Author: The Food Charlatan

How to make Strawberry Shortcake

This classic recipe for Strawberry Shortcake is just like the kind your grandma made! A thick, sweetened shortcake with golden flaky layers, just like biscuits. Topped with the BEST Strawberry Topping and a mountain of whipped cream. Stop buying those weird yellow sponge cakes at the store. This is the real deal! I will show…

This classic recipe for Strawberry Shortcake is just like the kind your grandma made! A thick, sweetened shortcake with golden flaky layers, just like biscuits. Topped with the BEST Strawberry Topping and a mountain of whipped cream. Stop buying those weird yellow sponge cakes at the store. This is the real deal! I will show you exactly how to make it. Originally published April 3, 2021.

strawberry shortcake biscuits stacked together with strawberries and whipped cream.
Table of Contents
  1. Strawberry Shortcake: classic summer treat
  2. Will the real strawberry shortcake please stand up
  3. Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients
  4. How to make Strawberry Shortcake
  5. How to make Strawberry Shortcake Topping
  6. How to make whipped cream
  7. Strawberry Shortcake Recipe Tips
  8. Strawberry Shortcake Serving Ideas
  9. Storing Strawberry Short Cake
  10. Best Strawberry Shortcake Recipe FAQs
  11. More summer desserts you will love!
  12. Strawberry Shortcake Recipe Recipe

I just came to the realization today that my EIGHT-year-old son wears size 2T/3T underwear. No, I’m not kidding. I wish I were.

He is literally wearing the same set of underwear that I bought when I POTTY TRAINED him, when he was 3 years old. I bought him a couple packs of super cool Star Wars underwear (that I remember hoping would motivate him to make it to the toilet).

And here we are. FIVE YEARS LATER. Now, he is small for an 8-year-old for sure, but still. Five YEARS?? Should anyone wear the same underwear for 5 years in a row?? (Don’t answer that. And please do not ask how old my underwear is. I HAVE NO IDEA.)

He even mentioned it the other day. “Mom, I think I need new underwear.” You know it’s bad when an 8-year-old boy notices something about his clothes. They usually don’t notice anything at all unless there is a pocket knife, dragons, or Pokemon involved.

shortcake on parchment paper topped with whipped cream and strawberries.

I took a look at his underwear and he was right, they barely cover his booty. Then I checked the tag and was utterly horrified when I was finally able to discern the mostly-faded 2T/3T markings. Are you kidding me??

Why am I so bad at this? My ineptitude when it comes to supplying my children with appropriate clothing shocks even me sometimes. FIVE YEARS???

classic strawberry shortcake with biscuits, whipped cream, and berries.

The problem is that the management of children’s wardrobes is so overwhelming to me that I often push it to the back of my head. Charlotte may say something like, “I need new pants” and then I add it to my shopping list. What a smart person would do is say, “Hm, seems like Char is growing, I better take inventory and buy all kinds of new stuff.”

Nope. That’s way too overwhelming. I usually end up thinking to myself, well, they are wearing clothes today. Probably they can wear them again tomorrow. And it will be fine. You guys! What is wrong with me!

strawberry shortcake stacked on parchment paper on a plate with strawberries in the background.

People probably look at my kids with their high waters and think we are really poor. Nope. Just in denial over here. Just failing at LITERALLY one of my most basic tasks as a mother, making sure my children do not go naked. Please don’t call the police.

In my defense, I do the exact same thing with my own wardrobe. I definitely still have clothes from high school. (But probably not any underwear. LET’S HOPE.)

drizzling juice over classic strawberry shortcake.

So now that you’re feeling a lot better about yourself after reading about our underwear situation (you’re welcome for the self esteem boost, by the way. I’m sure you’re thinking, man, I thought I had problems. This woman is a disaster.) Anyway. Let’s talk Strawberry Shortcake.

Strawberry Shortcake: classic summer treat

Is it just me, or is Strawberry Shortcake basically the dessert of summer’s dreams? It is just a perfectly light treat for a hot and sticky day.

Have you seen those sad little round yellow cakes they sell in the deli at the grocery store? The weird, spongey things? Sometimes they display them over into the produce section next to the strawberries, trying to entice you. Like, yum, don’t you want to eat this questionable squishy thing with these strawberries?

spooning strawberries onto shortcake on a plate.

NO. No I don’t. Every time I see those sad imposter cakes (that are disturbingly called “Dessert Shells” apparently),  I give them the finger and curse them for ruining the reputation of real, actual strawberry shortcake, and all its flaky crispy glory. THE WORLD DOESN’T KNOW WHAT IT’S MISSING.

Will the real strawberry shortcake please stand up

But we do. We know. We, the bakers of the internet, can come together today and rejoice that we are no longer subject to such offenses as dyed prepackaged sponges passing for a classic strawberry shortcake recipe. Let’s go over this:

What’s the difference between cake and shortcake?

REAL Strawberry Shortcake, your grandma’s strawberry shortcake, is made just like biscuits. Have you tried my Ultra Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits? Today’s shortcake is almost the same recipe, with a bit less salt and a little more sugar. But then we go and dump a huge amount of sweet juicy strawberries on top, and then top it off with a mountain of homemade whipped cream. A mountain, I say! THAT’S what makes it strawberry shortcake.

strawberry shortcake biscuits stacked together with strawberries and whipped cream.

Strawberry Shortcake Ingredients

This is an overview! All amounts given in the recipe below.

  • Butter 
  • Egg
  • Buttermilk
  • Heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla (makes up a simple and quick homemade whipped cream!)

If you can make biscuits, you can make strawberry shortcake. And guess what, even if you can’t make biscuits, I’m here to confound all your previous baking insecurities, because it’s really just not that hard.

How to make Strawberry Shortcake

Start out by adding some flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a bowl. Whisk it together.

Chop up some COLD COLD butter. You can even use frozen butter. Cold butter makes for flaky biscuits and don’t you forget it.

cutting butter into flour in a glass bowl with a pastry knife.

Then get out your trusty pastry cutter and cut it in. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, you can use a fork or a butter knife. (You can even use a cheese grater to incorporate the butter; see my biscuit post for details on that method.) You don’t want to blend the butter into the flour; you want to CUT the butter into small chunks. By the time you’re done, it should look like a bunch of small, pea-sized pieces of butter with flour stuck to them.

adding buttermilk to a bowl of flour and butter, stirring it together with a red spatula.

Now it’s time for cold buttermilk. I love the tart flavor that buttermilk brings, but you can use heavy cream or even half and half will do. See notes for how to make “cheater” buttermilk with vinegar or lemon juice.

Use a rubber spatula to mix the buttermilk into the flour mixture. When it forms a shaggy dough, cover your hands with flour and start kneading with your hands. Don’t overwork the dough.

kneaded dough in a glass bowl, dough rolled out in a rectangle.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 9×13 inches. Fold it in half.

rolled out dough folded in half.

Then in half again, and again.

rolled out dough folded in quarters, a canister of flour with a biscuit cutter in it.
Dip your biscuit cutter in some flour so it doesn’t stick.

Then pat the dough into a thick rectangle. Use a rolling pin if you need to, or just your hands is fine if the top is smooth enough. You want your final dough to be about 1 and 1/4 inch thick. We want nice and tall shortcakes!

pressing a biscuit cutter into dough, brushing the tops of biscuits with cream.

Brush with cream, sprinkle with a bit of sugar and bake. Look at all those flaky layers!

uncooked biscuits in a pan, a baked flaky biscuit on a cooling rack.

How to make Strawberry Shortcake Topping

Here is my secret for the BEST strawberry shortcake. It’s all about the Fresh Strawberry Topping.

strawberries in a bowl with sugar sprinkled on top, jam in a pot bubbling.

We are not just sprinkling a little sugar on sliced strawberries and calling it a day. That’s the traditional method. As the sugar dissolves into the strawberries, it makes the fruit release its juices and you end up with a nice thin syrupy situation.

adding cooked jam to a bowl of sliced strawberries.

But a minimal amount of thin syrupy juice is not enough for me. So after we’ve added the sugar, we’re going to cook down some strawberry jam for the ultimate thick and juicy strawberry shortcake topping! A little lemon and vanilla bring out all the tart sweetness of these beautiful berries.

sliced strawberry topping in a white bowl.
can you see how juicy it is??

I posted this Fresh Strawberry Topping recipe on the blog years ago, and I love using it as a topping for ice cream, pancakes, french toast, basically anything! It’s so good.

You don’t have to take these extra steps. Plain ol’ fresh strawberries sprinkled with sugar is still going to taste amazing! But I love that the extra strawberry syrup that this recipe makes means that every shortcake gets completely soaked in strawberry goodness. Who can say no to that??

How to make whipped cream

Whipped cream is so easy to make if you have a stand mixer or electric mixer. Just beat the cream with a little bit of powdered sugar and vanilla and that’s IT. Eventually it will start to thicken and peak. When it starts to look like a dreamy creamy cloud that is perfect for dolloping, it’s done!

The whipped cream comes together in a few simple steps:

  • Add the ingredients to your bowl or stand mixer: cream, powdered sugar, vanilla. 
  • Beat these ingredients on high speed for 2-5 minutes
  • When the cream has thickened, peaks are forming, and when you lift the beaters out the peaks hold their shape, you’re done! Stop mixing.
  • Keep the whipped cream refrigerated until ready to serve.
spooning juice over the top of strawberry shortcake stack.

Then assemble: Split each shortcake in half. Top with strawberries, whipped cream, the other half of the shortcake, and more whipped cream and strawberries! You really can’t go wrong no matter what order you go in. It’s going to taste delicious no matter what!

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe Tips

  • Use cold butter! Cold butter is the key to light, flaky biscuits.
  • Spoon and level the flour. I recommend scooping the flour into your measuring cup with a spoon, then gently leveling it off with your finger or a knife. The goal is to not pack it in too tightly. Too much flour makes for dry, crumbly biscuits. 
  • Don’t overwork the dough. Over-handled dough can become tough and dry. Remember, the goal is light and tender! 
  • To cut in the butter, you can use a pastry cutter, fork, or butter knife. Don’t overdo it! It should look shaggy and pebbly.
  • Milk substitutes: I love the tart flavor that buttermilk brings, but you can use heavy cream or even half-and-half instead.

Strawberry Shortcake Serving Ideas

Strawberry shortcake is already the best of the best, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put your own spin on it. Here are a few ideas!

  • Add fresh blueberries to the cooked, cooled strawberry topping or just sprinkle some on top for patriotic appeal. ‘Murica!
  • Instead of strawberry topping, feel free to top these shortcakes with other fresh fruits, like juicy mangoes, ripe peaches, or even sweet cherries.
  • Drizzle dark chocolate sauce on top for that chocolate-covered-strawberry vibe.
  • Switch out the whipped cream for high quality vanilla ice cream.
  • Add a little coconut or rum extract to the whipped cream. 

Storing Strawberry Short Cake

The key to storing strawberry shortcake is to store the strawberry sauce and the short cake separately. If you store them together, you’ll just end up with soggy cake. 

On its own, the shortcake will last on the countertop (well covered) for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. They can also be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months.  To enjoy again, thaw on the counter in the sealed container if frozen, then serve with strawberry sauce. 

The strawberry sauce will last in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw in the fridge, then serve cold or warm on the stove or in the microwave.

Best Strawberry Shortcake Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between strawberry cake and strawberry shortcake?

Strawberry cake is a classic cake that’s strawberry flavored. Strawberry shortcake, on the other hand, is made with a base of flaky buttermilk biscuits that are topped off with strawberry sauce!

Why do they call it strawberry shortcake?

As it turns out, shortcake does not get its name from the height of the cake. It’s actually named from an English cooking definition of “short,” which describes something that has a crisp texture thanks to the addition of fat. In the case of shortcake, it’s made crispy and flaky with the addition of butter!

Are biscuits and shortcake the same?

While shortcake and biscuit dough are very similar, they are slightly different. Biscuits tend to be less sweet with less sugar and a little more salt. Shortcake, as a dessert, is made with less salt and sweetened with more sugar! 

What makes a cake a shortcake?

A shortcake is different from a regular cake in that it’s made more like biscuits. It’s soft and flaky in the middle with a crisp outer edge and it’s typically topped off with fresh strawberry slices or strawberry sauce!

how to make strawberry shortcake with real biscuits and strawberry topping.

More summer desserts you will love!

Any of these desserts would be perfect for your Easter celebration!

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strawberry shortcake biscuits stacked together with strawberries and whipped cream
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Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

This classic recipe for Strawberry Shortcake is just like the kind your grandma made! A thick, sweetened shortcake with golden flaky layers, just like biscuits. Topped with the BEST Strawberry Topping and a mountain of whipped cream. Stop buying those weird yellow sponge cakes at the store. This is the real deal! I will show you exactly how to make it.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Freeze Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 9
Calories 604kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the strawberries

  • 1 batch of Fresh Strawberry Topping*

For the shortcake

  • 3 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup butter COLD (1 & 1/2 sticks)
  • 1 large egg cold
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk** COLD
  • 1-2 tablespoons buttermilk cold OR ice water

For the whipped cream

  • 2 cups heavy cream***
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Start by making the Fresh Strawberry Topping.* Cover and set aside to thicken. You can serve it room temperature or chill it in the fridge.
  • Make the shortcake. In a large bowl, add 3 cups flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons baking powder. Whisk it together.
  • Use a knife to chop 3/4 cup COLD butter into small chunks.
  • Add the butter to the flour mixture and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour. See photos. You want to end up with a crumbly mixture and pieces of butter about the size of a pea.
  • In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, add 3/4 cup COLD buttermilk**. Whisk the large egg into the buttermilk.
  • Add the buttermilk/egg mixture to the flour and use a rubber spatula to stir it together and create a shaggy dough. It’s ok if all the flour is not incorporated.
  • Cover your hands with flour and knead the dough a few times right there in the bowl, smashing in any loose flour with your hands. If it is too dry to come together, add 1 tablespoon cold buttermilk or 1 tablespoon ice water to get it to come together.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured surface (I love my pastry cloth). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 9×13 inches, it doesn’t have to be exact. Fold the dough in half, then in quarters, then again. Pat the dough out with your hands to make a smooth top, and use the rolling pin if necessary to roll it gently into a rectangle about 1 and 1/4 inch thick.
  • Dip a 2 and 1/2 inch biscuit cutter into flour and use it to cut the dough. Do not twist the biscuit cutter, it inhibits rising in the oven. Just push straight down.
  • Re-roll the scraps and repeat.
  • Place the shortcake in a buttered cast iron skillet or greased 9×9 inch square baking pan. I prefer to make them in a pan that has sides; this helps the shortcakes rise upward instead of falling on their sides in the oven. You want to place the shortcakes snuggly together, either touching or about 1/2 inch apart. They will help each other rise.
  • If you have time, I highly recommend freezing the whole pan of prepared shortcake for about 20 minutes. Cold dough going into a hot oven is how you get perfect flaky layers. While you freeze the dough, preheat the oven to 425 for at least 20 minutes.
  • Just before putting them in the oven, brush the top of each shortcake with buttermilk or heavy cream. This will help them brown. Sprinkle generously with sugar (I like chunky raw sugar for a nice crunch).
  • Bake at 425 degrees F for about 18-22 minutes. You will know they are done when the tops are a deep golden brown, the edges of the biscuits have firmed to the touch, and the bottoms are starting to brown. If you still can’t tell, gently split one of the shortcakes and lift it up to see the center. If it is at all gooey, put it back in the oven. If they are not done but the tops are getting too brown, top with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
  • Meanwhile, make the whipped cream. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 2 cups of cream, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on high speed for 2-5 minutes, depending on the power of your mixer. You will know it is ready when the cream has thickened, you can see peaks forming, and when you lift the beaters out they hold their shape in a nice curl. Keep refrigerated if you are not ready to serve right away.
  • Assemble the shortcakes while they are still warm: split a shortcake in half, top with strawberries and whipped cream, top with the other half, then top with more strawberries and whipped cream.
  • Make ahead: You can make and freeze the unbaked shortcakes once they are shaped. Seal well and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen: bake at 450 for about 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400 and bake for another 15 minutes.

Video

Notes

*Of course if you want to simplify things you can skip the Fresh Strawberry Topping and just add a little sugar to your strawberries to let them macerate. You will need 6-8 cups of strawberries. Stir in about 1/2 cup sugar, and let sit for 20 minutes before serving.  
**You can use cheater buttermilk for this recipe. Add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, and then fill to the 3/4 cup line with cream (preferable) or half and half. You can use whole milk in a pinch. Stir and let sit 5 minutes before using in the recipe. 
***Heavy cream is sold near the milk in the dairy section. It is not coffee creamer. Sometimes it is labeled whipping cream, ultra heavy whipping cream, etc. These names differentiate fat content levels. For making whipped cream, buy the cream with the highest fat content you can! The cream I use is 36% fat content.  

Nutrition

Serving: 1biscuit with topping and whipped cream | Calories: 604kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1321IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 2mg

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These healthier oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have NO sugar, NO white flour, and only 2 tablespoons of butter in the whole batch! They are the perfect way to satisfy your mad chocolate cravings when you are supposed to be losing holiday pounds. Originally posted January 12, 2016. I saw this bumper sticker today: “How’s my…

These healthier oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have NO sugar, NO white flour, and only 2 tablespoons of butter in the whole batch! They are the perfect way to satisfy your mad chocolate cravings when you are supposed to be losing holiday pounds. Originally posted January 12, 2016.

oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with bite taken out and hand lifting it.
Table of Contents
  1. You will love these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Healthy Cookies
  2. Are Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Healthy?
  3. Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients
  4. How to make Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
  5. How to store Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  6. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe FAQs
  7. Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Recipe
  8. Other Amazing Recipes to Love!

I saw this bumper sticker today: “How’s my driving?   Shoot me a text.” HA!

overhead shot of healthy cookies with oatmeal and chocolate chips.

So my best friend Sarah announced on Facebook yesterday that she had just spent 4 hours creating the “Daniel Craig in Casino Royale 6 Week Meal Plan” as requested by her husband, and if anyone wanted a copy they could shoot her an email. (Click HERE if you want to see it! Thanks Sarah!) It is exactly what it sounds like: 40 days of meals similar to what Daniel Craig ate while training to be James Bond.

healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies close up from overhead.

Eric and I were talking later and he was wondering if he should do it. I said no, I prefer soft bellies actually (mine included, most importantly). And I also said, “Daniel Craig is like 65 and not cute. Like a grandpa. But with abs. It’s disturbing.”

And he said, “You’re just wrong, Karen. Daniel Craig is legitimately hot.”

Well there you go, Daniel Craig. You win today. I think my husband has a man-crush on you.

