strip of aluminum foil around the edge after the first 25 minutes of baking to shield it from burning before the filling is fully cooked.
OMG this blueberry rhubarb pie was the star of our Memorial Day potluck! I was worried the rhubarb would be too tart for my picky kids but the balance with the sweet blueberries was *chef’s kiss*. My husband already asked me to make it again for our Fourth of July cookout. Only note: I added a tiny extra tablespoon of cornstarch because my rhubarb was super juicy, came out perfectly set.
Took a swing at this for my mom’s birthday dinner since rhubarb is her favorite. Flavor was incredible but my crust shrank a little on the sides? Did I overwork the dough maybe? Cook time was spot on for me, the filling didn’t run at all when I cut into it after letting it cool the full 3 hours.
SO good. I used frozen wild blueberries instead of fresh since that’s all I had on hand and it still tasted insane. The tart rhubarb cuts through the sweetness so you don’t get that cloying too-sweet pie vibe a lot of fruit pies have. 10/10 will be in my regular baking rotation from now on.
Game changer. I’ve made a lot of rhubarb pies over the years but adding blueberries is such a no-brainer I can’t believe I never thought of it before. Brought this to my office potluck yesterday and the whole pan was gone in 10 minutes, people were begging for the recipe.
Made this with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the crust and it turned out AMAZING. I was nervous the gluten-free crust would get soggy under the fruit filling but I blind baked it for 10 minutes first and it stayed perfectly crisp. My whole family (even the non-gluten-free folks) devoured half the pie in one sitting.
I’m literally a total beginner, I’ve never baked a pie from scratch before, and I was scared this would be too hard (saw the medium difficulty rating!) but the instructions were so straightforward. It didn’t look as pretty as the photo but it tasted so good my roommate thought I bought it from a fancy bakery.
Perfect way to use up the rhubarb and blueberries I picked up at the farmers market last weekend. The cinnamon hint in the filling is so subtle and perfect, I wouldn’t change a single thing.
Wait, the total cook time said 1 hour 25 minutes but mine took almost an hour 40? Did I do something wrong? I didn’t preheat my oven long enough probably? Flavor was still chef’s kiss, just took a little longer than I planned so we ate pie a tiny bit later than dessert time, no complaints from the kids though.
Confession: I skipped making the homemade crust and used a store bought refrigerated crust because I hate rolling out dough, and this pie still slapped. 10/10, no shame. The filling is so flavorful it carries the whole thing, even with a lazy store bought crust.
Added a little lemon zest to the filling like I do with all my fruit pies and it elevated this so much. The bright citrus pairs so well with the blueberry and rhubarb, highly recommend that tiny add-in.
Served this warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top and my entire extended family said it was the best dessert they’d had at a family dinner all year. Not a single slice left, even my super picky 7 year old niece asked for seconds.
Made a test batch of this last night to prep for my brunch next weekend and it’s incredible — does anyone know if it holds up well if baked a full day ahead? I don’t want the crust to get soggy if I store it covered on the counter overnight.
Used a little sourdough discard in my crust for a tiny tang and it paired so perfectly with the sweet-tart filling. If you have discard lying around, throw 2 tablespoons in, you won’t regret it. Will definitely be making this combo all summer long.
I had never cooked with rhubarb before and I was so intimidated but this recipe walked me through every step. My only mistake was not cutting the rhubarb small enough so some chunks were a little firmer than I wanted, but that was 100% my error, not the recipe’s. Can’t wait to make it again and chop the rhubarb finer next time.