Our Most Popular Strawberry Recipe of All Time

For me, one of the most highly anticipated seasonal fruits has to be the strawberry. Every year I look forward to picking up a pint of fragrant, heavy, ruby red berries from the little strawberry huts that pop up all over Berlin, selling strawberries and strawberries only. It’s become a tradition to swing by at least once a week during the summer months to get my strawberry fix; there’s just nothing like a peak season berry!

While I often opt to eat them as is, biting into the big berries one by one, I also like to tuck them into a pie or whip up a different dessert with another season favorite, rhubarb. So I was not at all surprised to see that Simply Recipes' most popular strawberry recipe of all time is founder Elise’s strawberry rhubarb pie.

Strawberry and Rhubarb: The Perfect Match

The seasons for sweet red strawberries and tart rosy stalks of rhubarb intersect for just a brief few months in mid to late spring, and have become a classic combination for seasonal spring baking. They can pair well in crisps, cobblers, and crumbles, but nothing beats a slice of warm strawberry rhubarb pie topped with whipped cream or a little vanilla ice cream for good measure.

Elise’s recipe is extra special, as it adds a little orange zest (one of my personal favorite additions to homemade rhubarb or strawberry jam) to round out the sweet-tart flavors, and uses quick cooking tapioca instead of the usually cornstarch to help thicken the filling.

Mastering the Crust

This recipe calls for a double-crust 9-inch pie dough, which can be store-bought (see our favorite here) or homemade, whether all butter, classic double, or latticed.

If you’ve never made pie crust before and find the whole idea intimidating, here are some of my favorite tips and tricks that really make a difference in the final product. Store-bought crusts are great, but homemade ones are just that much better!

• If you’re a true beginner, go for the crust with a mix of butter and another fat, like sour cream or shortening. These crusts tend to be more forgiving when it comes to texture and temperature, making them ideal for beginners.
• Read the recipe through at least once, maybe even twice before getting started. This will allow you to see any special notes or call-outs about the process so you know what to look out for along the way.
• Don’t overmix the dough. This will lead to a tough, dry crust. It’s better to err on the side of undermixing; the flour will hydrate as you further work it and let it rest, so don’t be afraid of a super crumbly starting place; it should just hold its shape when you pinch it together.
• Vent it properly. It’s important to make sure a double-crusted pie is vented properly to allow the steam from the filling to escape and the crust itself to cook through and brown. Make sure to use a sharp knife and slice through until you see the fruit filling underneath. Aim for 3 to 5 long slits, and you can even use the knife to gently open the slits a little bit before baking.