But really, am I the only one?? Pierce Brosnan made a much sexier James Bond if you ask me.

healthy cookies on a baking sheet with bite taken out of one.

Are you following a diet or any kind of meal plan this January? I had plans. But I also just ate 2 cookies, so…

You will love these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Healthy Cookies

But at least they were healthy-ish ones! My friend Amy from Amy’s Healthy Baking wrote a book all about Healthier Chocolate Treats and this is one of her recipes. How cool is that?? She is so talented. Her blog is all about healthy baking. Definitely check her out!

healthy chocolate chip cookies on a baking sheet.

These skinny oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are perfect for January! (Or anyone who’s trying to look like Daniel Craig…) They are moist and lightly spiced with cinnamon.

Seriously, you can’t beat a cookie made from scratch and I’m not just talking about taste. These are no store-bought treat made of low-quality carbs and unhealthy fats stripped of nutrients during processing and preservation. No! The first ingredient alone, oats, is considered to be one of the healthiest whole grains out there, chock full of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants! And that brings me to a good question.

healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies being lifted by a hand.

Are Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Healthy?

Um . . . what even is healthy? Okay, I’m joking, but actually it’s good to step back now and again to think about what healthy means.

“Healthy” basically boils down to two things:

  1. Calorie in versus calorie out. Balance. If you are eating fewer calories per day than you use, your body is still getting the daily calories it needs by burning excess fat, assuming you have excess fat. Otherwise, you are starving your body.

Bottom line, if your body isn’t getting your necessary calories somehow, you’re not eating healthy.

healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper.

2. High-quality nutrients. Food doesn’t just provide energy (calories), it also provides the building blocks of life (nutrients). Variety matters. I don’t care how “healthy” kale is, eat nothing but kale every day and you will not get all your nutrients.

Bottom line, eating a wide variety of foods is the only way to get all those wonderful macro and micro nutrients.

So? The skinny on skinny oatmeal cookies? Are they healthy?

Folks, the good news is homemade oatmeal cookies can be a part of a healthy diet! The bad news is they have to be a small part of a healthy diet. (I hate it when there’s a catch.)

Like I said above, these cookies have nutrients aplenty. But with all those nutrients comes a lot of calories, all inside a little cookie. When big calories come in small packages, you don’t feel full fast and that can lead to excess eating. One of the best things about this better-option cookie recipe is that it only makes 12-15 cookies, which helps to keep portions under control.

healthy chocolate chip cookies shot from overhead with bite taken out.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients

Here’s all you need! (Quantities given in recipe below.) These cookies are built on pantry essentials, win! 

  • Quick oats. While you can substitute old fashioned oats, I don’t recommend it (see below.)
  • Whole wheat flour. Substitute white flour if you want! 
  • Baking powder
  • Cinnamon
  • Kosher salt. Substitute table salt if necessary, but use a little less.
  • Butter. Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
  • Vanilla
  • Large eggs
  • Honey
  • Dark chocolate chips
  • Optional: raisins, craisins, or toasted walnuts (yum!)
healthy cookie recipes on parchment paper with a bite taken out.

What’s the difference between quick oats and regular oats?

Oats are one of the healthiest whole grains, and that includes quick oats, one of the ingredients in these cookies. Quick oats are smaller, drier, flakier, and more processed than old fashioned rolled oats. (They are partially cooked and then dried. Good news, quick oats are still a whole grain.) Unless you’re in a pinch, use quick oats for this recipe. They absorb moisture and take on a softer, cookie-er texture than old fashioned rolled oats.

How to make Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Now for the best part: baking! Here’s a simple overview of what to do and what to watch out for. (Step-by-step instructions given in the recipe below.)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Mix dry ingredients together: oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure you spoon and level your flour. I always do it with two measuring cups. Scoop with one cup, dump it in the one you need, then level off with the top of the measuring cup.

how to measure flour correctly using measuring cups.
bowl of dry ingredients for cookie dough in a glass bowl.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter. Whisk in the vanilla, then the egg. Whisk in the honey.

adding honey to a clear glass bowl, stirring egg into batter.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until it has just come together. Don’t overdo it, over mixing makes for tough cookies. (Then wipe out the bowl you used for your dry ingredients and toss it back in your cupboard!)

adding dry ingredients to cookie dough in glass bowl on white counter.

Save out about half of the chocolate chips. Use a sharp knife to roughly chop the remaining chocolate, then fold it into the dough.

chopping dark chocolate chips on a cutting board with a knife, adding to dough.

The chocolate chips are divided: half in the dough, half jammed into the warm cookies after baking for maximum showiness. If showiness isn’t your thing today, own it. Toss all the chips in the dough with reckless abandon.

Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, or freeze for about 15 minutes. Don’t skip this step! Yes, we’re modern humans. Yes, we’re pressed for time. Yes, Daniel Craig has multiple action scenes as James Bond available on YouTube for you to consume while waiting 30 minutes. Chilling this lower-calorie cookie dough helps mimic the higher-calorie cookie texture and shape.

raw oatmeal chocolate cookies dough with a spoon.

Shape the dough into about 12-15 cookies, depending on how much dough you ate. (What, just me?? I mean who can say no to this goodness??) Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.

cookie dough balls lined up on pan ready to bake.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes, or until they have juuust started to brown on the edges.

baked oatmeal cookies just out of the oven.

Remove from the oven and immediately press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies. They will melt immediately into pools of dark glory.

healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on parchment paper.

Let cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

How to store Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes! In fact, try freezing single-serve portions before you let this buttery softness hit your tastebuds to better manage your waistline. Just let the cookies cool completely and toss them single-layered inside a ziplock. Squeeze out extra air. Voila, tomorrow’s treat, done today!

healthy chocolate chip cookies stacked with a bite taken, lifting with hand.

Another option is to freeze the dough itself. Spoon the dough balls onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet (or a plate) and put in the freezer for 30 minutes. Place frozen dough balls into a labeled, freezer-safe storage bag. No need to thaw! Bake them straight from frozen, tacking on a couple minutes to the bake time. Freshly baked cookies, anytime you want! 

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on a sheet pan with bite taken out.
What is the secret to chewy cookies?

Chilling cookie dough gives the finished cookie much chewier texture (not to mention great flavor). These cookies get (at least) 30 minutes of chilling time. 
Melted butter also makes for chewier cookies, so the small amount we’re using here is getting melted. 
It’s also important to measure ingredients correctly: you can improvise in cooking, but in baking, it’s best to stick with the given amounts to get the desired texture. Too much flour can straight up ruin an otherwise perfect cookie!

Why do my oatmeal cookies get hard?

The most important step to preventing hard cookies happens before the cookies are even baked. DO NOT add too much flour!
I always use the “fluff and scoop” method. I fluff up the flour with a spoon, then use the same spoon to scoop it gently into the measuring cup before leveling it off. This recipe for healthier oatmeal cookies doesn’t call for too much flour, so you don’t have to worry too much. 
You’ll also want to keep your cookies in an airtight container. If you’re going to have them around for more than 2-3 days, I recommend freezing them. That way you can pop one in the microwave anytime you need a treat.

Why are my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies flat?

Traditional oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are made with a heck ton of butter. If you put a stick of butter in the oven, it’s going to bake flat, right? Same thing will happen to your cookies if you don’t have the right balance of ingredients. If you are looking for some amazing (traditional, full-fat) oatmeal cookies that don’t bake flat, check out my Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies or these Very Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies!

For today’s skinny cookie recipe, this is not going to be a problem for you at all! These are low fat cookies. There are only 2 tablespoons of butter in the whole batch. You are not going to have a problem with these cookies baking flat! Just make sure you follow the instructions to chill the dough before baking.

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oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with bite taken out and hand lifting it
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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

These healthier oatmeal chocolate chip cookies have NO sugar, NO white flour, and only 2 tablespoons of butter in the whole batch!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 12 cookies
Calories 158kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (scant)
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips divided

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
  • Pull out 2 medium bowls, one for dry ingredients, one for wet.
  • In one bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Melt the butter in the other bowl. You don’t have to melt it all the way, if there are a couple lumps it’s okay. Let cool slightly.
  • Whisk in the vanilla, then the egg. Whisk in the honey.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a wooden spoon to stir until it has just come together (don't overdo it).
  • Save out about half of the chocolate chips. Use a sharp knife to roughly chop the remaining chocolate, then fold it into the dough.
  • Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes, or freeze for about 15 minutes.
  • Use your hands to shape the dough into roughly 15 cookies (or 12 if you eat a lot of dough like me…)
  • Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 12-13 minutes, or until they have just started to brown on the edges.
  • Once you remove them from the oven, immediately press the remaining chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies.
  • Let cool on the pan for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
  • Drink with lots of milk!

Video

Notes

Source: slightly adapted from Amy’s book Healthier Chocolate Treats

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 181mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg

Other Amazing Recipes to Love!

Brown Sugar Peach Cake

A delightfully peachy cake made from a cake mix and a packet of Jello, of all things! There are real peaches in the cake, which makes it super moist (ok, and a lot of oil). It is topped with a rich brown sugar frosting! Originally published May 5, 2017. GUYS! I’ve been waiting for this day…

A delightfully peachy cake made from a cake mix and a packet of Jello, of all things! There are real peaches in the cake, which makes it super moist (ok, and a lot of oil). It is topped with a rich brown sugar frosting! Originally published May 5, 2017.

a slice of peach cake with brown sugar frosting.
Table of Contents
  1. Peach Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting
  2. Best Peach Cake Ingredients
  3. How to Make Peach Cake
  4. Peach Cake Recipe Tips
  5. How to store Brown Sugar Peach Cake
  6. More fruity cakes you will like I’m sure!
  7. Best Peach Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe

GUYS! I’ve been waiting for this day for years. YEARS. (I actually just stumbled on an old blog post of mine from 2013 where I talk about this day.)

a slice of peach cake with brown sugar frosting with a fork in it.

My sister Nikki wrote a book and now it’s published! And it’s being released TODAY! You can buy a print copy OR the ebook on Amazon.

promotional photo of a YA novel.

Doesn’t it look so cool?

I’ve been reading this book from draft one. Nikki started writing it about 5 years ago and has been working to get it published ever since. It’s finally here!! Want to see the back?

the back of a YA novel.

Here’s the first page:

The first chapter of a YA novel.

Salem is a shy high school girl whose sister (and idol) was killed in a freak gas explosion. (If that wouldn’t shatter you, I don’t know what would.) But she’s starts to realize that Carrie’s death was no accident. You can read the whole first chapter if you click the “LOOK INSIDE” link right above the book cover on Amazon.

It’s so good!! Check it out! I love this story so much!

Did you know that authors often have very little control over the marketing aspects of their books? Including the back cover synopsis. What it doesn’t mention is that there is a frenemy-type romance that’s pivotal to the story: Cordero, super hot and mysterious gang member, who Salem’s trying to get information from (to answer questions about her sister’s death.) He’s my favorite character!

I asked Nikki what recipe I should make for her book release, and she suggested something with peaches. In the book there is a union strike going on, so none of the peaches in the orchards surrounding the town are getting picked. They’re just falling and rotting. (Spoiler alert, Salem gets rotten peaches thrown at her one time. How fun is that?? Can you imagine?)

Congrats Nikki! You did it! You are officially an author. Dreams do come true! Live it up! You deserve it! I will always be your biggest fan! (Well. Except Mom.)

a peach cake with brown sugar frosting.

Peach Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Have you ever made this Blackberry Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting? It’s a yellow cake mix with a packet of raspberry jello and a pound of frozen blackberries. Sounds weird, but it’s delicious and is a HUGE family favorite around here.

I turned it into a peach cake: yellow cake mix, peach jello, a pound of frozen peaches, and BROWN SUGAR frosting, which almost borders on caramel frosting. The jello is what makes the cake so delightfully orange (or pink, in the case of the Blackberry Cake.) The corners are my favorite part. The edges of the cake get very brown but they do not dry out. Instead they are ultra chewy, the opposite of most cakes. It’s ridiculously easy to make and it’s SO GOOD!

I think it’s an amazing combo. Brown sugar + peaches, HELLO. But if you think it sounds overwhelming, you could swap out the brown sugar frosting for the cream cheese frosting that goes on the Blackberry Cake. (Omit the coconut extract.)

I brought this over to my friend Sarah’s house today and she told me that she hates Jell-O and hates box mixes but she loved this cake. WIN!

It’s also super rich. The cake is sweet and the frosting is even sweeter. It is the same super fudgey frosting that goes on top of Nana’s Famous Fudge Brownies, except I left out the chocolate and used brown sugar instead of white. The result is an ultra decadent, caramel-y icing.

Best Peach Cake Ingredients

Here’s a quick list of everything you need to make this cake. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for complete instructions!

  • 1 box yellow cake mix (15 oz.) 
  • peach Jell-O (2 of the 3-oz boxes, just the powder – not prepared)
  • eggs
  • oil (light tasting olive oil or vegetable oil)
  • frozen peaches (1 16-oz bag)
peach jello, yellow cake mix, and frozen sliced peaches.

Brown Sugar Frosting Ingredients

  • salted butter
  • brown sugar
  • heavy cream
  • vanilla

How to Make Peach Cake

Cut the sliced peaches in half. That way they’re the perfect bite size in the cake.

frozen peaches on a cutting board.
mixing frozen peaches into cake batter.

This is the frosting. Left: before ice bath. Right: post ice bath.

pourable frosting before and after boiling.

Beat 3-5 minutes.

beating brown sugar frosting with a mixer.
pouring brown sugar frosting onto a peach cake.

Look. At. That. It’s so good! If you’ve never done pourable frosting before this might seem weird, but I promise you, it sets up and has the most incredible texture: soft and creamy on the inside with a light crackle where the frosting has set.

Peach Cake Recipe Tips

This cake is super simple. Here are a few tips to make sure it turns out perfectly every time.

  • Make sure your ingredients are the correct size. If you’re using a smaller or larger box of Jello or cake mix than the recipe calls for, your cake isn’t going to turn out right. 
  • Cool your frosting. If you want your frosting to thicken to the perfect consistency, prepare an ice bath. Set the pot of frosting in the ice bath (don’t get water in the frosting!!) Let the frosting cool in the ice bath, scraping sides occasionally, until the frosting is room temperature and much thicker. 
  • Sub butter for oil. If you don’t have oil or just prefer butter, you can substitute 2 sticks of melted butter (1 cup or 16 tablespoons).
a slice of peach cake with brown sugar frosting.

How to store Brown Sugar Peach Cake

This cake keeps on the counter for a day or two; after that store it in the fridge. Keep the lid on so the cake doesn’t dry out! 

This cake freezes well; you can put individual slices into an airtight container or freeze the whole cake. Just make sure it’s well sealed so it stays fresh and delicious.

a slice of peach cake with brown sugar frosting.
Just look at that chewy edge!!

More fruity cakes you will like I’m sure!

Blackberry Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting << this is the original cake for today’s recipe. I just did peach instead of blackberry! Follow this link to get the cream cheese frosting recipe. It would taste really great on today’s peach cake, if brown sugar frosting isn’t your thing.

Chocolate Cherry Sheet Cake with Fudge Frosting << So decadent!

Strawberry Truffle Cake << You get to make a cake. And then smash it. Then add strawberries. So fun!

Peach Coffee Cake from The Baker Mama

Grilled Pound Cake with Warm Peach Coulis from Noble Pig

Peach Breakfast Cake from Reluctant Entertainer

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Peach Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting from The Food Charlatan
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Best Peach Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

A delightfully peachy cake made from a cake mix and a packet of Jello, of all things! There are real peaches in the cake, which makes it super moist (ok, and a lot of oil). It is topped with a rich brown sugar frosting!
 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 639kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 (15-oz) box yellow cake mix
  • 2 (3-oz) boxes Peach Jell-O not made
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup oil*
  • 1 (16-oz) bag frozen peaches do not thaw**

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
  • 2 cups brown sugar packed
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ice water for an ice bath, not to go in the recipe

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Grease a 9×13 inch cake pan.
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the cake mix, 2 boxes of peach Jell-O, 4 eggs, and the cup of oil.
  • Open the bag of frozen sliced peaches. Cut each slice in half so they are a little more bite size.
  • Use a sturdy wooden spoon to fold the peaches into the cake batter.
  • Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.
  • Bake at 350 for about 40-45 minutes. Check the center of the cake with a toothpick; if it comes out without batter it is done. (very moist crumbs are ok.) The edges will be quite brown.
  • Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
  • While the cake cools, make the brown sugar frosting. In a 2 quart pot, add butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream.
  • Stir together over medium high heat until it reaches a boil (bubbles all the way across the top). Set a timer for 1 minute and stir frequently.
  • Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla.
  • Prepare an ice bath. Set the pot of frosting in the ice bath (don’t get water in the frosting!!) Let the frosting cool in the ice bath, scraping sides occasionally, until the frosting is room temperature and much thicker. See photos.
  • Use a hand mixer to beat the frosting for about 3-5 minutes, until it is thicker but still pourable.
  • Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.
  • This keeps on the counter for a day or two, but after that I would put it in the fridge. Good luck keeping it around that long!

Notes

* I like to use light tasting olive oil, but you can use any vegetable oil.
**I’ve never tried it, but I think this would work fine with fresh or canned peaches. Just make sure they are drained VERY well. I wanted to try the recipe with fresh, but it’s May and they just aren’t available yet!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 66g | Vitamin A: 633IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 1mg

Best Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe

This AMAZINGLY juicy and tender BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork is made on a GAS grill! Get that unique smoky flavor you love without investing in an actual smoker. It’s an easy recipe that is pretty hands-off. The flavor is legit. The meat just falls apart, and you get that crispy blackened edge that only comes…

This AMAZINGLY juicy and tender BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork is made on a GAS grill! Get that unique smoky flavor you love without investing in an actual smoker. It’s an easy recipe that is pretty hands-off. The flavor is legit. The meat just falls apart, and you get that crispy blackened edge that only comes from outdoor cooking! Also try my Slow Cooker and Oven Pulled Pork. And don’t forget the BBQ Sauce! Originally published July 13, 2022.

hands holding smoked bbq pulled pork on a bun with white plate and chips.
Table of Contents
  1. Make Smoked Pulled Pork on the Grill
  2. Best Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe Ingredients
  3. How to make Smoked Pulled Pork
  4. Apply dry rub before Smoking Pulled Pork
  5. What is the secret to getting tender pork?
  6. How to create smoke on a gas grill
  7. How to make wood chip foil packets
  8. Smoking Pulled Pork
  9. Total Cooking Time
  10. Do not ruin your pulled pork: keep the fat
  11. How to serve BBQ Pulled Pork
  12. What to serve with this Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe
  13. How to store Pulled Pork BBQ
  14. More summer grill recipes!
  15. Smoking Pulled Pork Recipe

My son Truman, who just finished up 3rd grade, was in his room the night before the last day of school. I heard a loud, “YESSSSSS!!!!” and found him fist pumping.

