Nightshade Free Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Strawberry and rhubarb are one of those pairings that feel almost too good to be true — sweet, tart, and deeply fruity all at once. This pie is a natural fit for anyone avoiding nightshades, since the entire recipe is built around ingredients that are already clean and straightforward: fresh fruit, butter, flour, and a handful of pantry staples. There's no tomato-based anything, no peppers hiding in the filling, and no spice blends with mystery ingredients — just honest, from-scratch baking. The tapioca starch does beautiful work here, thickening those jammy juices into a filling that holds its shape when sliced without turning gummy or starchy. Chilling the butter and resting the dough are the two steps that make the difference between a flaky, shatteringly good crust and a tough one, so don't skip either. The two-temperature bake — starting hot, then dropping down — gives you a deeply golden shell and bubbling fruit without burning the edges. Let it cool the full two hours and you'll be rewarded with clean slices and a filling that's set just right.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled
- 6–8 tbsp ice water
For the filling
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 3 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca starch
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just holds together when pressed — it should not be wet or sticky. Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, 3/4 cup sugar, tapioca starch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Toss until the fruit is evenly coated. Let the filling sit for 15 minutes while you roll out the dough — the juices will begin to release and the tapioca will start to hydrate.
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