This old school Rhubarb Custard Pie is a classic recipe that takes this humble backyard garden vegetable (yes vegetable!) and turns it into a tart, yet sweet and satisfying dessert.
Jump to RecipeRhubarb, while used largely in its sweetened form is actually a vegetable. It is most common to cold weather climates, is easy to grow, and is quite prolific in the spring.
Growing up in the Midwest, every backyard had its rhubarb plant, and every mom had rhubarb pies cooling on the stovetop in the springtime. Rhubarb pie is standard farmhouse fare, but the pie that I remember my mother would make is a Rhubarb Custard Pie. It is a magical combination of the unique tart flavors of rhubarb and a sweet custard base baked in a handmade and flakey pie crust.
I continue to forget how much I love this pie until I take the first bite.
It is then I remember why this might be one of my favorite pies. The combination of the tart rhubarb, the sweet custard filling, and the flakey crust is truly unique. It tastes of farms, and family, and backyards in summer… and the sweet culmination of hearty, delicious home cooking.
So, as I set out to recreate an old school Rhubarb Custard pie from scratch, I needed to consult the master. My mom. As with most recipes of “the day”, stuff might be written down, stuff might not. Lots of improvising happened, depending on ingredients on hand, and how many coming for dinner. Mom raised a big family. Her pies were often baked on cookie sheets to serve a crowd, and the proportions would be altered accordingly.
The point is, there really is a lot of flexibility here to make adjustments as necessary to account for changes in pan sizes or what ingredients were on hand. These are my instructions for a standard 9-inch pie. The ingredients are quite simple:
RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE INGREDIENTS
- 9-inch pie crust
- Chopped and sweetened rhubarb
- Custard filling – eggs, milk, vanilla, flour
Add flour and sugar to a bowl of diced rhubarb, and allow to sit while making the pie crust. This will macerate the rhubarb as it absorbs the sugar.
The most time-consuming part is making the pie crust. Using a store-bought pie crust is a completely acceptable shortcut. However, the pie crust is just a few simple ingredients and comes together quite quickly in a food processor. The extra 10 minutes it takes to put together a homemade crust is ALWAYS worth the time.
BASIC PIE CRUST INGREDIENTS:
- Flour
- Fat (butter, shortening, oil)
- Salt
- Cold Water
Combine the dry ingredients with the shortening in a food processor. Slowly add a tablespoon of ice water at a time until the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a counter or plastic rolling mat and roll out the pie dough into a 12-inch round, and fit into a 9-inch pie shell.
Make a custard with milk, eggs, and vanilla. Fill the pie shell with the sweetened rhubarb and pour the custard evenly around the rhubarb.
Bake the pie in a hot oven for the first 15 minutes, then turn down the heat and bake another 45-50 minutes or until set.
The pie is ready when the custard is no longer runny in the center. Cool the pie for at least an hour before eating. This pie is delicious either warm or chilled. Because of the eggs, it should be kept in the refrigerator once cooled, and for up to 3 days.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It is one of my favorite old school recipes my mom had made regularly.
Please try it and let me know if you agree!
Old School Rhubarb Custard Pie
Equipment
- 9 Inch Pie Pan
- Large Bowl
- Food processor
- Measuring Spoons and Cups
- Knife
- Rolling Pin and plastic rolling mat
Ingredients
Basic Pie Crust
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp Sugar
- 2/3 Cup Vegetable Shortening
- 4-5 Tbsp Ice Cold Water
Pie Filling
- 4 Cups Diced Rhubarb
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Flour
- 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
- 2 Lg Eggs
- 1/8 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Basic Pie Crust
- In a food processor, add the Flour, Sugar and Salt, and pulse briefly to combine.
- Add Shortening, pulse several times until it resembles rice.
- Adding one tablespoon of water at a time, pulse for several seconds after adding each until the dough just comes together. Use as little water as necessary, and pulse only long enough to bring the dough together into a soft dough. (Too much water, or too much mixing will lead to a tougher dough).
- Empty dough onto a plastic rolling sheet. Bring together into a disk and cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Roll dough out into a 12-13 inch circle. Remove the top plastic sheet and turn over onto a 9-inch pie plate. Fit into the pie and form the edging. Set aside until ready to fill.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 450F. Place diced rhubarb in a non-reactive bowl with sugar and flour. Stir until well combined. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until sugar is no longer dry.
- Mix the custard filling by combining the remaining ingredients and beating together until incorporated.
- Fill the unbaked pie shell with the diced rhubarb, sugar, flour mixture. Pour the custard filling mix over the rhubarb to cover. Place in a preheated 450F oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 325F and bake another 40-50 minutes until the custard filling is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before serving. Then keep refrigerated.