“What are you so happy about?”

“I just realized I don’t have to wear underwear to school tomorrow!”

His class was having an end-of-the-year splash party, and everyone would be in swimsuits.

File this under thoughts that have literally never crossed my mind. Is this a boy thing?? Not once in my life have I been excited about the prospect of wearing a swimsuit all day. I like my underwear right on my booty unless I’m actually swimming, thankyouverymuch. Tell me I’m not alone here!?

close up of bbq smoked pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw.

It just makes me think of that part on Miss Congeniality when Michael Cain’s character starts spraying Sandra Bullock with hairspray down there. “It keeps the swimsuit from riding up.” “Up where??” “Just….up!!”

I suppose “riding up” is going to be a much bigger problem in my life from here on out, because we just moved to a house with a pool. Hello summer swimsuit days! (Hello hairspray down there?? Has anyone tried this irl?? 😳)

close up of smoked pulled pork drizzled with bbq sauce.

I’m a little terrified of the pool situation though. We have a two-year-old with zero swim training, who also has absolutely no sense of self-preservation. They just finished putting in the new pool fence today, but I’m convinced he will climb it. And if any of my kids leave the gate open, I’m going to show them what it means to have a PERMANENT riding-up situation.

Along with all these lazy summer days I feel like we need some good grill recipes, because who wants to heat up the oven when it’s a billion degrees outside?

bite taken out of smoked pulled pork sandwich with bbq sauce and coleslaw.

Make Smoked Pulled Pork on the Grill

Enter this amazing smoked pulled pork recipe!! I’m not going to lie, I have never been super into pulled pork. I love Carnitas. I love Cafe Rio Pork. (these are both the same cut as pulled pork, just Mexican flavors). But BBQ? I’m a California girl. It’s just never been my thing.

But all that has changed now that I’ve discovered this recipe!! This is the absolute BEST pulled pork I’ve ever made, and guys, I don’t even own a smoker. I did it on my gas grill!

Shredded smoked pulled pork drizzled with bbq sauce in an aluminum pan.

I discovered this cooking method by combining a few cookbook methods I found when I started researching smoked pulled pork. (Once I get into a recipe, I tend to go pretty deep, it’s an addiction) I read in Cook’s Illustrated about their adventures trying to get smoked flavors using a gas grill.

I tried it with my own twist and it WORKED LIKE MAGIC. Someday I would love to own a smoker but today is not that day. I’m SO EXCITED to have a hack to recreating those amazing flavors that I usually can only get in a restaurant (or from my neighbor down the street who has a smoker and will give me some of his bounty in exchange for cookies. I’m not above mooching off my neighbors when it comes to smoky flavors. Don’t judge me.)

You can also make this pulled pork recipe in the slow cooker or oven. Not gonna lie, today’s grill method is my favorite, but sometimes you just need life to be easy, I get it!

Best Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a quick list of everything you need to make some amazing pulled pork. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more details!

For the pork: 

  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • paprika
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • chili powder
  • cayenne pepper
  • cumin
  • dry mustard powder
  • brown sugar
  • olive oil
  • pork butt or pork shoulder

For serving the pork:

  • barbecue sauce, homemade or store bought
  • brioche buns (if you’re making sandwiches)

And these aren’t ingredients, but you need these items to make the pork (NOT optional!):

  • hickory wood chips
  • heavy duty tin foil, OR a smoker box
  • disposable metal pie pans
  • 9×13 disposable metal pan
  • meat thermometer, not optional
  • at least half a tank of propane
  • oven/grill thermometer, for gauging temperature of the grill

What is the best meat to use for pulled pork?

First things first: choose your pork. For this recipe, a pork butt or pork shoulder are best. These cuts are actually both from the shoulder of the pig: the pork butt (or “Boston Butt”) is higher on the foreleg, the pork shoulder is further down.

pork shoulder with fat cap on a wooden cutting board.

(Back in the day, these cuts used to be stored in barrels called “butts.” That’s what the name is from. Not from a pig’s butt. So we can’t even work in any legitimate “I like big butts and I cannot lie” jokes here. What a waste.)

Pork butt has a bit more intramuscular fat marbling than a pork shoulder, but they both have a high amount of connective tissue and collagen that will melt into gelatin as it slowly cooks, giving us that fall-apart-tender texture we want. Whichever cut you use is going to turn out delicious!

I recommend buying a bone-in pork butt or shoulder. The bone is going to make the meat cook slower (what we want!) and the bone marrow is also there to add more flavor. But a boneless cut will do in a pinch.

For the Rub

The spices for smoked pulled pork are kind of hard to mess up. Look up any pulled pork recipe, you will see dozens of comments GUSHING about how good the pork is. The magic is in the meat and the cooking process, my friends. That said, I love me a good spice blend, and here is my favorite combo, amounts given in the recipe below:

  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
  • paprika
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • chili powder
  • cayenne pepper
  • cumin
  • dry mustard powder
  • brown sugar
close up of spices in a white bowl.
partially shredded smoked pulled pork shoulder made on a gas grill, in an aluminum pan.

How to make Smoked Pulled Pork

The full recipe is at the bottom of the post, but here are the basics!

  1. Rub your pork with homemade spice rub
  2. Marinate 6 to 48 hours
  3. Use a smoker box or foil packets to create smoke on your gas grill
  4. Grill at a low temperature for 4 to 7 hours
  5. Shred, add BBQ sauce, and devour! Way more details right here ↓

Apply dry rub before Smoking Pulled Pork

On a work surface, dry the pork with paper towels and rub with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. This helps the spices adhere to the meat, and helps retain moisture.

Set aside about 3 tablespoons of the spice rub for later. (I save it in a little baggie) Then go to town rubbing the rest of the spices into every nook and cranny of your pork. Use allll of it. I like to sprinkle the spices on top of the pork with one “dry” hand, then rub it in good and hard with the other “wet” hand.

using fingers to rub spice rub into pork shoulder on cutting board.

Place in a ziplock bag. I love these 2 gallon bags for this big ol hunka meat. Refrigerate for 6 hours, or up to 48 hours. The longer the better!

spice rubbed pork should in a ziplock bag.

What is the secret to getting tender pork?

Low and slow cooking is the special sauce you need! You simply cannot speed up the process if you want to get that juicy, tender flavor. Pork cooked too quickly doesn’t give the fat enough time to break down, leaving the meat tough and stringy.

Start the cooking process early in the day. It’s easy to reheat finished smoked pulled pork, but it’s impossible to speed up the cooking process when you are cooking low and slow. Every cut of meat is different, and of course there is size to consider for how long it will take to cook. So don’t take risks: start early and make sure you have plenty of propane on hand, at least half a tanks worth. Double check the ingredients and equipment list to make sure you have everything you need!

How to create smoke on a gas grill

There are two methods you can use to create smoke on your gas grill:

With either method you choose, you are going to need to get yourself some hickory wood chips. The smoke from these chips smells soooo amazing!

two bags of hickory bbq smoking chips on a white counter.

Smoker box: I bought this smoker box on Amazon for 18 bucks. It’s a smallish metal box with holes on top, designed to house wood chips on a gas grill. The smoke escapes out the top, and there are no holes on the bottom, preventing the chips from bursting into flame. This is the easiest, most foolproof method, that you can use again and again.

wood chips in a smoker box set on the heat plates of a grill.
(When you are ready to grill, you will want to place this smoker box directly on the burners of your grill, not on the heat plates (as they are shown here)

Wood chip foil packets: If you want the cheaper (though slightly less convenient) option, you can make wood chip foil packets.

How to make wood chip foil packets

The method is super easy. Place your wood chips in the center of a large square of heavy duty tin foil, then fold into a packet.

wood chips in a small pile on aluminum foil, then folding foil into a packet for smoking.
aluminum foil and ruler on a wooden board being folded into a foil packet.

Use a knife to cut two slits in the top (or I’ve seen some people poke with a fork a few times), for the smoke to come out from. The packets should sit on top of the grill grates.

The down side of this method is that it’s easier for the packets to catch fire if it gets too hot, potentially giving your pork an overly smoky, acrid flavor. So you need to watch them. But! It is very cheap! Both methods work great to produce smoke.

Smoking Pulled Pork

Remove the grill grates from one side of your grill, where there will be indirect heat. Place two disposable pie pans full of about 3 cups water each on your grill. They should sit right on the heat plates. This water will be right below the pork. It will catch any drips from the meat, preventing flare ups, and also provide a nice humid environment for our pork to slow cook in.

pouring water into a tin pie pan set on the heating plates of an outdoor grill.

On the other side of the grill, where there will be direct heat, place your wood chips. If you have a smoker box, place it directly on the burners of your grill (remove the heat plates and grill grates on that side. The box is sitting on the heating plates in the above photo. don’t be like me). If you are using tin foil packets, place them on top of the grill grates.

smoke coming up from a smoker box under the grates of a gas grill.

Turn all the burners to medium heat and close the lid. Let the grill heat up for about 15 minutes. You should see smoke emitting from your smoker box or foil packets.

Get grilling

While you are preheating the grill, get your pork out of the fridge and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub the 3 tablespoons of extra spice rub all over. This dry rub helps give our finished pork that crusty “bark” on the outer edges once cooked.

When the grill is hot and smoking, turn off the two burners that are under the pans of water. Oil the grill grates on that side. I always dip a crumpled paper towel into some oil and rub the grill grates (make sure the grates are clean!)

using a crumpled paper towel to oil the grates of a grill.

Place your rubbed pork butt or shoulder directly on the oiled grill grates, fat cap facing up. There should be no direct heat beneath the pork. The other two burners, over by your wood chips, should be turned to medium or medium low, to get the grill to a consistent temperature of 300 degrees F.

raw pork shoulder rubbed with spices placed on a grill.

This is not a set it and forget it recipe, especially not the first time around. You are going to have to hang out and check on your grill’s temperature gauge (or use an oven thermometer placed inside the grill.) It is your job to make sure the temperature inside the grill sticks to about 300 degrees F.

You are also in charge of keeping an eye on your smoke. Most wood chips will smoke for about 45-60 minutes. If the smoke goes out early, you may need to turn the burners up on that side for a minute or two, until they start smoking again, then turn the heat back down to maintain 300 degrees.

After about an hour or so, your smoke will peter out. You can replace the wood chips in your smoker box, or create new foil packets with new chips, or just leave it. Smoke contains mostly water-soluble compounds, and meat has more water in it at the beginning of cooking, so smoke early in the process is more important than later.

That said, it’s pretty easy to throw together those smoke packets or refill the smoker box, so add more wood chips as desired if you like a very strong smokehouse flavor!

partially cooked pork shoulder in a 9x13 inch disposable pan on a grill.

After the first 60-90 minutes of cooking, when the first round of smoke goes out, transfer the pork to a 9×13 inch disposable pan. This step is optional of course, but the intent is to capture all the smoky juices that are going to be released from our pork. We want to keep all that flavor!

The Stall

When you slow cook a large piece of meat like this, the temperature of the meat does not go up at a consistent rate. The temperature rises until it reaches about 155-165 degrees F, and then it just stays there a while, often for hours and hours.

meat thermometer stuck in pork shoulder on a grill, reading 151 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pitmasters call this plateau “the stall,” and it is totally normal. There is a lot of moisture in a raw pork butt that needs to evaporate as it cooks, and this evaporation makes the cooking stop for a while. It’s totally normal, so don’t panic when it seems like your pork has stopped progressing. Keep going and eventually you will get through it.

Pull your pork (shred it)

Once you’ve reached about 195-200 degrees, take your pork off the heat. Tent it with foil and let rest for about 20 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute properly. You can leave it right in the foil pan, if you used one.

smoked pulled pork with blackened bark crust in a aluminum pan.

You might think this pork looks burned. You are wrong. This is the gorgeous, blackened, incredibly flavorful “bark” on the outer edge of smoked pulled pork. It’s a combination of your spice rub, the smoke, and the meat protein, and it’s divine. You can’t get this from indoor cooking.

Now it’s time to “pull” your pork, or shred. I like to use two forks. It’s very satisfying if you’ve cooked it properly! It just falls apart at the slightest touch.

two forks shredding smoked pulled pork with blackened bark edge in an aluminum pan.

If there is a lot of cooking liquid, transfer the pork to a cutting board first. Pour the liquid into a fat separator. Discard the fat and pour some of the smoky juices back into the shredded pork, or stir a little into your BBQ sauce later. This stuff is liquid gold. (Don’t add ALL of the juices back in though, or your crispy edges will get soft.)

Total Cooking Time

All in all, your pork will be on the grill for about 5-7 hours, depending on how big it is. Get through the stall, keeping your grill temperature at 300 degrees.

What temperature do you cook pulled pork to?

Your pork is done when it reaches about 195 to 203 degrees F. (The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5 degrees after you take it off the heat, so taking it off at 195 degrees will get you to about 200 F.)

A decent meat thermometer is absolutely essential for this cooking method! You cannot rely on the clock; the range on times is way too high. Get yourself a meat thermometer and once you are approaching the 180s, check the temperature of the pork about every 30 minutes.

pulled pork sandwich on a white plate with barbecue sauce.
Can you overcook pulled pork?

Oh you absolutely can, sadly.

For as much as I’ve emphasized cooking low and slow, the fact that you can overcook is an important thing to be aware of! I said low and slow, not set it and forget it. Time for a quick science lesson.

As it’s cooking, the pork butt will reach about 130 degrees, and the fat will start to render (melt) and braise the meat from the inside out (yes please). Then, once it hits about 160 degrees, the collagen (connective tissue) starts to break down and melt into the meat as well (yum). If you take it off heat at this stage, it is safe to eat, but very tough. Keep going until you hit 200!

But be careful. When the temperature goes up to about 210 degrees, the muscle fibers themselves start to toughen up and dry out, leaving sad, chalky, chewy pork. Nooo!! We want to hit that sweet spot right at about 200-203 degrees. This is why I HIGHLY recommend a meat thermometer to get it juuuust right. Digital ones are best so we can be exact. I’m asking for this fancy wireless thermometer for my next birthday. (Eric are you reading this??)

Do not ruin your pulled pork: keep the fat

I’m going to get bossy here for a minute. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE FAT.

I’ve actually seen instructions on other recipes, “remove the crusty fat cap and discard.” Ummm I’m sorry, what? You want me to just throw away this crispity-porky-blackened-bark goodness?? Who do you think you are?

One time, many moons ago, before I was a cook, we were camping and I was cooking bacon. My brother-in-law found me over the trash can, peeling off the strips of fat on the bacon that hadn’t crisped up. He yelled, “What are you doing! Do you not understand bacon??” No, no I did not.

fork sticking into shredded smoked bbq pulled pork topped with bbq sauce.

Fat = flavor. Say it with me now. Pork is delicious because it has lots of fat. If you’ve ever had bacon, you are literally eating pork fat. AND IT’S DELICIOUS. Get over yourself and your fat hating ways. I know pulled pork fat is not as crispy as bacon, but it still has all that porky flavor we want.

Discard any gristle you find, any bits and pieces that are unpalatable, but please do not discard every bit of fat you find. Shred it up and toss it in with the pork. THIS is what makes smoked pulled pork so flavorful. You will not regret it!

How to serve BBQ Pulled Pork

To quote Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec, during a burger contest: “It’s a hamburger made out of meat on a bun with nothing. Add ketchup if you want, I couldn’t care less.” The point is that when the meat is made well, sauce is superfluous.

Pulled pork is kind of the same deal. Especially when it’s just off the grill like this, you hardly even need any BBQ sauce. I’m telling you! Try it! I love making a pulled pork sandwich with just the meat and a ton of coleslaw. SO. GOOD.

That said. Sauce is boss, I mean come on. After shredding, toss your pulled pork with 1-2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce, either store bought or homemade. Sauce is especially important for leftovers when the meat has already been pulled and may have dried out a bit in the fridge.

saucy smoked pulled pork on a toasted bun on a plate.

I have been testing and tweaking my homemade BBQ sauce and I’ve finally nailed it!! It will be posted next week (update, the recipe is live!) In the meantime, I recommend Stubb’s Original. It has a smoky-black-pepper-classic flavor that I worked hard to recreate in my homemade version! I had many miserable failures that went straight down the drain, haha. But I’m telling you, Stubb’s is legit. It’s a great option if you don’t have time to make your own.

What to serve with this Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe

So many options! Here are some of my favorite side dishes, besides the obvious BBQ Sauce to go with your pork:

How to store Pulled Pork BBQ

Pulled pork makes for about the easiest leftover meal ever. Let the meat cool to room temperature, add to a container with a lid that seals well, and store in the refrigerator.

To reheat a single serving, add some pork to a bowl and microwave, covered, on 50% power for a minute or two until warm. To reheat a large amount, you can follow the same microwave instructions for a longer amount of time, or put it in a pan on the stove on low with a lid on and 1-2 tablespoons water until warm, or put it in a slow cooker on the warm setting until warmed through.

smoked pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw on a white plate with soda and chips.

Can you freeze Pulled Pork?

Pulled pork is a great candidate for freezing. Let it come to room temperature, add to a freezer ziplock bag, seal with as much air removed as possible, and toss it in the freezer. That’s it! It will keep in the freezer for about 4-6 months. To reheat, defrost the bag on a plate in the refrigerator. Once thawed, follow the reheating methods described above.

And that’s all folks! I hope you have delicious pulled pork in your future! Don’t forget, if you don’t have a grill, try out the Slow Cooker or Oven Pulled Pork recipe. It’s so good!

More summer grill recipes!

BBQ on the grill is the best part of summer! Try out these other recipes!

