Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe (with Lattice Crust)

Mom’s Old-fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie recipe combines a sweet-tart rhubarb filling topped with creamy custard under a buttery lattice pie crust. This super easy rhubarb dessert has only 8 ingredients and comes together in no time.

This old-fashioned rhubarb custard pie will take you back to lazy days spent on porches or at picnics. Sharing a homemade pie is an act of love that are guaranteed to make your friends and family feel special.

When rhubarb season comes around, I’ll snatch up as much fresh rhubarb as I can get my hands on whether it’s at the farmer’s market or our grocery store. The tartness of the rhubarb adds a delicious contrast to the sweetness of our favorite rhubarb dessert recipes. Mom’s Rhubarb Custard Pie is at the top of that list. Just one creamy bite and you’ll understand why! If you’re lucky enough to get some fresh strawberries, our Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is another favorite. 

HOW TO CHOOSE RHUBARB

Rhubarb is in season in the Midwest beginning in April for about 8 to 10 weeks. However, some plants continue producing throughout the summer.

You can tell the rhubarb is ripe when the stalks are 12 to 18 inches long and the stalks are firm, crisp, and have shiny skins according to One Green Planet.

Avoid choosing rhubarb that is soft, limp, or contains blemishes.

Rhubarb, once picked, can dry out quickly. It’s best to store fresh rhubarb stalks in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Don’t cut them until you’re ready to use it.

If you can’t use the fresh rhubarb immediately, you can cut it and freeze it in an air-tight container.

WHY MAKE THIS OLD-FASHIONED RHUBARB PIE RECIPE?

If you already love an easy rhubarb dessert, you’re going to love our Rhubarb Custard Pie recipe. This is a very traditional pie in many parts of the United States so for many of us it is comfort food at its finest.

WHAT IS A RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE?

Our creamy sweet custard starts with fresh eggs whipped with sugar and thickened with flour. Fresh rhubarb is folded into the rich egg custard mixture to create a rhubarb custard pie filling which is baked in an unbaked pie shell. The result is a thick sweet and tart creamy filling in a buttery pie crust.

This is a very traditional rhubarb pie in many parts of the United States so for many of us it is comfort food at its finest.

I’ve had custard pies that taste like scrambled eggs so I was hesitant to try Mom’s Rhubarb Custard Pie. However, mom’s recipe tastes rich and creamy. Nothing like scrambled eggs!

RHUBARB CUSTARD INGREDIENTS

• Fresh Rhubarb. Approximately 1 pound. You want enough rhubarb that when added to the custard mixture fills the bottom pie crust base. 
• Sugar. Plain white granulated sugar
• Cinnamon. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg which you’ll find in other rhubarb custard pie recipes.
• Salt. Even a small amount of salt does a great job making the sweet ingredients stand out.
• Eggs. We use Grade A Large eggs for consistency in our baking.
• Flour. All Purpose flour.
• Pie crusts. I prefer my All-Butter Pie Crust recipe. This recipe is for double crusts which is what you need. You can use store-bought pie crust if that’s what you prefer. 

HOW TO MAKE RHUBARB CUSTARD PIE

It’s a super easy rhubarb pie to make, especially if you buy your pie crusts already made!

1. Preheat your oven to 400º first so it gets nice and hot.
2. Slice the up the rhubarb.
3. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt together.
4. Add the beaten eggs to the dry ingredients and mix until creamy.
5. Fold in the sliced rhubarb.
6. Place the first pie crust in your baking dish.
7. Add the fruit mixture.

8. Dot the filling with diced butter.
9. Slice the top crust into strips and make a lattice (see instructions below).

10. Whisk one egg and a teaspoon of water together to make an egg wash.
11. Cover the top crust with the egg wash and quickly sprinkle with the turbinado (coarse) sugar before the egg wash dries. Note, you can use white sugar over the top of the crust which is what my mom did.
12. If you aren’t making a lattice crust place a crust over the pie and crimp it to the top and bottom crust together. Make 4 to 6 slits with a sharp knife in the top pie crust so the steam can escape.
13. Bake until golden brown.

HOW TO MAKE A LATTICE CRUST

Adding a lattice crust makes it look like an old-fashioned rhubarb custard pie and we love how it shows off all that delicious filling. Don’t let that fancy lattice top scare you! Our steps are below and our video will show you exactly how to do it.

1. Start by rolling out a crust thinly in 11-1/2 to 12-inch diameter. You want to be able to cover the bottom crust so we roll it a little larger than the pie plate.
   • We place the crust on the back of a baking sheet which keeps it from sticking and makes it easy to cut and pick up the strips. You can use a lightly floured surface as well.

2. Using a knife or ravioli cutter, cut the crust into strips about 1/2 inch wide.
3. Starting in the center, lay the largest strip vertically down the center of the pie. Continue placing strips about an inch apart until you get to the side edges.

4. Pull up every other strip and lay a pie crust strip horizontally through the center of the pie. Close the strips that you just pulled up and pull up the strips that haven’t been pulled up yet and lay another strip horizontally about an inch apart. Continue this pattern until the lattice crust is complete.
5. Cut off any extra long strips then tuck them under the bottom crust. Flute the edges.

TIPS FOR THE BEST

Use fresh rhubarb for your old-fashioned Rhubarb Custard Pie. This will ensure that your pie will not be watery. You can use frozen rhubarb but make sure it is completely thawed and press any excess moisture out of it.

Rhubarb custard filling can be made in an electric stand mixer but we would still fold in the rhubarb with a spoon or spatula.

We put our unbaked pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to prevent it from bubbling over in the oven.

Shield the pie with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes if the pie is becoming excessively brown.

Many egg washes use only the whites, but we’ve found the crust browns more golden by using both.

If the egg wash dries, the coarse sugar will not stick. Put it on right away for a delicious crunch and texture.

Cook your pie until the crust is browned. This will ensure a buttery flaky crust.

What eggwash I have left I cook up for my pup. She loves it.

STORING AND FREEZING YOUR PIE

You can keep a rhubarb pie for several days. We recommend that you refrigerate it which will help to keep the juices from running out of the pie and becoming soggy.

You can freeze this pie. Tightly wrap and place the pie in an air-tight container to keep for up to three months in the freezer.

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE RHUBARB RECIPES

Apple Rhubarb Pie. A tart and sweet pie that will surprise you.

Rhubarb Sauce. Make this delicious smooth sauce as an ice cream drizzle, jam, or even served over pork.

Rhubarb Crisp with Strawberry Jello. This is a family favorite and one perfect for a make and take.

Rhubarb Muffins. A beautifully moist muffin with cinnamon crumble. It’s one of our most popular recipes!

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

This recipe was originally shared on 7/9/2021 and has been updated to add tips and substitutions to improve our readers’ experience. No changes were made to the recipe.

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