Apple Rhubarb Pie with Meringue (Pirog)

This apple rhubarb pie is a tender, buttery pirog (the Russian version of a pie) filled with apples and rhubarb and topped with swirls of meringue that bake crispy on the outside and stay nice and marshmallowy inside. The rhubarb adds a nice tartness to balance out the sweetness, and the result is a dessert that is as beautiful as it is delicious. Let me show you how.

My grandma had a little orchard that was never sprayed, so some apples came out ugly or with a critter inside. The pretty ones we ate fresh. The ugly ones went into cider, or my mom cut out the bad spots and baked them into a pirog. Growing up, she baked it in a large rectangle pan, so we would cut squares and eat it like any other bar or slab pie, grabbing it with our hands and shoving it in our mouths. You know, no forks and knives kind of business.

This pie uses my Basic Pirog Dough and Basic Meringue, so if you have made either one before, you are halfway there. I made this apple rhubarb pirog in a round pan just because I think it looks prettier, but you can definitely make it in a rectangle pan if that is all you have. The recipe makes one 11-inch round pie, two 8-inch pies or one 8×12-inch rectangle. Alright, ladies and gentlemen, let’s get baking!

Ingredients for Apple Rhubarb Pie

You’ll find all the amounts in the recipe card.

• Basic Pirog Dough: One recipe of my Basic Pirog Dough. It’s a tender, leavened shortbread that holds a juicy filling well.
• Basic Meringue: One recipe of my Basic Meringue, made with the egg whites left over from the dough.
• Apples: Medium-sized apples. Ugly-looking ones are perfect here; nobody knows what’s inside.
• Rhubarb: Fresh stalks. As a kid, I’d rip a stalk off in my mom’s garden, peel it and dip it in the sugar dish for a snack. It’s that sour!
• Sugar: How much depends on the sweetness of your apples.
• Cornstarch: It thickens the juices from the fruit.

How to Make Apple Rhubarb Pie

Make the Pirog Dough

1. Make the dough first – make one batch of my Basic Pirog Dough. It doesn’t need to chill, so set it aside while you make the filling.

Make the Apple Rhubarb Filling

1. Slice the apples – peel, core and then cut the apples into small slices.
   

   

2. Slice the rhubarb – peel the rhubarb stalk, then cut it into ¼-inch slices.
   

   

3. Mix the filling – combine the sliced apples and rhubarb with the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and give it a quick stir. Use more or less sugar depending on the sweetness of your apples.
   

   

4. Heat the oven – preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) with the baking rack in the middle.

Roll Out the Pirog Dough

1. Divide the dough – split the dough into 3 pieces. You will combine 2 of them for the base and use 1 for the top.
2. Roll it out – on a well-floured surface, roll the smaller piece into an 11-inch circle. Now roll the bigger piece into a 13-inch circle.
3. Line the pan – roll the larger piece onto the rolling pin and transfer it into an 11-inch round pan with a removable bottom.
   
   Making two 8-inch pies or a rectangle?

   Two 8-inch pies: Split the dough in half. From each half, use two thirds for the bottom and one third for the top. Roll each bottom into an 11-inch circle and each top piece into an 8-inch circle, then divide the filling and meringue between the two pies. One rectangle: Use an 8×12-inch pan and roll the dough about 2 inches bigger than the pan on every side.
4. Shape the edges – press the dough with your fingers against the pan. The edges of the dough should come up about 1½ inches against the walls of the pan. Press against the top of the edges with your fingers to make them even, like pictured.
   

   

5. Add the filling – fill the pirog with the apple rhubarb mixture, then shake the pan to let the mixture spread and settle evenly. This pie can hold up to 4 lbs (1.8 kg) of filling, so if you have extra apples, go ahead and pile them in. Just add a little more sugar and cornstarch along with them.

Make the Lattice Pattern

1. Cut the strips – cut the other rolled-out piece of dough into 1-inch strips with a pastry wheel or a knife.
2. Weave the lattice – take every other strip and lay it on top of the apples, spacing them evenly. Lay the remaining strips in the opposite direction, again spreading them evenly. This gives you a simple lattice pattern.
   
   Don’t feel like making a lattice?