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hands holding smoked bbq pulled pork on a bun with white plate and chips.
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Smoking Pulled Pork

This AMAZINGLY juicy and tender BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork is made on a GAS grill! Get that unique smoky flavor you love without investing in an actual smoker. It's an easy recipe that is pretty hands-off. The flavor is legit. The meat just falls apart, and you get that crispy blackened edge that only comes from outdoor cooking!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Marinating time 6 hours
Total Time 12 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 567kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the rub/marinade

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt use 2 and 1/2 teaspoons if using table salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar packed

Pork and equipment

  • 3 tablepoons olive oil for rubbing on meat
  • 5 to 7 pound pork butt or pork shoulder leave the fat cap on
  • 4 cups hickory wood chips
  • heavy duty tin foil OR a smoker box
  • 2 disposable metal pie pans
  • 6 cups water for pie pans
  • 1 9×13 disposable metal pan
  • meat thermometer not optional
  • at least half a tank of propane
  • oven/grill thermometer for gauging temperature of the grill

To serve

  • barbecue sauce homemade or store bought
  • brioche buns if you're making sandwiches
  • butter softened
  • Coleslaw <– my favorite recipe everrr

Instructions

  • Choose your pork. A pork shoulder is great, but a pork butt (sometimes called Boston Butt) is better. They are similar cuts of meat and have all the fat and connective tissues we need to break down into a tender and juicy pulled pork (Butts have just a little more). Use a bone-in butt or shoulder if you can find it, but boneless if fine too. Choose one that is well marbled with white fat.
  • Marinate with spice rub. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar. Measure out 3 tablespoons of this mixture and set aside in a small ziplock or covered bowl; you will need it later.
  • Use paper towels to dry off your pork as best you can. Massage 3 tablespoons olive oil into the meat, making sure it's well distributed. Use your hands to rub the spices (all but the 3 tablespoons) into the meat, getting every nook and cranny and under every flap. Place in a large ziplock bag and seal (I love these 2 gallon bags).
  • Marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or up to 48 hours.
  • Prepare for grilling. We need to have a home for the wood chips we are smoking. You can use a purchased smoker box, or make a homemade version using heavy duty tin foil. Skip to whichever method you are using:
  • Smoker box instructions: Add 4 cups dry hickory wood chips to your smoker box, or however much will fit. Remove the grates from your grill and place the smoker box directly on the primary burner. (You may need to remove the heat plate entirely from your grill).
  • Heavy duty tin foil instructions: Use large sheets of heavy duty foil to make two foil packets, each filled with about 2 cups dry wood chips. See photos. Your packets should be about 8×5 inches. Make sure the chips do not puncture the foil, and that it is well sealed. Cut a 2-inch slit on either side of the top of the packets. This will allow smoke to escape, and oxygen in to feed our chips.
    Place the foil packet on top of the grill grates over the primary burner.
  • Once you have either your smoker box or foil packets in place, remove the grill grate on the other side. Fill the two metal pie plates with 3 cups of water each, and place them either directly on the burner, or on top of the heat plate. (This water is there to catch any drips, preventing flare ups, and also creates a great moist environment so our pork doesn't dry out.) Replace the grill grates on both sides.
    You should have your smoker box or foil packets on one side of the grill (where there will be direct heat), and 2 pans of water on the other side, where your pork will be placed over indirect heat.
  • Turn on all the burners to high heat if using a smoker box, or turn all the burners to medium if using foil packets. Close the lid, and let it heat up for about 10-15 minutes. Your wood chips should be smoking. Now you are ready to place the meat on the grill.
  • Prepare the meat. Take your marinated pork out of the ziplock bag. Rub the remaining 3 tablespoons of spice mixture into the meat.
  • Place the meat on the grill: Turn off the burners below the pans of water, and turn the primary burners (where the smoke is) to medium heat. Make sure your grill grates are clean from debris. Oil the grill grates that are over the pans of water. (I dip a crumpled paper towel into a small bowl of oil, and rub it on the grill grates.) Place your pork on the oiled grates, with the fat cap on top.
    Make sure the two burners directly below the pork are OFF. The two other burners should be turned down to medium or lower (we want the heat at 300 degrees F).
  • Smoke the pork for about 1 hour, maintaining a grill temperature of about 300 degrees. Come back and adjust it as necessary. This pork needs to cook low and slow. Use an oven thermometer set inside your grill to gauge the temperature if your grill doesn't have a built in thermometer. Check to make sure your wood chips are still smoking (turn heat up a bit momentarily to get them to smoke again if necessary, returning the heat back down to maintain 300 degrees F.)
  • Your wood chips will smoke for about an hour. Once they stop smoking, you can remove them from the grill, let cool completely, and toss in the trash. If you like a very smokey flavor for your pork, make two more foil packets (or fill your smoker box) and repeat the process. (I didn't repeat and thought it turned out great. Meat is able to absorb a lot more smoke in the beginning of the cooking process, so early smoke is most important.)
    At this point, transfer the pork to a disposable 9×13 inch pan so that we can catch the juices. Return the pan to the same spot on the grill over the water and over indirect heat.
  • Continue grilling for another 4 to 7 hours, maintaining a grill temperature of about 300 degrees the whole time (adjust as necessary!)
    Your meat is done when the internal temperature of the meat is between 195 and 200 degrees F. (Lower than 195 and your pork will be tough; much higher than 200 and your pork will get dried out.)
  • Remove the pan from the grill and let rest for about 20 minutes, tented with foil. Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Pour any pan juices into a fat separator. (this is to add back into the shredded pork later, or into your BBQ sauce)
  • Shred the pork using two forks. It should be just completely falling apart. Remove any gristle, but please, do not discard all the fat. Shred it up and toss it in with the meat. Fat=flavor, and that slow bbq'd fat is part of what makes pulled pork so amazing. (You don't throw out the strips of fat on bacon, do you? I think not. Show your pork some respect.) Pour some of the pan juices back into the shredded meat, but not all of it. Don't drown your pork so much that the crispy edges soften. You worked hard for that bark!
  • Eat as is. I swear, it doesn't even need a sauce, especially when it's fresh. But of course homemade BBQ sauce is delicious. (It's even more delicious if you add in some of the smoky pan juices that you saved, if there is any leftover). Toss about 1 to 2 cups homemade or store bought sauce with the pulled pork. Serve warm.
  • Make a sandwich: To make the best pulled pork sandwich of your life, butter both sides of a brioche bun. Heat another tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat on the stove. Toast the buns for 2-4 minutes, until lightly golden.
  • Add shredded pork to your bun. Top with BBQ sauce, if desired. Top with an unreasonable amount of lemony herb coleslaw, if you're like me. Smash with the top of your toasty brioche bun and devour messily. If you are not qualifying for a Carl's Jr. commercial by the end of eating this thing, you're not doing it right.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers will dry out over time, so BBQ sauce is more important at this stage. It will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge.
  • Pulled pork freezes beautifully. Seal in a ziplock bag (with or without BBQ sauce mixed in). It will freeze for up to 3-4 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat leftovers in the microwave, or in a tin foil covered pan in an oven set to 300 for about 20-40 minutes, depending on how much there is.

Notes

Remember to start grilling your pork well before your event! It’s easier to reheat completed pulled pork than to speed up the cooking process. Don’t cut it close!
Try this pulled pork made in the slow cooker or oven! It’s the same ingredient list but different cooking methods. Bring on the easy.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 72g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 1432mg | Potassium: 1379mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 824IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 6mg

Best Rhubarb Custard Pie

This Rhubarb Custard Pie pairs the delectable tartness of rhubarb with a nice creamy custard for the perfect balance of sweetness, all wrapped up in a perfectly-flaky crust. Rhubarb is summer’s favorite dessert flavor and once you try this pie, you’ll agree. Don’t forget to serve it a la mode! Originally published June 4, 2014.…

This Rhubarb Custard Pie pairs the delectable tartness of rhubarb with a nice creamy custard for the perfect balance of sweetness, all wrapped up in a perfectly-flaky crust. Rhubarb is summer’s favorite dessert flavor and once you try this pie, you’ll agree. Don’t forget to serve it a la mode! Originally published June 4, 2014.

a slice of rhubarb custard pie on a plate with ice cream.
Table of Contents
  1. Legendary Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe
  2. So what does rhubarb taste like?
  3. Custard Rhubarb Pie Ingredients
  4. How to make Rhubarb Custard Pie
  5. Tips For Success
  6. How to Serve Rhubarb and Custard Pie
  7. Storage
  8. Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe

Secret? What secret? THERE IS NO SECRET.

No really, there’s not anymore. I’ve been planning my mom’s surprise retirement/birthday/anniversary party for months now and while the event itself was amazing, I’m just so glad it’s over so that I don’t have to worry about giving away the surprise anymore.

I have a pretty bad track record. Once I threw a surprise party for Eric and a few hours before the event I said to him, “I have to go to the store to get stuff for your surprise party tonight” and then I caught myself and widened my eyes and slapped my hand over my mouth. He didn’t get it somehow. (??)

a slice of rhubarb custard pie with ice cream on a plate.

Later, our first guests arrived exactly when I asked them to, except he was the one to answer the door because I had yet to send him on his get-out-of-the-house-errand. I had to awkwardly make eye contact with the arrivals and say, oh you guys are just here [30 minutes away from your house] dropping by right? I seriously have no idea how he was still surprised.

My mom, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised in the slightest. No matter how old you get, you just can’t keep secrets from your mom. At least I never could. Oh well, it was an awesome party, if I do say so myself, and bonus! We have enough food leftover to feed the armies of 3 nations.

a rhubarb custard pie with part of it missing.

Me and my 4 siblings were all together for the weekend, which rarely happens since we’re spread across 4 states. We were celebrating her retirement after 20 years of teaching, my parent’s 40th anniversary, and her 60th birthday. That right there made up for any potential ruined-surprise deflation. Pretty hard to stay upset when there is so much awesomeness happening. 

Legendary Rhubarb Custard Pie Recipe

My mother-in-law Kris has been talking up this Rhubarb Custard Pie for years. I’d never had it because I hadn’t visited when rhubarb is in season. I just know that it has family-legend-status. I wanted to make it for Eric’s birthday this year, so I asked for the recipe, and she texted me a photo of the recipe in her Betty Crocker cookbook. “It’s basically the same,” she said.

a slice of rhubarb custard pie on a plate with vanilla ice cream.

Except that the crust burned, the rhubarb was undercooked, and it was super runny. I asked her about it and she said, “Oh did you cover the crust? Did you beat the eggs well? Did you add tapioca? Did you up the salt?” Um, NO!!! “Oops, forgot to tell you those parts. Guess it’s an excuse to make another pie!”

a slice of rhubarb custard pie on a plate with vanilla ice cream.

Honestly though I can’t be mad. The first one was still pretty good, and it made me appreciate the second one–perfection–even more. This it my new favorite pie. No really. It used to be this Strawberry Glace Pie, and that one is still up there, but Rhubarb Custard Pie trumps it now. I am jumping on the family-legend-pie bandwagon because this. is. it my friends.

So what does rhubarb taste like?

Rhubarb is sort of like a red, sour celery. Weird, right? It’s one of the strangest vegetables and is used more often as a fruit would be in dessert dishes. It’s easy to grow and makes a great summer crop to make something sweet with (added sugar included, of course!). I didn’t grow up with rhubarb and until I shared this pie with my mom, she had no idea what rhubarb actually looked like! It took Eric’s family to introduce me to this amazing vegetable… fruit… thing.

Chopped up rhubarb.

Custard Rhubarb Pie Ingredients

Here’s a quick list of everything you’ll need to make this pie. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more details.

  • Flour
  • White sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • Butter flavor shortening
  • Eggs
  • Instant tapioca
  • Nutmeg
  • Rhubarb
  • Butter

How to make Rhubarb Custard Pie

I LOVE this pie crust. It’s simple enough. You cut your shortening in to the dry ingredients to the point that it looks like the left. After adding the egg and water and stirring, use your hands (right).

Cutting up the pastry dough

Divide the dough in half and then roll that baby out. (I swear I don’t really have wrist cankles.)

Laying out the pie dough.

Take one of the halves of dough rolled out on parchment paper and transfer it to the dish. Peel off the paper until it’s rest on the dish.

How to set the dough in the pie dish.

From there you gently press it into the dish. Trim and form the edges. Don’t worry if you’re edges are not perfectly formed! It will still taste just as good. The most important thing is to not trim it too short so when you put the top layer of crust you can push them together.

Forming the pie dough to the dish.

Next it’s time to make the rhubarb custard. Left is what your eggs should look like after beating the eggs. Right is what it turns into after the flour step.

Mixing up the custard.

Don’t forget the tapioca! It’s a great thickener. I used good ol’ Kraft. After the tapioca come the spices and the chopped up rhubarb.

Kraft Minute Tapioca.

I like to split the rhubarb stalks down the middle the long way before chopping the smaller pieces to go in the custard.

Close-up of slicing rhubarb.

After you pour the rhubarb custard mixture into crust you’re ready to add the top. Doesn’t that look beautiful!

Rhubarb custard filling in the pie crust.

As before, use the parchment paper to your advantage as you place it on top.

After adding the top crust layer.

Seal up those edges unless you want a mess in your oven! It’s a good idea to split the crust with a knife so it can vent the steam produced by the filling while its baking. You can go for something fancy, or not.

an unbaked pie.

My mom gave me this pie crust cover thing a long time ago, but foil will work just fine. It prevents the outer edge from burning.

Pie crust protector for in the oven.

And voila! You’ve got a beautiful flaky crust, the perfect complement to the sweet filling inside.

a freshly baked pie.

Tips For Success

Here are a few tips to help your pie turn out perfectly! 

  • Keep your pie crust from sticking with parchment paper. Generously sprinkle flour onto a sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, using as much flour as you need so that it doesn’t stick. Invert the parchment paper onto a 9-inch pie pan and gently peel off the paper. Arrange the pie crust and trim the edges if everything didn’t turn out evenly. 
  • Cover the edges of the crust with a pie crust cover or foil. This keeps you from getting dark brown crust edges. If you don’t don’t have a pie crust cover, take a square of aluminum foil, fold it into quarters, and cut out the middle so that when you open it you have a circle. Gently fold it onto the pie crust. 
  • Substitute cornstarch for tapioca. I prefer using tapioca as a thickener in this pie, but if you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, cornstarch will make a great substitution.

How to Serve Rhubarb and Custard Pie

Once the pie cools completely (it’s going to take several hours, be patient!) serve it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or a glass of cold milk. But I’d always go for the ice cream!

Storage

You can keep this pie on your counter for 2-3 days (if it isn’t devoured in the first 24 hours that is). After that it’s a good idea to refrigerate it. Don’t freeze it: the custard will separate, and nobody wants a grainy custard.  

More great fruit pies and desserts to try

Apple Custard Pie with Cinnamon Streusel >> custard makes the classic even more homey

Peach Apricot Slab Pie >> apricots, peaches, doesn’t matter, MAKE THIS

No Bake Cherry Cream Cheese Pie >> did you grow up on this classic??

Peach Custard Pie >> we’re just adding custard to everything okay

Fresh Blackberry Glacé Pie >> a delectable fresh fruit pie, no top crust on this one

Cherry Pie for Fourth of July >> obviously you can eat it any time of the year!

Rhubarb Meringue Layers >> never enough rhubarb I say!

Grapefruit Meringue Pie from Sugar Hero

Lime Basil Pie from Nathalie Bakes

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Rhubarb Custard Pie
Print

Rhubarb Custard Pie

This Rhubarb Custard Pie pairs the delectable tartness of rhubarb with a nice creamy custard for the perfect balance of sweetness, all wrapped up in a perfectly-flaky crust. Rhubarb is summer's favorite dessert flavor and once you try this pie, you'll agree. Don't forget to serve it a la mode!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Standing Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 528kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the crust:*

  • ¼ cup water very cold
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 & ½ tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup butter-flavored shortening + 2 tablespoon
  • ½ egg beaten

For the pie:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons instant tapioca
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup flour spooned and leveled
  • nutmeg fresh, grated (up to 1/4 teaspoon)
  • 4 to 5 cups rhubarb sliced and chopped 1/2 inch thick
  • 2 tablespoons butter cold, cut into pieces

Instructions

For the crust:

  • Measure out 1/4 cup water into a glass measuring cup and stick it in the freezer.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
  • Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the shortening. Cut until it looks like coarse crumbs. Don’t overdo it!
  • In a small bowl beat one egg. Pour out half (into the sink or into another container, or heck, into a frying pan). You can just eyeball it.
  • Add the half beaten egg to the cold water that you put in the freezer. Beat it together, then add it to the shortening mixture. Stir until it is just coming together, then use your hands to knead it once or twice (only to make it come together). Divide the dough in half.
  • Generously sprinkle flour onto a sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough with a rolling pin, using as much flour as you need so that it doesn’t stick. Invert the parchment paper onto a 9-inch pie pan and gently peel off the paper. Arrange the pie crust and trim edges as necessary.
  • Repeat with the remaining dough, up until the invert step.

For the pie:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  • In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat eggs on medium speed for about 2 or 3 minutes, until they are a light lemon color.
  • Add the sugar and beat on medium for one more minute.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of instant tapioca and combine thoroughly.
  • Add the salt, flour, and nutmeg, and beat well.
  • Stir in the rhubarb with a rubber spatula.
  • Pour into the prepared pie crust. Mound the rhubarb slightly in the middle. Sprinkle the cut butter evenly over the mixture.
  • Transfer (invert) the top crust over the pie and seal the edges.
  • Cover the edges of the crust with a pie crust cover or foil (see note).
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the crust is golden.
  • Remove from the oven and let stand until room temperature, several hours. You can speed things up by putting it in the fridge if you want.
  • Store covered on the counter. Warning: this means you will take bites of it every time you pass through your kitchen. Sorry in advance.

Notes

*You can totally use store bought crust to make things go faster.
If you don’t have tapioca, cornstarch will make a great substitution.
I like to slice my rhubarb into 2-3 strips, then chop them.
If you don’t don’t have a pie crust cover, take a square of aluminum foil, fold it into quarters, and cut out the middle so that when you open it you have a circle. Place over the pie crust.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 420mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg

Tomato Basil Summer Veggie Casserole

This easy and healthy tomato basil pasta casserole is a great way to use up all those vegetables from your garden. It feeds a crowd and tastes amazing! Perfect meatless dinner for a summer night. Originally published July 23, 2015. You want to know the best way to get killer tomatoes from your garden? Go…

This easy and healthy tomato basil pasta casserole is a great way to use up all those vegetables from your garden. It feeds a crowd and tastes amazing! Perfect meatless dinner for a summer night. Originally published July 23, 2015.

summer veggie pasta bake.
Table of Contents
  1. I love this tomato basil pasta casserole
  2. More ways to use up garden veggies
  3. Tomato Basil Summer Veggie Casserole Recipe

You want to know the best way to get killer tomatoes from your garden? Go on vacation for 3 and 1/2 weeks and ask your green-thumb neighbor to water for you. It’s pretty much a no-fail situation.

summer veggie pasta bake.

I guess I shouldn’t be giving the neighbors all the credit, because Eric has been in charge of our garden this summer, and it’s his baby. He comes home every day from work and dutifully waters the plants with the kids. He even taught Charlotte to do it by herself. It’s just kind of funny leaving on vacation and then coming home to HUGE lush plants that are dropping tomatoes like it’s hot.

ingredients for summer veggie pasta bake.
drizzling olive oil on summer veggie pasta bake.

Also, can we talk about my lack of faith. I came home and even after seeing the plants bought 8-10 romas at the grocery store out of habit. They are still hanging out somewhere in my veggie drawer. Oooops.

