Amazing Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry rhubarb pie is the dessert spring was made for. Tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries get a quick rest with sugar and quick-cooking tapioca, then bake under a lattice crust until the filling bubbles up rosy and glossy between the woven strips.

The tapioca is the secret weapon here. Unlike flour or cornstarch, quick-cooking tapioca thickens evenly and holds its set even after the pie cools, giving you clean wedges instead of a runny puddle. Letting the fruit sit with the sugar and tapioca for a full 20 minutes is what activates it: the sugar pulls juice from the fruit, the tapioca absorbs it, and you wind up with a cohesive filling that doesn’t flood the crust.

Three parts rhubarb to one part strawberry keeps the pie firmly on the tart side, where it belongs. More strawberry and the filling slides into one-note sweetness. The pinch of nutmeg adds a barely-there warmth that flatters the fruit without overpowering it.

Dotting the filling with butter before laying down the lattice is a small grandma move that pays off. As it melts during the bake, it enriches the filling and gives the underside of the lattice a beautiful golden finish.

Let the pie cool fully before slicing. Hot strawberry rhubarb pie collapses into a juicy mess.

Pro Tips

• Use field-grown rhubarb for the deepest red color. Hothouse rhubarb is paler and milder.
• Brush the lattice with milk or beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar for a bakery-style golden top.
• Bake on the lowest oven rack to ensure the bottom crust crisps under all that wet filling.
• Place a foil-lined sheet pan underneath. Strawberry rhubarb pies bubble over more often than not.

Variations

• Swap a half cup of strawberries for raspberries for a more intense berry note.
• Add a tablespoon of orange zest to the fruit for a citrus lift.
• Try a vanilla ice cream scoop on each slice instead of whipped cream.