Recipes » Apple Rhubarb Pie (Skillet Recipe)

Apple Rhubarb Pie (Skillet Recipe)

ByJulie Menghini Published onJune 26, 2018April 11, 2024 Modified onApril 11, 2024

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Apple Rhubarb Pie Recipe is the perfect blend of sweet and tart. This Cast Iron Skillet pie nestles fresh fruit and flaky crust over a layer of buttery caramel.

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Top down view of an apple rhubarb pie baked in a cast-iron skillet sitting over a red napkin. Fresh apples are in the background and an antique pie server in the front.

By baking this Apple Rhubarb Pie in a cast-iron skillet, people can only anticipate how amazing all of the layers bake together.

This old-fashioned rhubarb pie has been given a makeover by adding fresh delicious apples, and a layer of caramel under a flaky crust.

Warmed and under a spoon of creamy ice cream are what dreams are made of.

When I was a child, my sister and I played outside all day long. We lived in a small community so could go just about anywhere our legs could take us.

We often stopped and picked fruit from trees to snack on or we would dare each other to eat raw rhubarb.

Top down view of an apple rhubarb pie baked in a cast-iron skillet sitting over a red napkin. Fresh apples are in the background.

My mouth puckers up just thinking about it, but who could turn down a dare? I would have picked it by the barrels if someone would have made me a Rhubarb Apple Pie!

I just love cooked rhubarb. Specifically, in a rhubarb pie. I found some gorgeous rhubarb at the farmers market and couldn’t resist.

How to choose Rhubarb

Fresh sliced rhubarb in a white bowl with stalks of rhubarb on an antique tray.

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 contain 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.

Rhubarb is another ingredient that John was convinced he didn’t like. He must have taken the dare too.

This pie busted that myth. I knew he would never go for a rhubarb pie. We love strawberry rhubarb pie and knew that apples and rhubarb could be a winning combination too.

Pin this amazing Skillet Apple Rhubarb Pie Recipe!

Top down photo of a slice of apple rhubarb pie on a white plate. An antique fork sits on the side of the plate. A partial view of the baked pie in a cast-iron skillet sitting over a red napkin is in the background. The title "Apple Rhubarb Pie Cast Iron Skillet recipe" runs across the top.

Apple Rhubarb Pie Ingredients

Apples – I like using a firm apple.
- My choices (from where I live) are Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Jonathans. I’ve also used Fuji.
Rhubarb – I prefer fresh, but frozen will work too.
- Thaw the rhubarb and dab it with a paper towel. Frozen rhubarb can lose moisture but works in this recipe because of the moisture in the apples.
Sugar – White granulated sugar.
- We find the amount of sugar in this recipe compensates for the tartness of the rhubarb. You can add or eliminate as much as 1/4 cup.
Butter – Unsalted
- We don’t use butter substitutes. Real butter is so much better.
- You can use salted butter since no additional salt is added to the recipe.
Flour – All-purpose flour thickens the Apple Rhubarb Pie filling.
Brown Sugar – We use Dark Brown Sugar but you can use what you prefer.
- We find that it has a deeper molasses flavor and is less dry. Light brown sugar actually has more white sugar in it.
Cinnamon -This recipe has a reasonable amount in the recipe but when it comes to cinnamon we’re unreasonable and will end up adding a lot more.
Egg – We use grade A for consistency.
Pie Crusts – You can use your own favorite recipe or buy one.
- We don’t judge. we love my own pie crust but will buy one if we want a pie but don’t feel like making a crust.

Top down photo of a slice of apple rhubarb pie on a white plate with an antique fork sitting next to it. A partial view of the whole pie in a cast-iron skillet is in the background sitting on a red napkin over a wooden background.

We decided to use the same method as my skillet apple pie. That pie was simple to put together and makes clean up so easy.

I’d rather eat pie than cake. Here are a few of our favorite recipes

Why bake the pie in a cast-iron skillet?

We love the way pies bake up in cast iron. The heat just bubbles that caramel layer and cooks the crust right into it.

You can use a 9” or 10” cast-iron skillet. Any baked pie can actually be baked in cast iron.

If you have a newer cast-iron skillet, make sure that it’s seasoned properly before you use it.

The bottom crust that is placed over melted butter and brown sugar before it’s baked adds an amazing caramel layer to this Rhubarb Apple Pie.

It gives this pie a buttery sweet foundation. The sweetness of the apples and brown sugar in contrast with the tang of the rhubarb is a wonderful combination.