I love this tomato basil pasta casserole

Guess I have another excuse to make this casserole again! I was looking up vegetarian casserole recipes that I could freeze for a friend I was making dinner for, and stumbled across this gem. It’s easy, meatless, and packed with tons of summer veggies that you may or may not have a million of right now. A garden tomato is always best but you can use store bought, no problem. I used broccoli, but I’ve also tried it with raw zucchini, so if you have a ton of that right now, this is a perfect way to use it up.

summer veggie pasta bake with melted mozzarella cheese.

One last thing, I almost used regular ol’ mozzarella for the top, because using fresh mozzarella and then baking it seems like a waste. But it was SO good! I want to try it on the next lasagna I make. Yum.

summer veggie pasta bake.

More ways to use up garden veggies

Easy Cheesy Asparagus Tortellini Bake >> (you could try this with zucchini in place of the asparagus, that would be good)

Roasted Garlic Ratatouille >> just like the movie! Minus a rat under your chef’s hat

Creamy Zucchini Soup with Popcorn Garnish >> for that mean green bumper crop you’ve grown

Poblano, Corn, and Zucchini Lasagna >> this is soooo good

Laura’s Fresh Veggie Sandwich >> garden tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and sprouts never looked so good on a sandwich

How to Make the Best BLT Sandwich >> I said best and I mean it!

Easy BLT Pasta Salad >> when you want to take BLTs to the potluck, this one is for you

Garden Vegetable Soup from The Garden Grazer

Chunky Garden Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce from A Kitchen Addiction

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Tomato Basil Summer Veggie Casserole
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Tomato Basil Summer Veggie Casserole

This easy and healthy casserole is a great way to use up all those vegetables from your garden. It feeds a crowd and tastes amazing! Perfect meatless dinner for a summer night.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 38 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 526kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cottage cheese
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 lemon juiced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound broccoli 2 crowns (or you can use frozen florets. Thaw them first.)*
  • 12 ounces rotini pasta I used the multicolored kind
  • 1 large tomato chopped**
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes divided
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 15 ounces white beans 1 can, drained
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves chopped
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 8 ounces mozzarella fresh, chopped
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan
  • olive oil
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves fresh, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  • In a very large bowl, stir together cottage cheese, eggs, lemon juice, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
  • Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil in a 3-quart pot. Add about a tablespoon of salt.
  • While it’s heating up, cut your broccoli into similar-sized florets.
  • When the water is boiling, add the broccoli then immediately cover with a lid. Keep the heat on high. Set a timer for 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon (don’t drain!) to remove the broccoli to the bowl with the cottage cheese.
  • Bring the remaining water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander, then add the noodles to the bowl and stir.
  • Add the chopped tomato to the bowl. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half, and reserve about a cup for the top of the casserole. Throw the rest in the bowl.
  • Add the chopped onions and garlic to the bowl. If you don’t love raw onions/garlic, you can saute them in a little oil for a few minutes before adding them to the bowl. They won’t become completely cooked in the oven, so be aware.
  • Add the white beans, 1/2 cup basil, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. Stir well.
  • Grease a deep 9×13 inch casserole dish and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Pour the mixture into the dish. Top with the remaining cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle with the chopped fresh mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1/4 up Parmesan. Drizzle the dish with a bit of olive oil, just a tablespoon or 2.
  • Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. When it’s done baking, immediately sprinkle with fresh chopped basil. Serves a crowd!

Notes

*You can use zucchini instead of broccoli. No need to cook first, just toss it in.
**Use any kind of tomatoes you like (all regular or all cherry). I just used what I had on hand.
Source: adapted from The Kitchn

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 526kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1259mg | Potassium: 935mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1501IU | Vitamin C: 76mg | Calcium: 483mg | Iron: 4mg

Beef and Broccoli

Beef and Broccoli can be so hit and miss, right? Sometimes it’s transcendent, other times it’s gloopy and chewy. I’ve figured out the secrets! If you’re a Chinese food lover, make this easy homemade Beef and Broccoli recipe for a healthy dinner that’s faster (and cheaper) than takeout. A few Asian pantry staples are all…

Beef and Broccoli can be so hit and miss, right? Sometimes it’s transcendent, other times it’s gloopy and chewy. I’ve figured out the secrets! If you’re a Chinese food lover, make this easy homemade Beef and Broccoli recipe for a healthy dinner that’s faster (and cheaper) than takeout. A few Asian pantry staples are all you need to make this stir fry that is seriously SO GOOD. Healthy (check) one-pan meal (check) done in less than an hour (check!) Make it with 20 minute Rice or Cauliflower Rice!

Close up of Chinese food beef and broccoli, with sauce and sesame seeds and rice.
Table of Contents
  1. Beef and broccoli stir fry
  2. Beef and broccoli recipe ingredients
  3. How to make beef and broccoli
  4. What to serve with beef broccoli stir fry
  5. How to store beef and broccoli
  6. Can you freeze beef and broccoli?
  7. Beef and broccoli frequently asked questions
  8. Easy beef recipes
  9. Beef and Broccoli Recipe

I went out of state to visit my brother last weekend, who just bought a meth house. Kidding! Kind of. He was halfway through the purchase when he randomly (or maybe inspired!) thought to pay extra for a meth inspection and it came back positive. Gah!!

It’s all cleaned out now. The previous owners took care of decontamination (a tenant was the culprit.) The house was condemned by the state right away after the test came back. I was worried they would raze it to the ground! I’m so glad they were able to get it scrubbed, because the house is so cool!

plate of beef strips with sauce and broccoli and cucumbers.

It was built in 1923, and is sooo beautiful. One hundred year old houses have such a vibe, but they are a lot of work. We spent the weekend deep cleaning his kitchen cupboards and rummaging local antique shops for furniture that will fit the energy of a 1920s bungalow.

It was such a nice change of pace! It’s always so much more fun to clean someone else’s house than to clean your own, you know?? Why is that? If I had half that amount of energy for organizing my own house, we would be eating off the floor over here.

But alas, my 4 children conspire against me daily. Just yesterday I found a baggie of goldfish smashed all over the carpet upstairs, exactly 30 seconds before I had to be in a zoom meeting. You better believe I just left that nonsense right there. Hi, welcome to my house, would you like to clean it? Because I REFUSE.

saucy beef strips and broccoli florets close up

Beef and broccoli stir fry

I’m so excited to tell you about today’s recipe for Beef and Broccoli, and how it blows away any takeout Chinese I’ve ever had.

Honestly guys, I’ve never been a huge Beef and Broccoli fan. I love beef, and I love broccoli, so what’s my deal?? Turns out it’s the sauce I wasn’t in love with, which can sometimes be overwhelmingly sweet, cloyingly thick, or overly…fishy?

side angle shot of beef with broccoli on a plate with rice.

My BFF Sarah helps me with recipe development, and she discovered in testing that it’s the high amount of Oyster Sauce I find a little overwhelming when it comes to some recipes for Beef and Broccoli.

Oyster sauce is pretty magical stuff, and an absolutely essential ingredient for classic Beef and Broccoli. It adds amazing umami flavor, so I didn’t want to leave it out. I love this article all about Oyster Sauce, and reading about how it was made accidentally back in 1888 when someone left Oyster soup on to cook for too long 😂 .

It’s a very concentrated sauce that really amps up the flavor of Beef and Broccoli, I just wanted it to be less of a highlight and more of an accent, if that makes sense. Sarah adjusted the final recipe to have a little less Oyster sauce, and I was absolutely astonished by how much I loved it the next time I made it. The final dish is well balanced; not too sweet, not too salty, but just a perfect blend of rich flavors that is so uniquely Chinese, you will feel like you’re sitting in the restaurant. (Where are my fortune cookies??)

Beef and broccoli recipe ingredients

Is your pantry stocked for Asian cooking? If not, you will need to visit the Asian aisle at your grocery store, but won’t need to make a special trip to an international store. This is an overview, the recipe is at the bottom of the post!

ingredients laid out on a table, including flank steak, brown sugar, broccoli, hoison sauce, salt, sherry wine.
  • 1 pound beef (flank steak, skirt steak, flat iron steak, or ribeye if you’re really treating yourself!)
  • fresh broccoli
  • Shaoxing wine (or sherry cooking wine)
  • low-sodium soy sauce
  • oil
  • oyster sauce
  • hoisin sauce
  • chili paste (like sambal oelek)
  • brown sugar
  • sesame oil
  • cornstarch
  • rice, for serving

How to make beef and broccoli

First things first: pop your beef in the freezer for a few minutes so it gets partially frozen on the edges. This makes it 1000x easier to slice it as thin as we need it for this recipe.

Then we are breaking the cardinal rule of meat butchering: we’re going to slice this baby WITH THE GRAIN. Just once, like this.

flank steak sliced in half with the grain, then sliced into strips against the grain.

THEN we slice against the grain. The first long cut was so that we don’t have like 10 inch long strips of beef. Cutting against the grain means that your knife is perpendicular to where the lines of the meat are running. Can you see it in the photo above?

Meat is made up of long strands, and cutting against the grain means that our KNIFE is doing a lot of the cutting work, instead of relying only on our poor omnivorous teeth. Cutting a fantastic piece of meat very poorly will result in meat that has a chewy, tough texture no matter how much it cost, or how well you cooked it.

strips of beef marinating in shaoxing wine.

Toss your beef into the marinade for a few minutes. This marinade is so stupid easy, it’s just 3 ingredients: cornstarch, low sodium soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. I had never heard of this wine before! It’s a classic ingredient in Chinese cooking. I had a heck of a time finding it! You can buy it online here, or an international market is probably your best bet. Shaoxing wine is of course traditional and brings the most authentic flavor, but I subbed Sherry cooking wine, and thought it tasted amazing.

Also, have you heard about cornstarch marinades in Chinese cooking? It’s a technique called “velveting” because the cornstarch reacts with the meat and basically acts as a meat tenderizer. It makes the beef so, so tender and perfect.

how to chop broccoli into florets.

Take a hot minute to chop up your broccoli, before things get real over on the stove. If at this point you decide “I want more vegetables!” you could totally slice up some mushrooms, carrots, or peppers to cook along with the broccoli. It’s your thing, do what you wanna do.

Don’t forget the rice. Start the rice now, before we cook the beef, so it has time to steam. Did you catch my last post all about how I make rice for my family? It’s so easy. I usually make white rice for the kids and Cauliflower Rice (or Asian Cauliflower Rice) for me and Eric, because we like to eat low-carb dinners most nights. I often buy the pre-riced frozen cauliflower, because it’s so easy, just heat it up in a pan with some oil and salt.

Now it’s time to sear!

searing strips of beef in a black skillet.

I love to sear my beef in half veggie oil, half sesame oil. Sesame oil is strong but I love love love the flavor. You can skip it and use regular oil if you like.

Whichever way you sear it, just make sure you are leaving enough space in the pan! The meat strips should not be touching each other. If you crowd them all in at once, it will cook but it will not get brown, and you miss out on tons of flavor. It’s so tragic. Don’t do it. Sear in batches and be patient.

You don’t even have to be that patient, this meat is so thin that it cooks in about 1 minute for each side! Remove it all to a plate and make way for some broccoli.

overhead shot of stir frying broccoli in a cast iron skillet.

I also saute my broccoli in half sesame oil, half veggie oil. It’s so good! The other tip for doing the broccoli is to stir the pan constantly, and add water 1 tablespoon at a time. The pan is so hot by this point that the broccoli may start to scorch before it’s cooked all the way through. If you add water, a little bit at a time, it will sizzle and evaporate right away, creating steam that helps cook the broccoli. Keep going 2-3 minutes until you see the florets change color to a darker green. We want crisp-tender, not mushy!

Here are all the ingredients for the final sauce. It’s oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, chili garlic paste, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and salt and black pepper It’s sooo good.

sauce ingredients in a bowl, adding sauce to beef and broccoli in black pan.

Add the meat back to the pan, douse the whole thing in sauce, stir it up, let’s goooooo

close up overhead of white plate with stripc of beef, sliced shallot, broccoli florets, and sesame seed.

Don’t forget all the goods! Green onions, sesame seeds, Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad, and some sriracha mayo to round it all out. I’m tellin you guys.

What to serve with beef broccoli stir fry

Beef and broccoli is such a classic takeout pick. I love serving it with White Rice or Cauliflower Rice and calling dinner done. But I also love doing sides or making it a “fakeout” night (get it? fake takeout, cause you’re making it at home) and doing more of my Chinese restaurant favorites. Here are some ideas:

overhead shot of beef with broccoli in a black cast iron skillet.

How to store beef and broccoli

If eating leftover Chinese food straight from the container in the fridge is your thing (raises hand), this recipe is perfect for meal prep. Store it in sectioned containers with rice and you’re done. Make sure your tupperwares are airtight so your lunch doesn’t dry out. It’ll last for 4-5 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave for about a minute, depending on your portion size and microwave strength.

Sometimes leftover rice can be dry, but if you heat it up in the microwave along with the beef and broccoli, the moisture from your main dish will help freshen up the rice. You can also sprinkle a teaspoon or so of water on the rice and it helps a ton. Read more about reheating rice here.

Beef and broccoli close-up with rice, onions, and sriracha mayo.

Can you freeze beef and broccoli?

I’m going to say hard pass this time, guys. I don’t recommend freezing your leftovers. The texture of the broccoli is going to be pretty weird after defrosting, so just don’t go there. The reason we love Beef Broccoli is because of the crispy-tenderness of the whole situation. Don’t mess with it.

Beef and broccoli frequently asked questions

What is beef and broccoli sauce made of?

Beef and broccoli sauce is made from Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Sometimes ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, and chili garlic sauce are added. If you know you love one of these ingredients you can add a little more (or, if it’s not your favorite, a little less.)

What kind of beef for beef and broccoli?

Flank steak is my favorite. Sometimes the best cut of meat is the one you already have, though, or what you can afford. If you’re at the store, decide how fancy you want to go. Ribeye makes an incredible beef and broccoli. All that beautiful marbling means the meat is super melt in your mouth and tender. Cheaper options (but still excellent ones) are flank steak, skirt steak, or flat iron steak. I tried London Broil but didn’t love it for this recipe. Another good choice, although a leaner one, is sirloin.

How do you thicken beef and broccoli?

Cornstarch is the perfect thickener for beef and broccoli sauce. Just a couple teaspoons added transforms the sauce to have a phenomenal creamy texture!

How TO MAKE BEEF TENder for stir fry?

To tenderize the beef we’re using a traditional Chinese method called “velveting.” Meat is marinated in an easy cornstarch slurry for 20 minutes or so, and the cornstarch makes it so incredibly tender.

is beef and broccoli healthy?

Heck yes! All that protein AND the veggies, in one pan?? Yes please. I’d definitely call this a healthy dinner, especially served with Cauliflower Rice, but even with regular white rice it’s still a pretty healthy option!

beef and broccoli stir fry in an orange clay bowl.

Easy beef recipes

Steak might be a special occasion dinner, but cheaper cuts of beef can make a weeknight meal feel just as fancy without the fancy price. Here are some of my favorites meals using high-protein, juicy beef!

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Close up of Chinese food beef and broccoli, with sauce and sesame seeds and rice.
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Beef and Broccoli

Beef and Broccoli can be so hit and miss, right? Sometimes it's transcendent, other times it's gloopy and chewy. I've figured out the secrets! If you're a Chinese food lover, make this easy homemade Beef and Broccoli recipe for a healthy dinner that's faster (and cheaper) than takeout! A few Asian pantry staples are all you need to make this stir fry that is seriously SO GOOD. Healthy (check) one-pan meal (check) done in less than an hour (check!) Make it with 20 minute Rice or Cauliflower Rice!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people
Calories 313kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 1 pound flank steak* (or flat iron, skirt, sirloin, or ribeye steak)
  • 1 pound broccoli florets 2 heads broccoli

For the marinade:

  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch for the marinade
  • 4 and 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce**
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine*** or substitute sherry wine

For the sauce:

For searing

  • vegetable oil
  • sesame oil

For serving:

Instructions

  • Freeze your beef: Put your beef in the freezer so it's easier to slice. 30 minutes is just about perfect.
  • Prep your broccoli. Separate the florets from stems. I like using just the florets, but feel free to cut the stems into small pieces and use them too. You need about a pound of broccoli once it's chopped, about 2 medium heads.
  • Prepare the marinade: Add 1 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, 4 and 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine* to a medium bowl.
  • Slice the beef: We want thin strips or beef that are cut against the grain. If you are using a flank steak or other long cut of beef, make one long vertical cut WITH the grain before you start slicing, so that the strips are not like 8 inches long. See photos.
    Slice the beef against the grain very thin, no more than 1/4 inch for each piece. Each piece should be about 4 inches long. Add the beef strips to the marinade, stir, and set a timer for 20 minutes.
  • Prepare the sauce: While the beef is marinating, prep the sauce in another small bowl. Whisk together 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1/3 cup Hoisin sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. (Use less salt if all you have is table salt.)
  • Rice: If you plan to serve this with rice, start making it now so it can simmer and steam while you sear the beef. Here's How to make Rice.
  • Stir fry the beef: Heat a cast iron skillet (or the largest heaviest skillet or wok you have) over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom.
  • Lift the slices of marinated beef one at a time, letting the marinade drip off. Add the beef to the pan in a single layer, with 1-2 inches of space in between each strip of beef. (We will be cooking this in several batches) Be very careful not to drop the pieces, this oil is hot and you don't want to splatter yourself.
  • Let the strips cook for 60-90 seconds, until they are browning on the bottom. Use tongs to flip each piece individually. As soon as the second side is browned, remove the beef to a plate. The slices are thin, so they only need a minute or so on each side, and remember, this is steak, so it doesn't exactly need to be well done.
  • Continue to sear the rest of the beef. Add more vegetable and sesame oil as necessary in between batches. If you add too much beef at once, there will be too much liquid being released from the beef. This prevents the browning process. The beef needs space to allow that liquid to evaporate; the liquid evaporating is the only way the beef gets in contact with the oil, which is what does the browning. Science!
  • Stir fry the broccoli: Once all the beef is seared and removed, add 1 tablespoons vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the skillet, still set over medium high heat. Add the chopped broccoli florets all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until you see the florets change color to a darker green, about 2 minutes. We want crisp-tender broccoli, not mushy, so keep an eye on it and don't overdo it.
  • Add water to the broccoli, 1 tablespoon at a time once you notice that the bottom of the pan is drying out. The water will evaporate right away and this will help the broccoli to steam. I usually add several tablespoons of water, at least 3-5. Don't let the liquid pool. It should be hot enough that it evaporates immediately.
  • Finish the dish: As soon as the broccoli is cooked (and, let me say it again, NOT MUSHY) add the beef back to the skillet, followed by all sauce. Scrape it all in there. It will immediately begin to bubble. Give everything a quick stir so the beef and broccoli is coated with the sauce, then turn off the burner and remove the pan from the heat so the cooking process stops.
  • Serve hot with the rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with a garnish of Asian Marinated Cucumbers, it's so good! You can also serve this with Sriracha mayo (1/2 cup mayo stirred with 1 tablespoon sriracha, or to taste.)
  • If you really want to go all out, crisp up some frozen egg rolls in the oven while you're cooking the beef and broccoli, buy some fortune cookies, and it's a whole takeout feast.
  • Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Don't freeze!

