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The old fashioned Rhubarb Pie is tangy-sweet with a classic custard-style base, it’s based on a recipe passed down from my great-grandma.
I get asked a lot from you all where or how I get the recipes that I post. A chunk of the recipes on my site I develop on my own from scratch after doing some research (Like classic monkey bread or biscoff cheesecake bars).
Other times, I just start adding things to a bowl and the result is delicious (Hello, Monster Cookie Bars, which are one of my family’s favorites).
Rhubarb Custard Pie
However, a good many of my recipes are adaptations of family recipes that have been made for years, or even decades. This recipe for old-fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie was my great grandma’s.
Sometimes, I put a spin on old recipes or alter them to work better, but the recipe below basically straight from my grandma’s.
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie
Most of her recipes have bare bone instructions because the assumption was everyone knew what to with the ingredients.
Sometimes it takes me some trial and error to figure out the process for the recipe, so hopefully, I’ve included enough detail for you below 🙂
I was discussing this recipe on the phone with my mom the other day and she mentioned that my dad never complained about her not cooking like his mom.
Instead he kept telling her she needed to get his Grandma’s recipes. So it’s a lot of her recipes that have been passed down.
My mom glued all her favorite recipe cards and cuttings onto pages and put them in a three ring binder.
When I got married, one of my sisters copied all the pages of the cookbook for me and made my own binder by putting the sheets into plastic protector pages.
I love having all the family recipes in one place and I have been adding myself to it. It’s a great idea if someone is getting married in your family.
Rhubarb Pie Recipe
Anyway, this old fashioned rhubarb pie is as classic as you’ll get. Just rhubarb and a simple custard filling baked in a pie shell.
If you’re comfortable baking pies, it’s about as easy as you can get and if you’re new to baking pies, it’s a great easy one to start with.
If you love rhubarb as much as we do, check out the rhubarb streusel muffins, strawberry rhubarb cobbler, rhubarb oatmeal bars, and strawberry rhubarb crisp.
These rhubarb bars and rhubarb coffee cakes recipes are older, but just as good too!
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9 inch pie crust, unbaked
- 5 cups diced rhubarb cut 1/4 inch thick
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar (you can adjusted it up or down 1/4 cup to your preferred sweetness)
- 2 eggs cold
- 5/8 cup cold whole milk or 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix the rhubarb and sugar together. Spread in the pie crust and set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs, cold milk, flour and salt. Pour over the rhubarb. Bake at 375 F for 50-55 minutes or until filling is set.
- Cool completely before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 5/23/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/18/21}
Craving pie, but rhubarb isn’t your favorite? Check out a few more great springtime pie ideas:
Sweet Cherry Crumb Pie from Baker by Nature
Fresh Strawberry Pie by Together as a Family
Blueberry Crumble Pie by Saving Room for Dessert
I made this as a last minute request, and used frozen rhubarb, thawed and carefully dried. To speed up the process I used Marie Calendar frozen pie crusts
(2 in a pack in aluminum pie plates) which I thawed. As they are made with soy, not butter, I brushed the crusts with melted butter for better flavor prior to filling. Two beloved women in their 80’s, had never tasted rhubarb. They were truly awed and delighted by the experience. Thank you Grace. With warmest regards, Elsa
I’m thrilled that you loved the pie!
I used your recipe to take 2 pies to annual church bar-b-que this past Friday. Was a hit!! I used heavy cream for richer custard. Was a little runny but I think the fruit was really juicy. We’ve had a LOT of rain. That can make a difference. Will increase flour next week when I make it again for my gentleman friend! Maybe 3 eggs ??? Dunno! Thanks for sharing recipe and the story. Hello from North Dakota!
I’m so glad the pies were a hit! Thanks for saying hi!
This recipe is exactly what I remember from my own mom and grandma. Over many moves, had lost the original written down one given to me so very happy to find this. Very good! Thanks for sharing.
I’m happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipe, Evelyn. What a great memory.
It seems to be the general consensus today that meat is bad for you and veggies/fruit are good for you. Nothing could be further from the truth!!! I was so happy to see this recipe. Our grandmas and great-grandmas knew alot. Rhubarb iis very hard on humans because it contains alot of Oxalates. But, cooking rhubarb in milk, removes about 70% of oxalates. So excited to use this recipe when my rhubarb comes up this year!!! Thank you
You’re welcome, Janette. I’m glad you’re enjoying the pie. Happy baking!
It was OK, lacked a topping or something. Also needed a LOT longer to cook.
While we enjoy the pie as written, I’m sure it would be tasty with a crumble topping too.
This was a great pie. I used closer to 6 C. Rhubarb with 1 ⅓ C. Sugar. I didn’t have whole milk so used 5/8 C. 1% milk and 2 T. half and half. It worked beautifully.
That sounds delicious, Elaine. I’m glad that you were able to adapt the recipe to work with what you had available, and that the pie turned out so well as a result. I hope you continue to enjoy the recipe, and happy baking!
Has anyone tried coating the rhubarb in sugar and flour and the. Adding the custard at the end? I have traditionally done it that way and with this recipe I had so many clumps of flour in the end result
I looked at all the rhubarb/custard pie recipes. My Mom made one and for the life of me, couldn’t find the recipe. I revised them to this: 7 cups of rhubarb, 2 beaten eggs, 1 1/3 c sugar, 4 heaping T flour, 1/8 t cinnamon, and dotted the top with butter.
It’s now in the oven so I’m hoping it turns out good.
I hope the result is delicious, Karen. Let me know how the recipe turns out!
Just tried the old fashioned rhubarb pie. Haven’t tried it yet, it’s still in the oven. I think you should check your measurements cause somethings wrong here. No way your going to get it all in a 9″ pie shell
My pie pans are fairly average size, maybe slightly deep and it all fits. How much did you have leftover, Garry?
This is exactly what my Grandmother did with their fresh rhubarb. You are not kidding about bare bones recipes. You better have basic skills in the kitchen to follow them. No instructions, just a list of ingredients and the oven temperature with time to bake. Thanks for the memories!
You are welcome, Vicki! I’m glad the pie has been a classic recipe for you.