Peach Rhubarb Pie

Peach rhubarb pie combines the tart taste of spring with summer’s sweet fruit. Peach and rhubarb come together under a golden streusel in this perfect fruity pie.

Tart rhubarb and sweet peaches combine to make the perfect pie filling. Nestled between a flaky crust and crumbly streusel, the fruit really shines in this pie.

Serve a slice with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream for the perfect dessert experience. But don’t take my word for it, make one to see for yourself!

The story of this pie actually begins a year ago.  We were getting ready for our big friends and family pie-off. 

It wasn’t our first pie tasting, we had actually had a mini pecan pie off a couple of years prior, but it was definitely going to be our biggest. 

I was having the hardest time deciding what to make. (Spoiler alert: I always have the hardest time deciding what to make!)

I was ticking through possibilities.  I was tempted to do something chocolate, but my brother-in-law can’t eat chocolate and I wanted to have a chance at every possible vote. 

I contemplated caramel pecan pie, but my husband won’t eat nuts so I had the same issues with that. Taking into account everyone’s taste preferences can be exhausting!

I had my pie choices narrowed down to a few when my husband threw out that I should make peach rhubarb.  He is a big fan of rhubarb and he thought peach rhubarb would be a combination that nobody had tasted before and would very likely be the only one like it in the competition.

I was intrigued, but MiMi never baked with or bought rhubarb when I was growing up so it’s not an ingredient I am super familiar with.  My mother-in-law did share her rhubarb cobbler recipe that she got from her mother-in-law.

It was one of my husband’s favorite desserts growing up, so I was happy to get the recipe and make it for him a couple of times since. That recipe is super delicious, so it did open my mind to the idea of using the strange vegetable.

I also experimented with making some rhubarb sauce after tasting some on animal crackers.  I mixed in apples, honey and strawberries for a naturally sweet strawberry rhubarb applesauce that was perfect eaten with a spoon or on dipped animal crackers.

So I did have a little rhubarb experience under my belt, but not enough to whip up a recipe on the fly and I didn’t have much time to experiment with extra pies.  (Plus I didn’t want to show my hand to the competitors which disqualified most of my usual suspects that help me taste test all of my new recipes!)

Of course by the time that all got done and I was ready to make another pie, rhubarb season and come and gone and I had not been smart enough to freeze any.  So here we find ourselves a year later and still no pie. 

The rhubarb started poking through the ground and MiMi reminded me that I owed my husband a pie.

I am not one to shirk away from sweet responsibilities, so I got the thinking cap on.  I wanted the filling to be simple.

I wanted it to be sweet, but not sickeningly so. I wanted the peach and tart rhubarb flavors to shine through and the filling to be thick enough to hold the shape of a slice. 

Just a few requirements!

Rather than giving it a top crust, I thought a streusel would be nice.  A simple butter, flour and sugar topping is good and a bit of cinnamon is even better. 

The results were golden deliciousness.

Don’t mind the fine china.  It was a busy weekend when I made it, so I didn’t have time to make a crust from scratch.

Besides, I was taking it to dinner with us and I intended to leave the rest behind.  However, my husband quickly claimed some leftovers so it ended up coming home with us anyway.

Don’t worry, I left some slices behind so all was not lost.

They say good things are worth the wait and it seems to be the case with this pie!  My husband confessed that he had basically forgotten the request, but he was quite happy that MiMi had not.

I guess peach rhubarb pie is now in our rotation!

What are your favorite rhubarb recipes?

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of peaches can I use in this pie?

Fresh, frozen or canned peaches work well. Just make sure to drain off any extra juices when you defrost frozen peaches.

And if using canned peaches, drain them well. Chop them up and they will be pie ready in no time.

How do you keep the pie from being runny?

Tossing the fruit with flour before putting it in the pie shell coats it with the starch it will need to thicken the juices. Make sure the filling is good and bubbly before you take it out of the oven.

The juices should be noticeably thick. If not, bake it longer. Of course, making sure your fruit is well drained before adding it will help as well.

How do you prepare rhubarb for baking?

First, remove the leaves. They contain a toxin and should not be eaten.
Wash the stalks well and allow to dry. Remove any large blemishes then cut into 1/4 inch pieces.