Notes

*I tested this with flank steak, skirt steak, and ribeye and they were all amazing. Of course ribeye was the most amazing but if this is just a weeknight, no need to splurge! I also tested it with London Broil but I can’t recommend it. It’s just too lean. Sirloin might be the right choice for you if you prefer your beef on the leaner side. 
**If you use regular soy sauce, cut the salt from the recipe.
***If you can’t find Shaoxing wine (it’s tough to find if you’re not at an international market) then you can use a dry sherry wine instead. Cooking sherry wine is also a good substitute!)
****Not a big fan of oyster sauce? Me neither. Just leave it out and add an extra tablespoon or two of hoisin sauce. Your beef and broccoli will still have great flavor. I included it in the recipe because it’s just so classic and people who are already beef and broccoli fans-for-life would miss it too much if I left it out. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 1180mg | Potassium: 809mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 709IU | Vitamin C: 101mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 3mg

How to Cook Rice on the Stove

Do you know how to cook rice on the stove? It’s actually SO easy to make rice in a pot. I promise you don’t need a fancy rice cooker appliance! If you’re tired of burned, mushy, bland rice, we are going to fix that today! I will show you step by step exactly how I…

Do you know how to cook rice on the stove? It’s actually SO easy to make rice in a pot. I promise you don’t need a fancy rice cooker appliance! If you’re tired of burned, mushy, bland rice, we are going to fix that today! I will show you step by step exactly how I make rice for my family, something I do weekly. Rice done right is fluffy and flavorful. No gumminess, no scorching, no crying over burnt rice. Serve it with dinner, or meal prep it with protein and veggies for the week!

Close up of cooked white rice with parsley and a fork.
Table of Contents
  1. Rice, minus the stress and judgment
  2. Should you rinse your rice?
  3. How to cook rice on the stove
  4. Rice rules
  5. What you need to make rice
  6. What is the right ratio of rice to water on the stove?
  7. How to make rice
  8. Toast the rice
  9. What to serve with rice
  10. What to do with leftover rice
  11. How to store rice
  12. How to reheat rice
  13. Cooking rice frequently asked questions
  14. How to Cook Rice on the Stove Recipe

It’s the end of the school year, and summer is in the air! I helped out in my son’s 5th grade class this morning for their “Olympic events.” I was in charge of running a game that was supposed to involve the kids tossing an enormous beach ball back and forth to each other.

This ball was so huge, like bigger than some of the kids’ actual bodies, and it was a super windy day, so this of course resulted in absolute mayhem. Gleeful, delighted mayhem; every kid had a grin on their face a mile wide. What could be better than school ending, no classwork, and the promise of popsicles? (Bouncing a giant beach ball off of your head, that’s what.)

Cooked rice on plate with beef and broccoli and cucumbers.
(That’s Beef Broccoli on the plate, recipe coming stat, it’s so good yall)

Eventually, after us hollering at the kids 100 times to get away from the fence, the ball sailed over it into the street beyond, to championship-level cheering from the kids, and panic-stricken dismay from all the teachers. Another volunteer and I sprinted around the gate and managed to save the ball, which had thankfully gotten stuck in the bushes of the street partition.

If it hadn’t been stopped, the larger-than-life beach ball would have bounded down the steep hill that also happens to be a 45 mph traffic lane. Can you imagine that car accident report? “Driver reports swerving into oncoming traffic after a beach ball the size of Mt. Olympus fell out of the sky onto the hood of his car.” 😳 Whew! Ending the school year with a bang over here??

On to today’s recipe! I’ve wanted to do a basic rice post for years and years but it always felt soooo boring. Doesn’t everyone know how to do this? NO, no they do not, I have found. I rely so much on this tried and true method, it seems unfair that I haven’t shared with you. It’s an important recipe to have in your back pocket, for weeknights and impressive dinners alike.

Rice is the perfect blank page for your stir-fry or curry, but things can go south quickly if you don’t know the rules. We make rice at least 1-2 times a weeks, and both my pre-teens can whip up a pot by themselves. Time to record how to cook rice step by step on the stovetop, for posterity!

indian curry recipe on a white plate with rice, roti, and garnishes
Easy Chicken Curry, my favvv.

Rice, minus the stress and judgment

Rice, rice, baby. Are you one of 99.9% of Americans who gets stressed out about making rice?? Somehow we’ve been conned into thinking that we need a fancy appliance for this no-brainer job that you can do in 10 minutes.

Guys, I’m not kidding. Don’t listen to the rice maker industry. Don’t listen to the folks telling you you are going to screw this up. And please, for the love, don’t listen to the folks telling you to rinse your rice 8 times.

(Seriously, my friend Sarah had a friend when she lived in Japan who rinsed EIGHT TIMES. Actually, the story goes that this particular Japanese woman married an American dude, and the first time he made rice for her she took one bite and said, “How many times did you rinse this?” because she could tell it was three times and not eight times.🤯)

Cooked rice in white pot with wooden spoon and parsley.

Should you rinse your rice?

This story befuddled me, because I’ve tried rinsing rice (3 times! 8 times!) and not rinsing rice and CANNOT tell the difference, at all. (Where is my fine palate now??)

Turns out, this rinsing rule used to be super important, but is a little outdated, at least in the United States.

Rice is a big deal in Asia. Kind of like how the Inuits have 20 different words for snow, the Japanese in particular have gone deeeep into the world of rice. And indeed, if you are cooking some rice you bought overseas, you should follow all the rinsing rules you’ve heard about. Wash and clean that rice like you’re about to sell it on E-bay.

But here in the states? Nah. Rice grown and processed in Japan is not the same as rice in the United States. The reason the Japanese rinse so much is because the rice still has a sticky coating on it called hada nuka (“skin bran”), and if you cook your rice without getting that sticky stuff off, if will turn out gummy and mushy. You can buy “pre-rinsed” rice in Japan, but nobody does, because rinsing is such a cultural thing now.

Cooked rice in a pot with wooden spoon and parsley.

About 30 years ago, rice factories in the United States changed their process to include the removal of the sticky coating. Any rice you are buying here has already been “rinsed.” (You can read all about Japanese rice rinsing and the fascinating impact on the environment over at the Japanese Food Guide.)

If you hand-rinse rice that was already “rinsed” at the factory, you are not only doing a job that has already been done (trying to remove a “skin bran” that is not there), but you actually risk washing off some of the nutrients that are in the rice, sending them straight down the drain. Crazy, right, that it’s taken 30 years to get the memo out about this?? Raise your hand if your mama taught you to rinse the rice?

How to cook rice on the stove

Okay, so now that we’ve cleared up the rinsing situation, how do we make rice that doesn’t burn and scorch on the bottom, that isn’t crunchy when you serve it, and that isn’t a soggy bland mess?

It’s all about the water to rice ratio, and timing.

Measured ingredients for cooking rice in a pot including salt, butter, dry white rice, and water.

It’s not hard. But sometimes, it’s the simplest things that are the easiest to mess up.

Rice rules

  • Don’t rinse the rice. Your mama might have taught you that you need to rinse your rice to remove starch. Rinsing rice removes a tiny amount of starch, but not enough to make a difference. Also, rinsing rice can make it soggy! Even if you drain rinsed rice, it still retains some of the water. If you do insist on rinsing your rice, add 2 fewer tablespoons water when you cook it.
  • ADD SALT, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL YOU HOLD DEAR. Salt doesn’t make your rice taste salty; it makes your rice taste more like rice. This “hold the salt” attitude comes straight from Asian cooking, where those eating it have plans to douse their rice in a saucy and salty main dish (You know how salty soy sauce is, right?) It’s a very traditional choice, but I do not have a Korean grandmother snapping her fingers at me. Even when I make stir fry, I still salt my rice. And rice for Mexican food definitely needs salt. I cannot stress this enough! Salt is the magic ingredient for rice.
  • Remember to turn the heat down once it boils. If you don’t, you can burn the rice onto the bottom of the pan and cleaning it is going to be a pain. Plus, burned rice. Low heat is what you want.
  • Don’t peek at the rice. It’s not putting on a show for you in there! Taking off the lid lets steam escape. If the rice can’t steam, it will cook unevenly and some of it will be hard and crunchy. NOOO crunchy rice is so sad!
  • Don’t use an enormous pot. If you use a pot that’s too large, your rice won’t cook evenly. A pot that is 2 or 3 quart capacity is good for 1 cup of rice, or even doubling it. Only go for a big pot if you’re cooking at least 3 cups of uncooked rice.

What you need to make rice

Ingredients for how to cook rice on the stove with long grain white rice, butter, salt, and water.

You probably have this stuff in your house right now. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all the details!

  • rice: any kind of white rice, short-grain rice, medium grain rice, long grain rice, basmati rice, or sushi rice (don’t sub jasmine rice, it needs less water!)
  • kosher salt
  • butter or oil, any kind (optional!)

What is the right ratio of rice to water on the stove?

The right ratio for fluffy, perfect rice every time is 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water. You can scale up as much as you want, as long as your pot is big enough to contain it without spilling over. Here is a handy chart I made, mostly for myself, because I’m always trying to figure this out last minute at 5pm, squeezing my fists against my eyeballs, and it’s a disaster 😂 Math: not my strong suit.

DRY White Rice+ Water+ Kosher Salt+ Butter or Oil= COOKED Rice
1 cup1 and 1/2 cups3/4 teaspoon1 tablespoon3 cups
1 and 1/2 cups2 and 1/4 cups1 and 1/8 teaspoon1.5 tablespoons4 and 1/4 cups
2 cups3 cups1 and 1/2 teaspoons2 tablespoons6 cups
3 cups4 and 1/2 cups2 and 1/4 teaspoons3 tablespoons9 cups
4 cups6 cups1 tablespoon1/4 cup12 cups

Remember that we’re talking about the rice to water ratio for short, medium, or long grain white rice, basmati rice, or sushi rice! If you use some other kind of rice for this recipe, it might not turn out. Check the recipe notes for ratios for Jasmine rice, Jasmine is a little diva and needs her own special ratio 🙄 just kidding I love you Jas.

For every cup of uncooked rice, you’ll get about three cups of cooked rice (see the photo below). Generally when you’re serving a group you want 1/2 to 1 cup rice for each person, depending on what you’re serving with the rice. Of course, if you make many more cups of rice than you end up needing you can always freeze it for later (more on that later!)

glass measuring cups showing 1 cup of dry rice and 3 cups of cooked rice.

How to make rice

It’s so easy guys. Toss all the ingredients in a pot. Not too big of a pot, we’re not making soup. The rice won’t cook evenly. Just a medium or small pot is fine. (1, 2, or 3-quart capacity is great.)

Preparing rice to cook on the stove by pouring water into pot with dry rice and butter.

Put the lid on your saucepan and turn the heat to high. As soon as the water starts bubbling (steam will escape from the lid), turn the heat down. I am always bustling around my kitchen doing other stuff while I wait for the rice to boil, and it boils over I swear about half the time. Don’t be like me. Stick around and keep an eye on it. (DON’T give up and buy a rice cooker now. If you can manage to boil pasta, you can stick around to boil rice too. Don’t be a wuss.)

white pot of rice boiling on the stove with lid on.

Once it’s boiling, you are going to be tempted to take off that lid, especially if it boils over. Don’t do it! Just turn the heat down and walk away for 10 minutes.

Here’s the next big step. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat. That’s it. Don’t take off the lid. Don’t move the pot off the stove. Don’t do anything except set a 15 minute timer. We’re letting the rice rest so it can continue steaming just a little, absorbing any extra liquid so it’s nice and fluffy.

After this strenuous waiting period, you are done! You can finally take off the lid, I promise I won’t yell at you this time.

Cooked rice unfluffed in a pot after sitting from cooking on the stove.

Now it’s time to fluff!

Fluffing cooked rice in a pot with a fork.

They always say to fluff the rice with a fork, but any utensil will do. The goal here is to not smoosh the rice. So don’t jam a spoon in and stir. Instead, insert your fork or spoon underneath the rice and gently lift. Do this over and over until your rice looks big and fluffy and maybe like a little cloud that you might just float away on.

Cooked rice in a pot with wooden spoon and parsley.

Toast the rice

There is one easy thing you can do to amp up the flavor of your rice, and that is toasting the dry rice in fat before adding the water. FATTTT yes please.

Cooking rice on the stove with browned butter before and after.

Oh and we’re adding some garlic this time, because garlic is the best. I’m a garlic lover and almost always add this to my rice. Totally optional. (I usually just add a spoonful of jarred garlic.)

Cooked rice using browned butter in a stove just after finishing and with wooden spoon.

Can you see how brown it gets? That’s because the butter gets browned as you cook. This is just regular white rice, plus browned butter – it is not brown rice. If you use oil, it won’t get as brown like this.

Rice cooked with browned butter in a white pot with a wooden spoon.

I mean look at this toasty goodness.

What to serve with rice

Like, you can pretty much serve anything with a pot of hot fresh rice and it’s going to be amazing. But these are some of my all time favorite meals that go perfectly with a side dish of rice.

Korean beef bowl with rice and veggies on a wooden table with bowl of red pepper flakes.
Korean Beef for the winnnnn

What to do with leftover rice

You can warm up leftover rice and serve it with almost anything at all. If you want to incorporate it into your next meal, here are some ideas!

Sheet pan fried rice cooked and ready to eat.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fried Rice is so great for when you seriously misjudged a meal and have a tonnnn of rice leftover 😂

How to store rice

Storing leftover rice is easy. Once it’s cooled, toss it in a ziplock or Tupperware and pop it in the fridge. Make sure it’s tightly sealed. It shouldn’t be on the counter at room temperature for more than 2 hours before you refrigerate or freeze it.

How long does rice keep in the fridge?

Rice will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. After that, you’re living dangerously, and by dangerously I mean risking food poisoning. I’m actually pretty lax when it comes to food that might be suspect from my fridge, to be honest (doesn’t this make you want to come over for dinner?? 😅) But I don’t mess around with rice. It’s so cheap, it’s so fast and easy to make, that if I’m not sure about it, I toss the leftovers and just make more. You can get soooo super sick from bad rice.

ziplock full of cooked rice, labeled with the date.

Can you freeze cooked rice?

Yes you can, and it’s awesome!! As soon as your rice is cool, just put it in a ziplock bag and pop it in the freezer. It will stay fresh for up to six months, and you can add it to other recipes or reheat some to go with dinner whenever you want. Make sure you sprinkle with water before reheating! Read on:

How to reheat rice

The best way to reheat rice is in the microwave with a little water, covered with a plate or microwave cover. For every cup of cooked rice, you’ll want to sprinkle on about 2 teaspoons of water. Rice stored in the fridge dries out, and a little moisture added back in makes the difference between “ugh, leftover rice” and “oh yeah! leftover rice!!” Make sure the rice is covered when you reheat, so that it can steam. If you’ve never reheated rice this way you’re going to be impressed by how much of a difference covereing and adding a bit of water makes. It’s like fresh rice on day 2. Use this method even if you’re reheating from frozen. It might take a little longer, but otherwise it’s the same.

Cooking rice frequently asked questions

WHY RINSE rice?

The purpose of rinsing rice is to remove excess starch, but it’s actually totally unnecessary if you are cooking with rice processed in the United States, since that step was taken care of in processing. (If you want to rinse your rice, go ahead! Just remember to add 2 fewer tablespoons of water per cup of rice.) If you bought your rice in bulk from a market and are concerned about dirt or debris, that’s a totally different (and valid) reason to want to rinse your rice. Just remember to reduce the amount of water.

how do i fix undercooked rice?

Your timer rang, but you can see that there’s still lots of liquid in the pot. Maybe you added too much water, maybe you lifted the lid halfway through and released all the steam, maybe your stove is just acting up. You can still fix your rice! Let the rice continue to simmer for another 3-5 minutes, then leave the lid on and let steam as directed.

how long does rice take to cook?

If you’re cooking sushi rice, basmati rice, short-grain, medium-grain, or long-grain white rice, it takes about 10 minutes to cook on the stovetop and another 10 to continue steaming, with the lid on. Jasmine rice takes the same time, but requires less liquid than the other types mentioned.

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Close of up basmati white rice in a metal pot.
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How to Cook Rice on the Stove

Do you know how to cook rice on the stove? It's actually SO easy to make rice in a pot. I promise you don't need a fancy rice cooker appliance! If you're tired of burned, mushy, bland rice, we are going to fix that today! I will show you step by step exactly how I make rice for my family, something I do weekly. Rice done right is fluffy and flavorful. No gumminess, no scorching, no crying over burnt rice. Serve it with dinner, or meal prep it with protein and veggies for the week!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Mexican
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Steam Time 15 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 194kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white rice sushi, short, medium, or long grain
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water*
  • 1 tablespoons butter** or oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt use 1/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 clove garlic optional

Instructions

  • Add 1 cup dry rice, 1 and 1/2 cups water, 1 tablespoon butter or oil,** and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt to a medium saucepan. Add 1 clove minced garlic if you like! It's optional! I love the flavor.
  • Boil. Place a lid on the saucepan and turn the heat to HIGH. Stick around until the rice comes to a boil, this only takes a few minutes. Don't walk away, or it will boil over. My rice boils over probably 9 out of 10 times that I make rice, 😆 so don't panic if it happens, you will just have to clean it up. (Actually, my toxic trait is not cleaning up my boiled over rice mess. Welcome to my house, I'm disgusting.)
  • Bring the temperature down to low. As soon as you see steam escaping from beneath the lid, it's boiling. Don't you dare lift that lid. Turn the heat down to LOW. Cook on LOW for 10 minutes.
  • Steam. When the 10-minute timer rings, turn off the heat but don't remove the pot from the stove, leave it right where it is. DON'T peek, don't take off the lid. Set another timer for 15 minutes so that it can steam.
  • Fluff. When the 15-minute timer rings for the steam, you can finally take that lid off. They always say to fluff the rice with a fork; the goal here is to aerate the rice by lifting it gently. Use whatever utensil you want, but "stirring" is not the best method here, you don't want to smoosh your rice. Insert your fork or spatula underneath the rice and lift, over and over, until the rice is fluffy and big and hot and ready for a pat of butter. Yum.
  • Serve hot! Store leftovers covered in the fridge for about 4 days.
  • Freezing Instructions: As soon as your rice is cool, just put it in a ziplock bag and pop it in the freezer. It will stay fresh for up to six months. Reheat in a bowl in the microwave, sprinkled with 2 teaspoons water and covered well so the rice can steam.

