Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe

Name: Rhubarb Custard Pie
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 4 h 40 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting; 125 g cold butter, cubed; 1 tsp caster sugar; ½ tsp fine salt; 4 to 5 tbsp iced water; 500 g rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces; 200 g caster sugar; 3 tbsp plain flour; 3 large eggs; 120 ml double cream; Finely grated zest of 1 orange; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Why This Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe Works

Rhubarb custard pie is one of the most beloved pies in Canada, especially on the prairies, where rhubarb grows in nearly every garden and comes up so early in spring that it is often the first fresh fruit of the year. Rhubarb is a vegetable that is eaten as a fruit, with tart, tangy stalks that need a lot of sugar, and it pairs beautifully with the mild, creamy sweetness of a baked custard, which mellows the acidity and turns the whole into something soft and rich. A fruit pie made with rhubarb alone can be watery and sharp, and the custard fixes that. The eggs and flour in the custard bind the juices as they come out of the fruit, so it sets in the oven into a tender wedge rather than a puddle, and a little cream makes it silky. The important detail is the baking. It starts hot, at 200°C, to set the bottom crust before the filling can soak it, and then the oven is turned down to 175°C so that the custard bakes gently, without curdling. The pie is done when the centre is just set and only slightly wobbly, and it must be left to cool for at least two hours, when the custard finishes setting. Cutting a warm rhubarb custard pie gives a runny slice.

How to Make Rhubarb Custard Pie

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Rub the cold butter into the 250 g of flour, the 1 teaspoon of sugar and the salt until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add the iced water a tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together. Shape into a flat disc, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C / 355°F fan). Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to about 3 mm thick and use it to line a 23 cm pie dish. Trim the edge and crimp it.
Whisk the 200 g of caster sugar with the 3 tablespoons of flour, then whisk in the eggs, cream, orange zest and nutmeg until smooth.
Scatter the rhubarb over the pastry case and pour the custard mixture over it.
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 175°C / 350°F (155°C / 310°F fan) and bake for 40 to 45 minutes more, until the custard is just set with a slight wobble in the middle. Cover the edge of the crust with foil if it is browning too fast.
Leave the pie to cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, so that the custard sets, before slicing.

Tips for Making Rhubarb Custard Pie

Cut the rhubarb into even pieces about 2 cm long. Thick stalks take longer to soften, and chunks of different sizes bake unevenly.
Start at 200°C for 15 minutes. The initial heat sets the bottom crust before the custard can soak into it and make it soggy.
Cool the pie for a full 2 hours. The custard firms up as it cools, and a warm pie cuts into a runny, messy slice.

Common Substitutions & Variations

Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

What to Serve with Rhubarb Custard Pie

Whipped cream
Vanilla ice cream
A cup of tea

Storing & Reheating Rhubarb Custard Pie

Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It does not freeze well, as the custard turns watery on thawing.

Rhubarb Custard Pie FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Rhubarb Custard Pie take to make?

About 1 hour 40 minutes of hands-on work — 40 minutes of preparation and 1 hour of cooking — plus 3 hours of Chilling and cooling, so allow 4 hours 40 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 8.

What are the key tips for making Rhubarb Custard Pie?

Cut the rhubarb into even pieces about 2 cm long. Thick stalks take longer to soften, and chunks of different sizes bake unevenly. Start at 200°C for 15 minutes. The initial heat sets the bottom crust before the custard can soak into it and make it soggy. Cool the pie for a full 2 hours. The custard firms up as it cools, and a warm pie cuts into a runny, messy slice.

What should I serve with Rhubarb Custard Pie?

Whipped cream; Vanilla ice cream; A cup of tea.

Can Rhubarb Custard Pie be made ahead or frozen?

Keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. It does not freeze well, as the custard turns watery on thawing.

Is Rhubarb Custard Pie suitable for a special diet?

This recipe is vegetarian. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.

How many calories are in Rhubarb Custard Pie?

About 446 kcal per serving, with 7 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate and 22 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.

Rhubarb Custard Pie Nutrition

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.

446Calories

7gProtein

55gCarbs

22gFat

2gFibre

27gSugar

170mgSodium

Vegetarian

Rhubarb Custard Pie

How to Make Rhubarb Custard Pie

Tips for Making Rhubarb Custard Pie

Common Substitutions & Variations

What to Serve with Rhubarb Custard Pie

Storing & Reheating Rhubarb Custard Pie

Rhubarb Custard Pie FAQ: Common Questions

Rhubarb Custard Pie Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

How to Make Rhubarb Custard Pie

Tips for Making Rhubarb Custard Pie

Common Substitutions & Variations

What to Serve with Rhubarb Custard Pie

Storing & Reheating Rhubarb Custard Pie

Rhubarb Custard Pie FAQ: Common Questions

Rhubarb Custard Pie Nutrition

Reader Reviews

Cooked this? Leave a review

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