Melted brown sugar and butter in the bottom of a cast iron skillet — Brown Sugar & Butter

Cast Iron skillet lined with a rolled pie crust — Brown Sugar & Butter

How to make an Apple Rhubarb Pie

Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet. Add the brown sugar and stir until melted or 1 to 2 minutes. Set it aside to cool. (See tips)
Combine the apples and rhubarb in a large bowl. Add white sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir to coat the fruit.
Lay a bottom crust over the cooled brown sugar and butter in the cast iron skillet. Add the fruit mixture. Top with the top crust and crimp the sides.
Apply an egg wash and sprinkle of sugar to the top. Cut 4 to 6 slits into the top crust to allow the baking pie to steam.
Bake.

Rhubarb Apple Pie tips:

Let the caramel cool before topping with the crust or it will just melt into the caramel.
Depending on how deep your cast-iron skillet is, your bottom crust will not come entirely up the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- Don’t worry about tucking the top crust into the bottom crust. We crimp the edges of the top crust so everyone gets that nice contrast of the flaky crust with the filling and caramel layer.
Our egg wash uses both the yolk and white mixed with a teaspoon of water and whipped together.
- Many egg washes use only the white, but I’ve found the crust browns more golden by using both.
- What eggwash we have left are cooked up for our pup. She loves them.
Add the egg wash and quickly follow with the sugar.
- If the wash dries, the sugar will not adhere or cook onto the crust and just falls off.
- We like turbinado sugar. It’s a coarser sugar that adds a nice crunch to the top of the pie.
Don’t try and serve the pieces in slices. Grab a big ole spoon and put it under a layer of ice cream. I dare anyone to complain!

This pie was juicy, and when we sliced it, thick juices ran. That wasn’t a problem for us, especially when spooned over that scoop of ice cream…ok, make that two scoops of ice cream!

I’d say I’m just a dessert lover. And, if you love cakes, here are some of our BEST CAKE recipes

Our Rhubarb Cake has a sugary walnut topping with a crunch. It’s so easy and great for summer just like our Lemon Poke Cake and this Key Lime Pound Cake. I’ve got so many favorite cakes! What is your favorite?

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.

Top down view of a apple rhubarb pie baked in a cast-iron skillet sitting on a red napkin. Fresh apples sit in the background.

Apple Rhubarb Skillet Pie

Author: Hostess At Heart

Apple Rhubarb Pie Recipe is the perfect blend of sweet and tart. This Cast Iron Skillet pie nestles fresh fruit and flaky crust over a layer of buttery caramel.

4.34 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 30

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword: Apple Rhubarb Pie, Rhubarb Skillet Pie

Servings:

Ingredients

2 cups apples sliced 1/2″ thick
2 cups rhubarb diced 1/2″ thick
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp flour
1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1 pie crusts package refrigerated or homemade
1 egg whipped with 1 tsp water
2 tbsp turbinado sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F, and place a baking sheet on the lowest rack to catch any drips from the pie.
Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add the brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, add the sliced apples,diced rhubarb, cinnamon, flour, and granulated white sugar. Stir to combine.
Place 1 pie crust in a 10" cast-iron skillet over the brown sugar mixture. Spoon the fruit mixture over pie crust, and top with remaining pie crust.
Whisk the egg with 1 tsp of water until no longer thick. Brush the top of pie crust with the egg wash. Immediately sprinkle the top of the crust with 2 tablespoons granulated or turbinado sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape.
Bake at 350F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes if the pie is becoming excessivly brown.
Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Let the caramel cool before topping with the crust or it will just melt into the caramel.
Depending on how deep your cast-iron skillet is, your bottom crust will not come entirely up the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- I don’t worry about tucking the top crust into the bottom crust. I crimp the edges of the top crust so everyone gets that nice contrast of the flaky crust with the filling and caramel layer.
My egg wash uses both the yolk and white mixed with a teaspoon of water and whipped together.
- Many egg washes use only the white, but I’ve found the crust browns more golden by using both.
- What eggwash I have left I cook up for my pup. She loves it.
Add the egg wash quickly followed by the sugar.
- If it dries, the sugar will not adhere or cook onto the crust and just falls off.
- I like turbinado sugar. It’s a coarser sugar that adds a nice crunch.
Don’t try and serve the pieces in slices. Grab a big ole spoon and put it under a layer of ice cream. I dare anyone to complain!

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 1gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 147mgFiber: 1gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 320IUVitamin C: 3.1mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 0.7mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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2 photo collage for Pinterest. The bottom photo is of a top down view of an apple rhubarb pie baked in a cast-iron skillet sitting over a red napkin. The top photo is a slice of the pie on a white plate. The title "Apple Rhubarb Pie Cast Iron Pie Recipe" runs between the photos.