Easy Old Fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie
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Rhubarb custard pie is a beautiful way to mellow tart rhubarb taste in a smooth, creamy filling. This easy rhubarb pie recipe can be made with one crust or two. (Heck, you could even skip the crust and just make a rhubarb custard dessert.)
It only has four ingredients in the filling, so it’s super simple to make. Enjoy it plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You may use a purchased pie crust if you like, but I prefer made from scratch pie crust.
To enjoy rhubarb goodies year round, chop and freeze rhubarb stalks. Pack them in 1 to 3 cup packages (whatever your favorite recipes use). Remember, rhubarb pieces shrink up a bit when they thaw, so if using previously frozen rhubarb, you may want to add a bit extra.
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe
Adapted from Great Pies You Can Bake
Makes 8 slices
Ingredients
- Pastry for nine inch double crust (or single, if preferred)
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 cups diced fresh or previously frozen rhubarb
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Roll out half of the pastry dough. (Keep the dough for the top crust chilled.) Line a 9 inch pie pan with the bottom crust.
Combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix in eggs and rhubarb. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of flour into the bottom of the crust. Pour rhubarb filling into the bottom crust.
Roll out top crust (if desired). Cut vent holes or weave into lattice. Apply to top of pie. Crimp edges to seal.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the crust. (Skip this if using a single crust.)
Bake at 450° F for 10 minutes to set the crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F and bake about 30 minutes more or until the custard is set. Allow the pie to cool completely to room temperature before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Note: If you use cold rhubarb (out of the refrigerator or freezer), baking time at 350° F will roughly double.
Basic Pastry Crust
Makes two 9 inch crusts. (Cut recipe in half for a single crust pie.)
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup lard or palm shortening or half lard/half butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Directions
Cut together flour, salt and lard/butter with two knives or a pastry blender until mixture forms pea size lumps and is evenly blended.
Mix other ingredients in small bowl, blending well.
Pour liquid over flour/lard mix. Blend with fork until you can form the dough into a ball. To keep crust light and flaky, do not overwork the dough.
Roll out between sheets of waxed paper lightly dusted with flour for easier handling. Store dough wrapped in the refrigerator for several days, or freeze for longer storage.
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Tips for Homemade Pie Crust
You can use a store bought crust, but homemade pie crust is great if you have just a smidgen more time. My boys generally won’t eat pie away from home, because they don’t like commercial pie crusts.
The “secret” to a perfect pie crust from scratch is to keep your ingredients chilled and work the dough gently. You want to retain small lumps of fat in the crust. They melt during cooking and create air pockets, giving you a lighter, flakier crust.
I buy non-hydrogenated local lard, which can be a little tough to find in some areas. You may have more luck at a butcher or ethnic market (many grocery stores on carry hydrogenated lard).
Sustainably raised palm shortening will give similar results. Many folks use vegetable shortening, but I don’t care for the long list of health risks on that one.
I baked this one with Namaste gluten free flour blend and local lard, and it turned out quite well. Gluten free flour tends to be a less elastic, which makes the basket weave top more challenging.
I prefer cane sugar over beet sugar for more even browning. I dressed this pie up with a lattice top for the photos, but you can make a single crust rhubarb custard pie by skipping the top crust.
Rolling Your Pie Crust and Baking the Pie
My mom always rolled out her pie pastry between two sheets of lightly floured waxed paper, and that’s what I do, too. It makes it easier to get a thinner crust and place it on the pie. You should always cut some slits in your top crust to allow steam to escape.
When making a basket weave, I first cut the crust into strips. I then weave the strips on the wax paper, and press them lightly together where they touch. I then lift the wax paper and crust together and place the crust on the pie.
This keeps the custard filling from getting all over the strips of dough, which is likely to happen if you weave the dough on the pie.
To keep crusts from getting too brown around the edges, I use a pie crust shield.
For catching any wayward drips, I have a pie drip pan. (This pan also works great for any smaller pan that you think may run over in the oven.)
For more pie crust recipes and tips, check out “Best Pie Crust Recipes Plus Tips for Perfect Pies Every Time“.
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie
This rhubarb custard pie is a beautiful way to mellow the tartness of rhubarb in a smooth, creamy filling.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- Pastry for nine inch double crust (or single, if preferred)
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (cane sugar preferred)
- 3 tablespoons flour, divided (may substitute gluten free flour blend)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 cups diced fresh rhubarb
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F. Roll out half of the pastry dough. (Keep the dough for the top crust chilled.) Line the pie plate with the bottom crust.
- Combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix in eggs and rhubarb. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of flour into the bottom of the crust. Pour rhubarb filling into the bottom crust.
- Roll out top crust (if desired). Cut vent holes or weave into lattice. Apply to top of pie. Crimp edges to seal.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the crust. (Skip if using a single crust.)
- Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes to set the crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake about 30 minutes more or until the custard is set. Cool before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
If you use cold rhubarb (out of the refrigerator), baking time at 350° F will roughly double.
Basic Pastry Crust
Makes two 9 inch crusts. (Cut recipe in half for a single crust pie.)
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup lard or palm shortening or half lard/half butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Directions
Cut together flour, salt and lard/butter with two knives or a pastry blender until mixture forms pea size lumps and is evenly blended. Mix together other ingredients in small bowl, blend well. Pour liquid over flour/lard mix. Blend with fork until you can form the dough into a ball. To keep crust light and flaky, do not overwork the dough. Roll out between sheets of waxed paper lightly dusted with flour for easier handling. Dough will keep wrapped in the refrigerator for several days or can be frozen.
Memories of Rhubarb Custard Pie
Back at the family catering business, we had a regular restaurant client called the Three Little Pigs.
This restaurant ordered rhubarb pie every single week from the beginning to the end of the rhubarb season. To keep them stocked, we made a LOT of rhubarb pies over the years. The custard and rhubarb combination is still my favorite.
You may also enjoy these easy rhubarb recipes for drinks, preserves and desserts:
See The Complete Guide to Growing Rhubarb for help with your rhubarb plants.
What’s your favorite rhubarb recipe? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie grew up in the kitchen, learning baking and home cooking from her momma. At age 15, she and her mom and two sisters created Irene’s Custom Cakes & Catering, which was her summer job through most of high school and college.
Originally posted in 2016, updated in 2023.