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Smooth & Creamy Strawberry Rhubarb Meringue Pie (Vegan)

Strawberries and rhubarb are an age-old Summertime favorite that make the perfect duo in the refreshing fruity pie.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time 5 hours
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 1 pie (8-12 servings)

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons ice cold vegan "butter" cubed
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil organic vegetable shortening (or more butter but I find using mixed fats gives the best crust)
  • 1/4 cup ice cold water

Filling:

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 4 cups fresh strawberries stems removed
  • 5-6 stalks fresh rhubarb washed and ends trimmed
  • 1/3 cup coconut cream
  • 1 medium lemon juiced
  • 2/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup 1/2 stick vegan "butter"
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Meringue:

  • 1 cup aquafaba liquid from a can of garbanzo beans
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

Crust:

  1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of food processor and pulse. Add "butter" and lard and pulse a few times more until crumbly. Add water and process until the dough comes together adding more water if necessary. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and flatten into disk. Roll out pastry dough on lightly floured surface into a circle that is roughly 13 inches in diameter. Gently wrap around rolling pin and lift over a 9-inch pie pan. Unroll over pan and press down gently; then crimp the edges into desired trim.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and place crust in the refrigerator until the oven is ready. When oven is hot remove crust from fridge, poke small holes in bottom, and cover with a sheet of foil pressed down into shape of crust. Fill the top of foil with dry beans or pie weights and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until edges start to brown slightly. Remove from oven and take off foil and weights, then allow crust to cool completely.

Filling:

  1. Add the strawberries and lemon juice to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Measure out 1 cup of the mixture and pour it into a separate bowl. Add the rhubarb and sugar to the blender with the remaining mixture and blend until smooth again.
  2. Pour the contents of the blender into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil; then boil for about 5 minutes, stirring gently. After the 5 minutes, remove from heat.
  3. Add the coconut cream to the blender (no need to wash from last step). Take about 1/2 cup hot fruit mixture and add it to the blender also. Pulse until smooth then add the cornstarch and pulse a few more times. Now add it back to the saucepan.
  4. Return saucepan to heat and bring back to a boil stirring constantly until the first bubbles start to appear. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter then stir until butter is fully melted and smooth. . Whisk until the filling is completely smooth then pour into baked crust. Cover the pie and place in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 2 hours, until fully chilled.

Meringue:

  1. Now preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180C) again. Pour the aquafaba into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat on high until they form stiff peaks. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the sugar while mixing, then the vanilla and almond extract, and salt. Continue to beat until very stiff.
  2. Scrape meringue out onto the chilled pie and spread to cover all the way to the edges, making sure all of the filling is covered. Use a spoon to make meringue peaks then place in oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until meringue is nice and toasty on top. Chill for at least 30 more minutes before serving. Because of the meringue, this pie is best served within the first 24 hours.