   If you’re making it just to eat with coffee or tea with your family, forget the lattice. Roll the top piece out thin, lay it over the apples as one sheet and poke a couple of holes so the apple moisture can evaporate as it bakes.

   

3. Sprinkle and bake – sprinkle the top of the crust with sugar to give it a little crispiness. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges of the pirog are a light golden color.

Top the Apple Rhubarb Pie with Meringue

This step is optional. If you skip it, just let the pirog get golden brown, then take it out of the oven.

1. Make the meringue – about 15 minutes into baking, start making the meringue. You should be done by the time the pirog is ready for its topping.
2. Pipe or spread it – if you want to pipe the meringue instead of spreading it with a spoon, fit a large piping bag with a French star tip (or any other star tip) and fill the bag with meringue. Once the pirog is golden, pipe the meringue in circles all over the top. Try to work fast so the pirog doesn’t cool down too much.
   

   

3. Bake the meringue – put the pirog back into the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the meringue is just slightly crispy to the touch. If the meringue browns too fast, tent a piece of foil over the top.

Cool the Apple Rhubarb Pie

1. Cool and serve – take the pirog out of the oven. In my family, everybody would run to it the second it was baked, and eating it warm is fine. For clean slices, let it cool completely before unmolding and serving.

Marina’s Pro Tips for theBest Apple Rhubarb Pie

• Make it a fall pie – sprinkle some chopped walnuts or pecans together with the apples, or make the same pie with my plum butter.

More Pirog and Apple Recipes

Easy Apple Slab Pie (Apple Pirog)

The same pirog dough with a sweet apple filling, baked in a 9×13 pan.

Plum Butter Pirog

Pirog dough layered with homemade plum butter.

Quick Apple Cake

A simple layered apple cake with fresh apples.

Upside Down Apple Cake

Caramelized apples baked over a soft sour cream cake.

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Apple Rhubarb Pie with Meringue (Pirog)

5 from 2 votes

Apple rhubarb pie (pirog) with a soft lattice crust and a crisp, marshmallowy meringue on top. A sweet-tart twist on rhubarb meringue pie.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Ukrainian

Keyword: Apple Rhubarb Meringue Pirog

Calories: 460 kcal

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

Pirog Dough

• 2-3 large egg yolks (36-54 g), room temperature
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter room temperature
• ¼ cup (58 g) sour cream
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• ½ tsp (3 g) baking soda
• ½ Tbsp (7 ml) white vinegar
• 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
• 2½-3 cups all-purpose flour (375-450 g) fluffed, gently scooped, leveled (1 cup = 150 g)

Apple Rhubarb Filling

• 5-6 medium apples about 4½ cups sliced (about 500 g)
• 2 rhubarb stalks about 16 inches long; about 1½ cups (185 g) sliced
• ⅓-½ cup granulated sugar (67-100 g)
• 1½ Tbsp (12 g) cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar for sprinkling the lattice

Meringue Topping

• 4 large egg whites (120 g), room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• ⅛ tsp (1 g) kosher salt Morton

Equipment: The pans and tools I use are in my Amazon shop.

• Glass mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Stand mixer
• Kitchen scale
• Y peeler
• Apple corer
• Rolling Pin
• Pastry wheel
• Piping bag
• Large French star piping tip

Instructions

Make the Pirog Dough

1. Whisk the base: In a large bowl, whisk 2-3 large egg yolks, ¾ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup unsalted butter until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. A mixer with the whisk attachment speeds this up.

2. Add the rest of the wet ingredients: Whisk in ¼ cup sour cream and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Stir ½ tsp baking soda into ½ Tbsp white vinegar and add it too. Add 2 tsp baking powder last and whisk until smooth again.

3. Add the flour: Add 2½ cups of the 2½-3 cups all-purpose flour and mix with a spoon, then with your hands. Gently knead the dough to bring it together, adding the rest of the flour a little at a time until the dough is soft and does not stick to your hands.

4. Divide the dough: Split the dough into 3 equal pieces. Press 2 of them together for the base and keep 1 for the lattice. The dough is ready to use right away (Note 3).

