Rhubarb Custard Pie

Name: Rhubarb Custard Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 7 h 50 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: All-purpose flour, for work surface; 1/2 recipe Basic Pie Dough; 1/3 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 1 1/2 tbsp. light brown sugar; Pinch freshly grated nutmeg; 1/8 tsp. kosher salt; 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 3/4 c. granulated sugar; 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour; 1/4 tsp. kosher salt; 1 c. sour cream, at room temperature; 1/3 c. heavy cream, at room temperature; 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1 tsp. grated lemon zest; 2 c. chopped fresh rhubarb (9 ounces) or 3 3/4 cups frozen chopped rhubarb, thawed

Tart and delicious, early summer's rhubarb makes an ideal pie filling.

By Torie CoxPublished: Feb 27, 2023

1 Rating

Jump to recipe

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Yields:

8 serving(s)

Prep Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

7 hrs 50 mins

If you haven't tried a classic rhubarb pie, then this is the moment to drop what you're doing, order any ingredients you don't have, and start cooking as soon as possible.

The bright red, super tart talks of the rhubarb plant make one of the most enticing and delicious pie fillings you'll ever have. The tangy flavor helps offset the sugar and sweetness of custard, so that instead of becoming cloying or heavy, the colorful pie practically sings with flavor.

Fresh rhubarb loves cold weather, so it's an early-to-mid spring treat in most of the U.S., although in Alaska, it can be found growing as late as July, and gets surprisingly large. The leaves of the rhubarb plant are famously toxic—only the bright red stems are edible. And truthfully, they're best only after being mixed with plenty of sugar and cooked into a compote or other recipe.

Though it's delicious when paired with sweet fruits such as strawberry or pineapple, it works very well with a rich, eggy custard, as in this recipe.

Can't find fresh rhubarb at your local farmers' market or grocery store? Most stores carry frozen chopped rhubarb year-round, so you don't have to wait for it to be in season to try making this delicious pie.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Ingredients

For the crust:

All-purpose flour, for work surface
1/2 recipe Basic Pie Dough

For the streusel:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 1/2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

For the filling:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb (9 ounces) or 3 3/4 cups frozen chopped rhubarb, thawed

Directions

1. Step 1Make crust: Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in bottom and middle positions. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to a 12-inch circle. Fit in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Trim excess to 1 inch, fold edges under, and crimp. Prick bottom and sides of piecrust several times with a fork. Freeze 20 minutes. Line piecrust with aluminum foil or parchment paper, and fill with pie weights, rice, or dried beans, pressing all the way to the edge.
2. Step 2Place piecrust on a prepared baking sheet. Bake, on the bottom rack, 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and pie weights. Bake until edges are light golden brown and bottom of crust is dry, 5 to 10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Step 3Make streusel: Meanwhile, stir together flour, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Add butter and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers until butter is fully incorporated and mixture is the texture of wet sand. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
4. Step 4Make filling and assemble: Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Whisk together sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Add sour cream, heavy cream, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest and whisk until combined.
5. Step 5Reserve 1/4 cup rhubarb. Arrange remaining rhubarb in a single layer in bottom of crust. Top with custard and reserved rhubarb. Bake, on middle rack, 25 minutes. Remove pie from oven and top with streusel. Shield edges of pie with foil. Bake until filling is set but center is still jiggly, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.