Notes

*JASMINE RICE: Jasmine rice is very soft and needs less water. Keep everything the same for the recipe, but use 1 and 1/4 cups water for every 1 cup dry rice. 
**TOASTY: If you like your rice toasted, add the butter or oil to the saucepan by itself and warm it up on medium heat. Add the rice (and garlic, if you are into that) and stir it with a wooden spoon for 3-5 minutes, until the rice has a lovely light toasted aroma and some of the grains are turning a very light golden brown. Add the remaining ingredients and do everything else the same. (The photo of brown-looking rice in the post is actually white rice toasted in butter which had browned. If you use oil, it won’t get as brown.)
Double the recipe: You can double, triple, quadruple this recipe, no problem. See the chart in the blog post for ratios. You may need to let the rice steam at the end for more like 15-30 minutes, instead of the 10 minute steam called for. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 87IU | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Caramelized French Onion Dip

I have your dip recipe for the summer guys!! This French Onion Dip features caramelized onions in all their sweet and savory glory, rounded out with some tangy cream cheese and sour cream. Your potato chips have never known such bliss! I honestly thought I didn’t like onion dip, (it’s so…oily?) but homemade French Onion…

I have your dip recipe for the summer guys!! This French Onion Dip features caramelized onions in all their sweet and savory glory, rounded out with some tangy cream cheese and sour cream. Your potato chips have never known such bliss! I honestly thought I didn’t like onion dip, (it’s so…oily?) but homemade French Onion Dip is a whole nother level of creamy, cheesy caramelized perfection.

hand pulling crinkle cut potato chip scooping up french onion dip.
Table of Contents
  1. The best recipe for French onion dip
  2. What is French onion dip?
  3. French onion dip recipe ingredients
  4. How to make French onion dip
  5. What do you eat with French onion dip?
  6. How long does French onion dip last?
  7. Can you freeze French onion dip?
  8. French onion dip frequently asked questions
  9. More incredible dips and sauces you’ll love!
  10. French Onion Dip Recipe

Growing up, our house backed up to an intersection. Kitty corner from us was our church, where I attended seminary every morning in high school at 6:05am (!!!), and across the street was the high school. I always joked with my friends that my entire life was encapsulated in one intersection.

We were literally 50 yards from everything, but you had to walk down the entire block and then back again to get there. If you wanted to stick with those conventional sidewalks, that is.

Hopping the 6 foot cement fence in the backyard was the obvious solution, but how? My dad came up with the idea of using a ladder, the kind with a shepherd’s hook at the top, that people use for above-ground swimming pools. Voila!

little girl on a ladder on a cement fence with purple tree.
Valentine learning to hop the fence 💕

The whole neighborhood started using the ladder to skip the extra block to school, and it was used for years. My dad still hops the fence to get to church every week. He likes to race my mom, who drives the two blocks (ain’t no way she’s hopping the fence in a skirt), and sometimes he beats her.

When you hop a 6-foot fence several times every single day, you get pretty casual about it, or at least I did in high school. One morning on the way to seminary, when it as still dark outside, I jumped without looking, and landed directly in front of this woman out for her morning jog. She screamed sooo loud and was clearly terrified that a random teenager had literally fallen out of nowhere into her path. We didn’t collide, thank goodness, but it was very close! 16-year-old-me felt so bad, but not so bad that I don’t still kind of laugh about it to this day. (I wonder what HER story is 😅)

I asked my family for more fence hopping stories:

I think you can guess which messages are from my brothers, always keepin it classy 😅

One day, my dad was making scrambled eggs. He went outside, knelt down by the weeds that grew out of the landscape edging we all stepped over every single day on the way to to hop the fence, snipped said weeds with scissors, and sprinkled them over his eggs. Because they were CHIVES. My mind was absolutely blown. Yer a wizard, Dad! I had NO idea we had edible weeds in our yard 😂

I always think of this when I buy chives, like for today’s recipe, which I am SOOO excited about!!

ceramic bowl filled with French onion dip and garnished with snipped chives and potato chips.

The best recipe for French onion dip

I never thought I could adore a dip the way I adore this dip. I love me some caramelized onions, but go ahead and add a ton of creamy cheese and chips? Stop itttt.

This will be the only thing I’m snacking on poolside this summer. If you invite me to your summer BBQ, I’m showing up toting this dip. I might even still be stuck on it come Thanksgiving, where it actually makes a perfect centerpiece to a Charcuterie Board. (I would know, this dip with charcuterie is what I served last November! I’ve been holding out on you for months with this recipe!!)

glass bowl of French onion dip with a few crinkle cut potato chips stuck in the top.

What is French onion dip?

Have you ever had French Onion Soup? If not, please go make that right now, then we can talk.

Just kidding. (Also, did you click over? Those pictures are sooo old but I promise the soup is legit.)

French Onion Dip is just the cheesy, dip-able version of the glorious soup.

The soup starts out with a ton of onions, which we slowly caramelize with the patience of turning coal into diamonds. (Trust me, worth it). Once finished, we immerse them in a rich beef broth. THEN we top it with crusty bread and cheese, which is broiled to perfection. I know, RIGHT??

The dip version takes the flavors and adds a ton more cheese, minus all the liquid, plus potato chips. I mean how can we go wrong here?

French onion dip is specifically made with beef broth flavors. If it doesn’t have the beef component, then it’s just onion dip. I have some BEEF with today’s sneaky snack makers, because there are so many store-bought ready-to-eat dips out there claiming to be French onion, that are really just plain ol’ onion dip. NOT SO, SIR! Give me my beef or give me death. Or something like that.

Onion dip is mostly sour cream with dried minced onion and a few other seasonings, almost like a super oniony ranch. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I can get down with a good onion dip as much as the next guy, but it is not the same!! No beef, no caramelized onions, and doesn’t come close to the deep, savory, almost sweet flavor of French onion dip!

close up of French onion dip showing the creaminess as well as the bits of real, caramelized onions.

French onion dip recipe ingredients

Here’s a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this dip. Nothing special, the magic happens when we caramelize! Check out the recipe card for exact amounts!

ingredients for french onion dip - cream cheese, onions, beef base, sour cream, and more.
  • yellow onions
  • butter
  • kosher salt
  • granulated sugar
  • cayenne pepper
  • Beef base
  • white wine vinegar
  • cream cheese
  • sour cream
  • garlic
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • lemon juice
  • chives, optional
  • crinkle cut potato chips

How to make French onion dip

This dip takes an hour to make, but only because caramelized onions refuse to be rushed. They are drama queens like that. Caramelizing is not hard work, it just takes a while. The toughest part is actually chopping them up!!

super thinly sliced onions on a wooden cutting board, all ready to be caramelized.

The fact that I was willing to cry my way through these onions is testament to how much I LOVE THIS DIP. One onion I can handle, but three? So many tears. I busted out the onion goggles for sure (they actually work. I use regular swim goggles! They seal to your face better than marketed “onion goggles“. The only downside is that I have raccoon eyes for an hour afterward.)

woman wearing goggles in kitchen

Onion time 😂

My other tip I learned from my mom: when the tears come, run your wrists under cold water from the tap. It works every time! Bodies are weird guys. What do your wrists have to do with your eyeballs?? Just thinking about this makes me want to go try acupuncture.

Toss all your hard-earned onions in a skillet with a couple tablespoons butter. Heat over medium for a few minutes to get them going, then turn the heat down to medium low.

top pic: onions in pan, bottom, onions starting to brown and scorch.

When the pan dries out and the onions start to stick to the pan (and even, eep, start to blacken, yikes) it’s time to add the white wine vinegar. Deglaze the pan, stirring up all the brown bits and glorying in all the flavor you are working up! Then add in some beef base. This addition of beefy flavor is what distinguishes this dip as “French onion.” Without the beef flavor, it would just be onion dip. I love the deep umami it adds!

top pic: beef base in pan with browned onions, bottom pic wooden spoon mixing them together.

And voila, 40-50 minutes later, your onions are caramelized! Don’t they look so good?? Give them a taste. MARVELOUS.

Chop them up now if you didn’t do it before caramelizing. (You can totally chop the onions into a dice before caramelizing. I’m just always crying a river at that point, so I chop after when it’s easier 🤣)

top pic: chefs knife chopping browned onions smaller, bottom pic hand mixer beating cream cheese.

Beat up your softened cream cheese and sour cream.

top pic: beaten cream cheese in glass bowl, bottom pic chopped onion and other ingredients added.

Add in the garlic, Worcestershire, and lemon juice, and of course the onions. Don’t add them hot! Let them cool a little bit so you don’t melt your cream cheese. Fold it all together.

Guys, that’s it!! Dig in! Sprinkle with some chopped fresh chives that you have snipped from the weeds in your yard 😂, or some green onions that you have chopped more finely than usual.

hand holding a crinkle cut potato chip loaded with French onion dip and chive garnish.

What do you eat with French onion dip?

Well if you’re like me, you could eat this stuff straight up with a spoon. But there are a few particular items that I particularly love that work as dippers at parties!

  • crinkle cut potato chips are BY FAR the best potato chip option, with that classic potato chip taste to complement the flavor of the dip and strong enough to scoop inappropriate amounts of it without breaking
  • I love this dip with veggies: carrots especially, but also cucumbers, bell pepper, celery, jicama, snap peas, etc.
  • try other crinkle cut chip flavors: I absolutely love this dip with Salt & Vinegar Chips. Or try different vegetable crinkle cut chips (like sweet potato, tomato, spinach, etc)
  • french fries! hello!
  • pita chips, pretzels, or any kind of cracker
  • slices of good bread like French or sourdough, or crostini (toasted baguettes). Bread would make it feel a little like Spinach Artichoke Dip, hello yum.

You can also use your dip as a condiment to elevate so many foods! Check ’em out:

a crinkle cut potato chip laden with French onion dip hovering over the bowl of dip.

How long does French onion dip last?

First, make sure it’s in an airtight container. Then store it in the refrigerator where it should last for 5-7 days. French onion dip IS PERFECT for making ahead to save you time the day of serving. I’m thinking Thanksgiving, New Years Eve, any potluck ever. It can be served chilled, so it will be ready to pull out and use right away. But don’t limit yourself if you have travel time. This dip is killer when served room temperature. (I actually prefer room temp.)

Can you freeze French onion dip?

I do not recommend it. Dairy, in particular the sour cream in this case, does not do well in the freezing and thawing process. It tends to separate and get watery or grainy. No thank youuuu. Stick to keeping this dip in the fridge for storage. If you don’t think you can eat the whole batch in 5-7 days ((or honestly, you didn’t hear it from me, but it lasts longer than this if well sealed), I recommend either making a half recipe or planning to gift some to friends or neighbors.

two crinkle cut potato chips nestled into french onion dip with snipped chive garnish.

French onion dip frequently asked questions

What is french onion dip made of?

French onion dip starts with a creamy base made up of cream cheese and sour cream. Then we’re adding perfectly golden caramelized onions and rich beef broth flavors are mixed in. That’s it! It does take some time to cook down the onions, but please ditch the onion soup mix because I promise: the knock-your-socks-off flavor is 100% worth it!!

What’s the difference between French onion dip and onion dip?

French onion soup is derived from the flavors of French onions soup. Sweet caramelized onions and savory beef broth are the backbone of the soup, and those same flavors are mixed with a smooth cream cheese and sour cream base to make a dip. The end result is deeply flavored, savory but sweet deliciousness. Onion dip, on the other hand, has no beef influence. It’s just the cheese and the onion. It’s kinda like ranch dip’s more oniony cousin, and is a lighter dip option than French onion.

what is the best chip to eat with French onion dip?

This girl enjoys a quite high dip to chip ratio, so I’m all about the crinkle cut potato chips!! Buy a high quality brand like like Kettle or Boulder Canyon, but really any kind will do ya fine. Basic potato flavor is best, so you get the salt and crunch, but nothing else to compete with the flavors of the dip. And as far as classic thin potato chips, only buy them if you enjoy a frustrating, chip-breaking dip session. They’re just too thin to hold up!

If you can’t find regular crinkle cut potato chips, stick with crinkle cut style, and choose something like a veggie chip (I know some brands have sweet potato chips, or more exotic roots like taro). The next best option is probably a good plain pita chip, or toasty baguettes!

close up showing half a bowl filled with caramelized French onion dip with chive garnish and chips.

More incredible dips and sauces you’ll love!

I’m a sucker for a good condiment. It can totally make a whole meal or even event to have just the right sauce or dipper!! Look through these recipes for your favorite dip recipes and more!

finger and thumb holding a crinkle cut potato chip loaded with French onion dip with chive garnish.

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hand pulling crinkle cut potato chip scooping up french onion dip.
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French Onion Dip

Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 203kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 3 large yellow onions
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Beef base
  • 1 tablespoon water if needed
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 and 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1 small clove garlic smashed and minced
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • chives chopped, to garnish
  • 1 large bag high quality potato chips for serving

Instructions

  • Set out your block of cream cheese so that it is soft when you need to beat it later.
  • Caramelize the onions: Thinly slice the 3 onions. Thin slices caramelize more evenly than big ol pieces!*
  • Set a 12-inch high sided pan over medium heat. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, then add all the onions. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. The cayenne is for flavor and not heat, if you like things a lil spicy, add 1/4 teaspoon!
  • Saute the onions over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium low, and settle in for the long haul. Onions take about 40-50 minutes to caramelize fully.
  • Eventually, after 10-15 minutes, the bottom of the pan will get dry and the onions will start sticking to the pan. At this point, deglaze the pan by adding 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar and using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
  • Add 1 teaspoon beef base and stir it all together. Keep sauteing until you have reached the 40-50 minute mark. If the pan gets very dry and the onions start to blacken on the edges, add 1 tablespoon water and stir. Repeat this process as often as necessary. At the end, your onions should be a deep brown caramel color, with no white parts, and not blackened. (not too much, anyway.)
  • Remove the onions from the heat and let cool for a while. When you can handle them, scrape them onto a cutting board and chop into bite-size pieces.*
  • Make the dip: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add 8 ounces softened cream cheese. Beat with a hand mixer until it is smooth and creamy, and there are no lumps.
  • Add 1 and 1/2 cups sour cream, 1 small clove of minced garlic (about 1 teaspoon), 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Continue beating until it's all mixed together. Give it a taste and add salt and pepper to taste!
  • Use a rubber spatula to fold in the cooled and chopped caramelized onions. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped chives (or green onions are good too, thinly sliced).
  • Serve right away with potato chips! I like the crinkle cut potato chips, I feel like they are sturdier and hold up better for dipping.
  • Store the dip in a covered container in the fridge. It will keep for a couple weeks! (Ask me how I know 😂) This is a GREAT make ahead appetizer, the flavors just get better with time.

Notes

*You can chop your onions into a normal dice before cooking, if you wish. I’m always crying a thousand tears by this point and want to get them in the pan as fast as possible, so I just slice and go! We don’t want long stringy onions in our dip; I always take the step to chop up the onions after they have caramelized. But if you are not a crier, you can do the full dice before cooking, if that’s more convenient! 

Nutrition

Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 632mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 636IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Are you into rhubarb? If not, I’m here to tell you what’s up. This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is one of my absolute FAVORITE pies of all time! Tart rhubarb paired with bright and sweet strawberries, tucked into a flaky golden pie crust, OR layered with a truly phenomenal crumble topping, you choose! I honestly can’t…

Are you into rhubarb? If not, I’m here to tell you what’s up. This Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is one of my absolute FAVORITE pies of all time! Tart rhubarb paired with bright and sweet strawberries, tucked into a flaky golden pie crust, OR layered with a truly phenomenal crumble topping, you choose! I honestly can’t decide which I like better, so we’re going with BOTH.

piece of lattice crust rhubarb and strawberry pie with lots of filling in a pie pan.
Table of Contents
  1. Rhubarb forever
  2. Best strawberry rhubarb pie
  3. Strawberry rhubarb pie recipe ingredients
  4. How to make strawberry rhubarb pie
  5. Double Crust Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
  6. Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie
  7. What to serve with rhubarb strawberry pie
  8. Does strawberry rhubarb pie need to be refrigerated?
  9. Can you freeze strawberry rhubarb pie?
  10. Strawberry rhubarb pie frequently asked questions
  11. More fabulous fruit desserts
  12. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
  13. Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie:

I spent last week back and forth between home and my friend Mardee’s house, looking out for her kids while she and her husband took a much-needed trip away together. Several friends checked in on me over the course of the week, bringing dinners and making sure I wasn’t breaking down from taking care of two families. (Eric helped sooo much, bless him!)

I told my friends everything with the kids was totally fine, but I was definitely having a mental breakdown trying to wrap my head around all the perfect systems in Mardee’s house.

vertical shot of a whole, baked, lattice crust strawberry rhubarb pie with a serving pie serving spoon.

I spent an entire morning taking pictures of all her under-sink cupboards and sending them to Eric. “Look at these handy shelves Mardee has to organize her cleaning products! There is not a single wadded up grocery bag shoved in the side!” (My under-sink cupboards are the kind where something falls out whenever you open them.)

Or, “Look at Mardee’s pantry. She has BINS for every snack item, applesauces here, granola bars here! Amazing!” I have one bin for all the snacks in my cupboard. It’s full of loose Cheez-It’s and at least twelve half-eaten sleeves of Ritz crackers (because the kids never check to see if there is one already open). Oh, and probably some half eaten pretzels, with literal bite marks in them, because 4-year-old Edison often decides halfway through eating a snack that he’s done with it and just…puts it back.

a slice of crumble topping strawberry rhubarb pie in a pie pan with strawberry slice garnish.

Mardee even has labels on all her kitchen cupboard shelves. Pitchers go here, serving bowls go here. When house guests offer to help unload my dishwasher, they say things like, where does this serving bowl go? And I will say, “Good question. Where would YOU put it in this kitchen??” This exact scenario has happened multiple times.

I took pictures of the ice packs she uses in her kids lunch boxes. Why have I never considered this? My kids don’t want string cheese packed in their lunch anymore because they get floppy and warm by noon. Of course you buy an ice pack to solve this problem. Not me. We just stopped buying string cheese. Guys!!

I’ve never lived in someone else’s house before, pretending to be them. Mardee’s house is like a well oiled machine of perfectly functioning intimidation. She even has laminated chore charts, encouraging signs, and reminders everywhere for her kids.

sign in the bathroom- body sludge.

