Rhubarb is one of spring’s sweetest gifts. Although I’ve seen it being sold in supermarkets in winter even, these crisp, tart, ruby-red stalks are at their best this time of year, when they are in season. Each spring, I share with you a rhubarb recipe because, well, you simply shouldn’t let spring go by without eating some rhubarb. I love it in delicious desserts like this vegan rhubarb upside down cake, vegan rhubarb crisp and vegan rhubarb bread. Another dessert I love baking up with rhubarb is a classic vegan rhubarb pie, with a sweet, slightly tart, almost jammy filling of rhubarb encased in a crisp, golden pastry crust. If you haven’t baked with rhubarb before, you might find it a bit of a mystery: it looks so much like a vegetable, after all – it is in fact a vegetable. And is so lip-puckering sour that it’s hard to see it as a dessert ingredient. But something magical happens to rhubarb when it is subjected to high temperature in an oven: it melts into that warm, gooey goodness you have craved all through the cold days of winter. This vegan rhubarb pie is very simple, the way I like it. I toss the sliced rhubarb with sugar and vanilla and stir in two spices that go beautifully with rhubarb: ginger and cardamom. A lattice pie top is great to show off the red filling, although that pretty filling can even stand up to an open-face pie.
Why bake this seasonal pie
Healthy-ish. I won’t pretend that anything encased in pie crust is healthy. But a fruit pie does have a better nutritional profile than, say, a vanilla cake. Besides, how great is it when you can stretch “eating the rainbow” to cover dessert? Rhubarb’s deep red color comes from valuable anthocyanins that prevent inflammation and improve the health of your blood vessels. Rhubarb also has valuable nutrients and minerals, including fiber, vitamins and calcium. Delicious. The pie is so yummy with the cardamom and ginger baked into the rhubarb and apples. The flaky crust complements that gooey filling perfectly. Allergy-friendly. The pie is nut-free and soy-free. And vegan, of course.
How to make vegan rhubarb pie
Storage instructions
Refrigerate: Store the pie in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze: Freeze the whole or sliced pie in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw and reheat. Reheat in the oven for the best texture and flavor.
More scrumptious vegan pie recipes
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