A sweet, simple & delicious French Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping. Easy baking for a summer day 🙂
Oh, I love days like these. It’s warm, it’s beautiful, it’s so wonderful to be outside! Summer is almost here and all the warm sunshine brings all the farms and gardens back to life.
I live in a farming county and am pretty much surrounded by farmland. So not only do I get to breathe in that fresh country air (eek), I also get the fresh produce perks.
I’m not sure how it is in other parts of the country or world, but here you’ll find many farmers have roadside produce stands. Most of them offer simply whatever is in season, while others will have a selection of homemade jams, sauerkraut, pickled veggies, butters, baked goods and such.
You have to know which produce stands to visit, though. The stands I go to are 50% – 80% cheaper than what you’ll find in a farmers market or grocery store. I’ve seen some stands that are priced far higher, some are even higher than local stores that carry the same local produce. These pricey stands, located on the main roads, thrive off all the tourist traffic. Locals know to drive a few minutes off the main roads to find the same fresh produce at a much more Lancaster County price.
I was excited to pass my favorite produce stand and find it open for the season. I grabbed ten stalks of rhubarb for $2 bucks and a big bundle of asparagus for $2 bucks. Happiness!
Further down the road, I found a farm with a small table of fresh strawberries for sale. Being some of the first of the season, strawberry prices are still top dollar. I grabbed two quart containers for $8 and it was worth every single cent. Fresh, juicy strawberries LOADED with flavor. Ohhh, it’s been awhile…
This, folks, is how the majority of my cooking inspiration occurs. I tend to not plan ahead – I enjoy being sporadic. I usually visit produce stands and local farm & discount stores and then build meals and baking ideas around those finds. It keeps things creative and fun – predictability gets boring!
I had just made a Rhubarb Kuchen – my husband and I loved it – but it was just too much rhubarb for the kiddos. I didn’t want them to miss out on the joys of fresh rhubarb, so I threw together this French Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
Is it really French? I don’t know. I’ve been eating this French Rhubarb Pie forever and have never bothered to ask or find out. I just know I love it’s sweet simplicity. I often add strawberries to it for those that don’t have the palate for just rhubarb, in all it’s glorious boldness.
This pie is simple to make – chop, mix and bake till golden brown. It has to be refrigerated after cooled, but the crumbs on top will hold up for a day or two before getting mushy.
So get the rhubarb while the getting is good. I hope you love this French Rhubarb Pie!
Thanks for stopping by!
-Amanda-
- 9" pie crust, unbaked
- Filling:
- 2 cups diced rhubarb, 4-5 stalks
- 1½ cups strawberries, hulled, cut into fourths if large, halved if small
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon flour, heaping
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Topping:
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- ⅓ cup butter
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 9" pie dish with pie crust.
- For pie filling:
- In a mixing bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, egg, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir gently until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon into pie shell.
- For topping:
- Combine flour and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Cut in slices of cold butter with a pastry blender until mixture is pea size crumbled.
- Sprinkle topping mixture over top of pie.
- Place pie on a cookie sheet (not necessary - but far easier to remove when done baking) and bake at 400° for 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 350° and bake for an additional 25 - 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
- Cool pie on wire rack.
- Slice, serve and enjoy.
- Store pie covered in fridge. Best eaten within a day or two of baking.
This is such a beautiful and perfect looking pie for summer! I love the strawberry rhubarb flavor combo. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much, Anu 🙂
That brown sugar crumb topping looks really good! Rhubarb is just about the only local produce that’s being harvested so far here in North Dakota, but hopefully our ONE local farmstand will open next month 🙂
Thanks Erin – I love that crumb topping! I hear ya – the produce pickings are slim this time of the year. So far rhubarb, asparagus and some greens are in season in PA. Strawberry season is just starting. Can’t wait till we’re in full swing!
This pie looks gorgeous and delicious. I love the recipe combo!
Thanks so much Kushi! I love rhubarb & strawberry together – soooo good 🙂
Could you just do straight rhubarb if you wanted?
Hi Becky. The recipe would have to be modified a bit for straight rhubarb.
This looks ah-mazing and I will have to try once I find some fresh produce! I live in Northern Cali (albeit not for long) and it embarrassing-ly never occurred to me to drive down the side roads to find produce stands less pricey. I will have to look into it this weekend! Thanks for this recipe!
Love Strawberry Rhubarb pie and this one sounds amazing with the crumb topping.
I have never had rhubarb pie before but I know it’s a classic! Definitely need to try your recipe 😉 perfect pie for Spring!!
I really love strawberry and rhubarb. I need to make this pie! I’ve never done one with a crumble top; I’m sure it’s delicious!
This has my mouth watering. I really need to pick up some rhubarb.
oh wow this looks sooo good! I love strawberry rhubarb pie! One of my favourite pie combos. I have never heard it called French Strawberry Rhubarb before, that’s so interesting! I need to look into that…love the history behind different foods and recipes.
I love getting fruits and veggies at road side stops and farmers markets. We’re too cold for that here yet (still ice storms and snow, so really far from fresh fruit season haha) but I am excited for summer when I can buy all the delicious fresh fruit at road side booths. I can’t WAIT for rhubarb as I can’t find it here at all (even frozen) during the winter. This summer I’m going to buy tons and freeze it for the winter (because I REALLY miss my strawberry/rhubarb pie!!). This pie sounds amazing and love that crumble top 😀