Make the Filling

1. Slice the apples: Peel, core and thinly slice the 5-6 medium apples. You want about 4½ cups.

2. Slice the rhubarb: Peel the 2 rhubarb stalks and cut them into ¼-inch slices, about 1½ cups.

3. Mix the filling: Right before filling the crust, toss the apples and rhubarb with ⅓-½ cup granulated sugar and 1½ Tbsp cornstarch. Use the larger amount of sugar if your apples are tart. Don't let it sit, or the juice makes the bottom crust soggy.

Assemble and Bake

1. Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack in the middle.

2. Roll out the base: On a well-floured surface, roll the larger piece of dough into a 13-inch circle. Roll it onto the rolling pin and unroll it into an 11-inch round pan with a removable bottom (Note 1).

3. Shape the edges: Press the dough against the pan so the edges come up about 1½ inches. Press on the tops of the edges to even them out.

4. Add the filling: Pour in the apple rhubarb filling and shake the pan so it settles evenly.

5. Make the lattice: Roll the smaller piece of dough into an 11-inch circle and cut it into 1-inch strips. Lay every other strip across the filling, evenly spaced, then lay the rest in the opposite direction.

6. Sprinkle and bake: Sprinkle the lattice with 1 Tbsp granulated sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edges are light golden. Skipping the meringue? Bake until the lattice is golden brown all over.

Meringue Topping (Optional)

1. Whip the meringue: About 15 minutes into baking, put 4 large egg whites, 1 cup granulated sugar, and ⅛ tsp kosher salt in a very clean bowl. Whip on high for about 15 minutes, until stiff and glossy and the meringue balls up around the whisk (Note 2).

2. Top the hot pie: Working quickly, pipe the meringue over the hot pie with a large star tip, or spread it with a spoon. Bring it all the way to the crust, so it doesn't shrink or weep.

3. Bake the meringue: Bake about 10 minutes more, until the meringue is light golden and slightly crisp to the touch. If it browns too fast, cover loosely with foil.

Cool

1. Cool completely: Let the pie cool in the pan to room temperature, until the filling is set, then remove the ring and slice with a knife dipped in hot water.

Recipe Notes

1. Pan: The recipe makes 1 round 11-inch pie or 2 round 8-inch pies. For two pies, split the dough in half and use two thirds of each half for the bottom and one third for the lattice; roll each bottom to an 11-inch circle and each lattice to an 8-inch circle, and divide the filling and meringue between them. For one rectangle, use an 8x12-inch pan and cut squares.
2. Meringue: Step-by-step photos are in my Basic Meringue post. The sugar goes in with the whites at the start, so it dissolves and the meringue stays smooth. The dough uses 2-3 yolks, so you'll need 1-2 extra egg whites. The meringue goes onto the hot pie; on a cooled pie it turns watery underneath.
3. Dough: Photos for every step are in my Basic Pirog Dough post. It's ready to roll right away; chill the lattice circle for 30 minutes if the strips tear.
4. Frozen rhubarb: Use it straight from the freezer and add ½ Tbsp more cornstarch.
5. Scaling: If you double the recipe, double the baking soda and baking powder too, and bake it in two pans rather than one deeper pan.
6. Make ahead: The dough keeps 1 day in the fridge, wrapped. Let it sit out about 30 minutes before rolling. Add the meringue on the day you serve it.
7. Storage: Loosely covered at room temperature for 1 day, or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze only without the meringue, for up to 3 months.
8. Swap the fruit: Plums, cherries, or berries work too. Use more cornstarch for very juicy fruit and more sugar for tart fruit.
9. Meringue bowl: Wipe it with a paper towel dipped in a little vinegar, so the whites whip up taller.

Nutrition Facts

Apple Rhubarb Pie with Meringue (Pirog)

Amount Per Serving (150 g)

Calories 460 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Sodium 193mg8%

Potassium 150mg4%

Carbohydrates 70g23%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 42g47%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 530IU11%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 72mg7%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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I first shared this apple rhubarb pirog in 2017, built on my basic pirog dough and meringue. In October 2026, I updated it with a full recipe card in cups and grams, step-by-step tips for the filling and meringue, and make-ahead and storage notes.