Like this one 🤣

I spent the entire week searching for handy bins and organizers, and added them all to my Amazon account. Where they still sit, because I can’t get my act together enough to actually follow through on this. My house is just going to remain in its state of body sludge.

Although, Mardee told me when she came back, “In transparency, I don’t think anyone has improved their body-sludge wiping since I made this–even though it is laminated.” Welp. Can’t win them all I guess 😅

Rhubarb forever

Every single year in March or April I start obsessively calling grocery stores near me to chat with the produce guy. “Is there rhubarb yet??” I send texts to every group thread I’m on. “Has anyone seen rhubarb? If you see it, BUY OUT THE STORE and I will come get it from you!” Seriously, this happens every single year. My rhubarb love goes deep, and my tradition of to making Rhubarb Meringue Layers and Rhubarb Shortbread Bars every single spring requires a lot of coordination to get my hands on this stuff! I seriously need to start growing it myself.

looking down at a bunch of about 7 or 8 whole stalks of rhubarb on a wooden cutting board.

Best strawberry rhubarb pie

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is definitely the most traditional way to use up rhubarb, but I had never even had a slice before a few weeks ago. Every time I get my hands on rhubarb, I make my previous-favorite ​Rhubarb Custard Pie​. That pie is so freaking good that I had no room in my heart to even try America’s beloved Strawberry Rhubarb. But after 16 years of Rhubarb Custard Pie (I celebrate my rhubarbiversary alongside mine and Eric’s anniversary, since his family introduced us) I was finally ready to branch out. You know, maybe go on a few dates.

Y’allllll it has been love at first taste. Strawberry and rhubarb play off each other in the most magical way, the sweetness of the berries and the sharp tartness of the rhubarb combine to make something perfectly balanced. And THEN we wrap it up in a flaky buttery pie crust.

Or do we top with it with a ridiculous amount of buttery crumble?? How to choose??

Let’s try both, shall we?

whole crumble topped rhubarb strawberry pie with slices cut and one removed from pan.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Streusel Crumb Topping (above): A regular pie crust on the bottom, the same strawberry rhubarb filling, and a party on top in the form of some butter, sugar, and flour crumbled together to make the most amazing streusel-y situation of your life. This was the crowd favorite among all my testers.

Double Crust Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (below): The main star of this pie is the fruit fruit fruit, complemented by copious amounts of the flakiest, butteriest pasty crust. It is simple, and I love that you can focus on the flavor of the rhubarb and strawberry. If you threatened me to the point of death, I might admit a small preference for a double crust pie!

But honestly guys, they are both so good. You will have to try them both and let me know which one you love the most! Are we ready? Let’s do this thing!

close up of side view of a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie with flaky crust and strawberry garnish.

Strawberry rhubarb pie recipe ingredients

For a pie, this recipe is pretty easy to throw together. Strawberries, rhubarb, and a just a few extras that you might already have on hand. Full instructions and recipe measurements are included in the recipe card below, this is just an overview!

ingredients for strawberry rhubarb pie like rhubarb, strawberries, butter, lemon, etc.
  • 1 homemade pie crust
  • grenadine syrup, optional!
  • strawberries
  • rhubarb
  • granulated sugar
  • lemon
piece of lattice crust strawberry and rhubarb pie with lots of filling and fresh strawberry garnish.

How to make strawberry rhubarb pie

First things first, grab some rhubarb! I like small pieces of rhubarb in my pie, so I usually slice it lengthwise before chopping.

top pic: several stalks of rhubarb sliced lengthwise, bottom: the sliced stalks being cut perpendicular into cubes.
chopped rhubarb with some ribbony string still attached that the knife struggled to cut through.

In the photo above you can kind of see how rhubarb is a little stubborn when you are chopping it. If you don’t have a very sharp knife, it won’t cut all the way through the ribbon-like outer edge of the rhubarb. Some people peel these off entirely, which is such a shame because it often is the prettiest most colorful part of the rhubarb. No matter how stringy and weird it looks, I promise once it’s cooked, it breaks down into the most delicious pie, so don’t worry about the strange texture right now. Use a sharp knife, cut all the way through, and peel off what you have to, but keep as much as you can!

The other thing you might notice from the photos above is the huge color difference of rhubarb from one stalk to the next! Sometimes you will get red and white rhubarb, sometimes it’s as green as celery with a reddish edge. I love my desserts to look RED because that’s the most appetizing color, so I always soak my chopped rhubarb in grenadine syrup for a couple hours before making my dessert:

chopped rhubarb soaking in grenadine in a glass bowl to get extra red coloring.

This sweetens the rhubarb just a smidge, and turns even the greenest rhubarb a nicer shade of pink. You can absolutely skip this step if you like! Your pie will taste amazing without it!

Drain the rhubarb in a colander and return the drained rhubarb to the same now-empty large bowl. Add the other filling ingredients.

top pic: pie strawberry, rhubarb, sugar and more unmixed in glass bowl, bottom everything all mixed.

Mix it up. Stick it in the fridge if your pie crust isn’t ready yet!

top pic: pie shell fluted in pie pan, bottom: strawberry rhubarb filling poured into shell.

Head over to my Homemade Pie Crust post for a bajillion details about how to make a homemade pie crust. It’s not as hard as you think, especially with egg in the dough like my crust has – it helps bind the dough together and makes it way easier to roll out and less likely to crack.

Double Crust Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Everything is the same up to this point no matter which topping you choose. But here are the details for a double crust.

Don’t forget to dot with butter before putting on the top crust!

top pic: butter dotting top of filling in crust, bottom lattice crust laid on top.

Lattice crusts are not as hard as they look, head over to my Lattice Pie Crust post for all the details!

top pic: pastry brush spreading milk over lattice crust, bottom sugar sprinkled over top.

Brush the top of the pie with milk, or with a combo of milk and egg. With my homemade crust, I always have a half egg leftover, but I don’t like how glossy a straight-up egg wash looks, so I do half milk, half egg. Sprinkle with sugar and she’s ready for the oven!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie

Let’s make our streusel topping! Normally, for a crumb topping (like for Dutch Apple Pie) I would use brown sugar and cinnamon, but not for this pie. Brown sugar has molasses in it, and cinnamon is such a strong spicy flavor. I do not want those deep dark flavors masking the brightness of my lemony fresh rhubarb. But that’s just me! Add in 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon if you want! (and/or 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg would also be good!)

top pic: flour and sugar in a ceramic bowl, bottom melted butter being poured into bowl.

Add in some melted butter, not too hot. I’ve tried so many different ways of making streusel: cutting in cold butter, softened butter, etc.

top pic: stirring melted butter into flour mix, bottom everything almost completely mixed.

But melting, giving it a rough stir, and then chilling and breaking up the crumbles with my hands is my favorite method. You get the biggest most delicious crumbles! Put this mixture in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes or so. It has to be cold when it goes in the oven, or it will just melt into the pie filling.

looking down at a strawberry rhubarb pie with crumble on top ready to bake.

Add some of the crumble topping to the top of your chilled pie, but NOT all of it. We are adding it in a couple layers to ensure a super crisp topping.

top pic: pie with some baked streusel on top, bottom more streusel added on top of already baked.

About halfway through the bake time, pile on the rest, yes, all of it!! It’s so good you guys.

Now I’m going to show you how to make something you need no matter which type of pie you are making. It’s a homemade pie shield!

top pic: a square piece of foil, bottom the square folded in half to make a pie shield.

No pie goes out of my kitchen without using one of these handy shields. No more overcooked crust edges! Many pies have to be in the oven for a full hour (including today’s recipe) and the crust can get too brown a lot of the time. This foil shield protects your crust, keeping it tender and flaky.

top pic: square foil piece folded twice into quarters, bottom scissors cutting center circle out.
strawberry rhubarb pie with crumble topping with crust protected by a foil shield.

And then the center of your pie can still brown as necessary. I do this for both the crumble pie and for the double crust pie.

a perfectly baked strawberry rhubarb pie with a perfectly cooked lattice crust.

And that’s it!! Which pie are you going to make first?? Call all the grocery stores, find yourself some rhubarb! You need this!

What to serve with rhubarb strawberry pie

As a dessert, there’s really no need to serve this pie alongside anything, except a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yes please! But this is one of my favorite spring time desserts, so here are some of my favorite spring time lunch and dinner recipes to eat beforehand!

looking at the side of a piece of pie with all the strawberry and rhubarb filling showing.

Does strawberry rhubarb pie need to be refrigerated?

Not at first! Like other fruit pies, strawberry rhubarb pie will be good on the counter at room temperature for about two days. Loosely cover the top of the pie plate with plastic wrap so the crust doesn’t get soggy, then slice and eat at will. I can’t personally imagine having leftover pie another two full days after making it. Like, what?! But if you happen to have more self control than I do, transfer any remaining pie to an airtight container and stick it in the fridge, and it should last another day or two (but may start to get runny or soggy).

Can you freeze strawberry rhubarb pie?

The only way I recommend freezing this pie is totally assembled but UNBAKED. It’s actually a really great method for getting all the work done in advance of the day you need it. Prepare the recipe all the way through putting the top crust on and fluting the edges. Flash freeze with the pie plate on top of a cookie sheet in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes. Then, wrap the pie carefully in a few layers of plastic wrap and one layer of heavy foil OR put the whole pie pan in a 2 gallon freezer bag and seal well with as much air removed as possible.

The pie will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months. On baking day, take the pie out of the freezer, unwrap it and brush the milk and sprinkle the sugar on the top crust, then put it in a COLD oven. If you have glass or ceramic pie pans you run the risk of them cracking and breaking if they go straight into a hot oven due to thermal shock from extreme temperature changes. Once placed in the cold oven, go ahead and bring the temperature up to 425. Plan on about double the cook time for baking from frozen.

If you won’t be baking the pie in the next few days and need the pie plate, you can line the pie plate with parchment paper or foil sprayed with non-stick spray before assembly. Flash freeze as described above, then lift the pie out of the pan with the paper/foil. Carefully pull the foil or paper off the crust of the pie. At this point you can use the wrapping, freezing, and baking instructions in the previous paragraphs. I haven’t tried this yet but it’s SUCH a good idea for times like Thanksgiving when you need all your pie dishes at once!

baked strawberry rhubarb pie with crumble topping in pie pan with slice removed.

Strawberry rhubarb pie frequently asked questions

why combine strawberry and rhubarb?

It’s a classic combo for a few reasons. First is that strawberry and rhubarb are both spring harvests (in a garden they actually help each other grow!) so they naturally are in abundance around the same time. It makes sense they would end up together at some point! They’re both a fantastic rosy pinkish red color. Also, rhubarb is quite tart/sour, so it’s often combined with other fruit like strawberries to help tame the acidity. (I mean, for rhubarb wussies. I LOVE me some straight up rhubarb!)

Where is strawberry rhubarb pie popular?

It has a cult following by many throughout the country, but it seems to be most popular in the midwest and great plains areas. Rhubarb needs the ground to freeze to do well, and growth is suppressed at temperatures over 90 degrees, so it makes sense that it’s more of a northern state, colder climate favorite.

why is my strawberry rhubarb pie soupy?

More than likely, the filling what was not cooked long enough, or you forgot to add the thickening agent, in this case cornstarch. The cornstarch needs to bind with the sugars in the fruit to thicken at a high temperature for a certain amount of time in order to thicken. Also, be sure you’re not throwing in extra fruit or juice just because you have it. You’ll want to adjust the recipe and add more cornstarch if you decide you want more fruit in the filling.

How do you keep rhubarb pie from getting soggy?

Now, to me, soggy is different than soupy. See the answer above if your pie is soupy! Soggy is when the crust, either on top or bottom, gets wet and isn’t crisp and flaky anymore. The worst! There are a few things you can do to avoid that. First, bake initially at a very high temperature so the crust cooks quickly and doesn’t soak up liquid from the filling. (That’s why we start at 425 F) Next, make sure the filling is nice and thick, so liquid doesn’t seep into the bottom crust during baking or afterward. Third, make sure you leave the crust uncovered while cooling and barely covered with plastic wrap or foil for storing, so condensation from the pie doesn’t stay in the crust.

a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie in the pan with flaky lattice crust.

More fabulous fruit desserts

side view with all the strawberry rhubarb filling of a piece of pie in a pie pan with strawberry garnish.

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piece of lattice crust rhubarb and strawberry pie with lots of filling in a pie pan.
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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 411kcal
Author The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 3 and 1/4 cups rhubarb chopped (about 6 stalks, buy 1.5 pounds)
  • 3 and 1/4 cups strawberries chopped (buy 1.5 pounds)
  • 1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons butter cut in pieces

Pie assembly and serving:

  • 1 tablespoon milk to brush on pie crust
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling on pie crust
  • vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving

Instructions

  • Soak your rhubarb in grenadine: This step is totally optional. It helps bring out the RED color of rhubarb. Rhubarb is greenish sometimes, and can look a little funny in a pie. Soaking in grenadine not only sweetens the rhubarb slightly, but brightens the fruit to make your pie more appetizing. After all, we eat with our eyes first. You can skip it no problem!
  • Chop about 4-6 stalks of rhubarb in half lengthwise, if they are thick. Then chop each split stalk into 1/4 inch pieces. You need a very sharp knife for rhubarb, and you need to cut through all the way. If you don't, the edges of the stalk will strand off in ribbons. This is no big deal, but it is kind of annoying, and you often lose the outer edge of red color if you peel off the outside strands. So chop confidently and thoroughly.
  • Measure the rhubarb to make sure you have about 3 and 1/4 cups. (Don't just toss in all that you have.) Add to a medium bowl and pour 1/2 cup grenadine syrup over the top. Stir together well and cover. Chill in the fridge for about 60 minutes, or up to overnight.
  • Make your pie crust: If you know what's good for you, make a homemade pie crust. Seriously. No shade, Pillsbury, but you cannot compete. I've got lots of tips and tricks for success on my pie crust post. Make the recipe as written for a double pie crust.*
  • Roll out your pie dough and place in a deep 9 inch pie dish, with the excess hanging over the edges. Chill in the fridge until your filling is ready.
  • Make the filling. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Drain the rhubarb in a colander. Return the drained rhubarb to the now-empty bowl (no need to wash it.) Chop 3 and 1/4 cups strawberries into bite size pieces. Add to the rhubarb.
  • Add 1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (I love to use my microplane grater for zesting), 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 cup cornstarch. Stir with a rubber spatula until well combined.
  • Roll out the second pie crust quickly, to keep it cold.
  • Pour the filling into the chilled bottom pie crust. Mound the filling in the center slightly. Chop 2 tablespoons butter into small pieces and scatter them over the top of the strawberry rhubarb filling.
  • Top the pie with the second rolled out crust. You can even make a Lattice Pie Crust if you are feeling fancy! If you top with the whole pie crust, be sure to use a sharp knife to make a few cuts in the top of the pie, so the steam from the filling can vent.
    (If you have any down time at all during the pie assembly process, the pie dough and filled pie should be chilled in the fridge or freezer, if possible. Chilled pie going into a hot oven makes for a super flaky crust!)
  • If you have time and space, freeze the assembled pie for 20 minutes.
  • Place your gorgeous pie on a baking sheet, in case the filling overflows. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon milk. (Or you can do 1 tablespoon milk whisked together with half a beaten egg. I always have a half egg leftover from my homemade pie crust.) Milk brushed on top of the pie will make the crust brown and matte. Egg brushed on will make it brown and shiny. I like a combo :)
  • Sprinkle the brushed pie with 1 tablespoon demerara sugar, or regular granulated sugar is great too.
  • Bake at 425 degrees F, with the rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven, for 15 minutes. The crust on the edge should be turning light brown.
  • Make a pie shield out of tin foil. Get a square of foil that is the same size as your pie. Fold it in half, then in half again. Cut out the center. Open it up again. You should have a square of foil with a circle cut out of the center. See photos above.
  • Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the pie from the oven and place the foil on the edges of the crust. Loosely crimp it around the edges. This will protect it from burning.
  • Return the pie on the baking sheet to the oven. Don't forget, the oven should be at 350 now. Bake for 30 minutes.
  • Take a peek at your pie through the door. If the whole top of the pie looks golden brown, top the pie with another square of tin foil. No need to crimp or anything fancy, literally just place the foil on top of the pie.
  • Bake for another 15 minutes. The pie should be in the oven a total of about an hour.
  • Cool. Take the pie out of the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. It will take at least 3-5 hours for this pie to reach room temperature. If you cut into it early, it will be a juicy mess. (Delicious, but the wrong texture.) Pie! a lesson in patience indeed.
  • Serve this pie with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, you cannot miss out on this opportunity!! Such an amazing combo.

Notes

*Pie Crust: If you are making the Crumble topping, you only need a single pie crust.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie:

Make the pie as directed, until you have the filling poured into the pie crust. Flute the edges of your single pie crust. Skip the 2 tablespoons butter that are normally chopped and sprinkled on top of the pie. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt:
  • 1 and 1/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 10 tablespoons butter (1 stick + 2 tablespoons), melted and cooled
Melt the butter in a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add the flour to the butter mixture and use a rubber spatula to mix it together. (put your flour bowl back in the cupboard.) See photos, you don’t want to combine the flour and butter too much. Some flour streaks are ok. Put this mixture in the fridge or freezer for 20-40 minutes until it’s chilled. Keep your assembled pie in the fridge or freezer if there is wait time. 
Preheat the oven to 425. When the oven is really hot and the crumble is completely chilled, add less than half of the crumble to the top of the pie. Use your fingers to break up the crumble into chunks that about about the size of a dime or less. You want some sandy bits, and some bigger chunks. Work it with your fingers. Only sprinkle on as much of the mixture as you need to barely cover the strawberry rhubarb filling. Save the remaining crumble in the fridge.
Bake the pie on a metal baking sheet (to protect from overflow) on a rack this is placed in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Then lower the heat to 350. 
Make a tin foil pie shield, see photos in the post.
Remove the pie from the oven and cover the edges of the crust with the tin foil shield.
Don’t forget to lower the heat to 350. Place the pie back in the oven and bake another 15 minutes. 
Remove the pie from the oven one last time. Take off the pie shield and add the remaining crumble, all of it, pile it on. Replace the pie shield on the edges of the pie, making sure the crumble part is exposed. 
Bake at 350 for another 20-30 minutes. (the pie should be in the oven for a total of 50-60 minutes.) Check the pie toward the end, and if the crumble topping looks very brown, get a square of tin foil and place it right on top of the other shield (no need to crimp or anything, just toss it on top.) This is to protect the top from overbrowning, but you want the rhubarb to be in the oven for at least 50-60 minutes, to make sure it gets fully cooked. 

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg