Sweet strawberries and tangy rhubarb come together in this rustic strawberry rhubarb galette - a free-form tart that’s even easier than pie.
A galette is pie’s laid-back cousin: no crimped edges, no special pans, just flaky pastry wrapped around vibrant seasonal fruit.
This classic spring pairing gets a subtle upgrade with chopped dates, which help absorb the fruit juices and prevent a soggy crust. Rustic, juicy, and beautifully imperfect.
Why this Strawberry Rhubarb Galette Recipe Works
- Rustic & Easier than Pie. The truly magical quality of galettes. It’s pie’s easier, more laid back and rustic cousin, requiring none of the same precision to make.
- No soggy crust. The chopped dates act like a barrier between the pastry dough fruit juices, helping absorb them and keeping the pastry flaky.
- Open faced top. Exposes the fruit to the oven’s heat, allowing it to caramelize and concentrate its flavor.
- All the Flavors. Sweet juicy strawberries pair with tangy, vibrant rhubarb and chewy caramel-y dates to make a galette bursting with spring flavor.
What is a Galette?
A galette is pie's messier, more laid-back cousin. Open-faced – just dough folded up around whatever filling you've got, sweet or savory, baked until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
The French call it galette. The Italians call it crostata. Same thang, different accent.
The truly magical quality of a galette is that it's imperfectly perfect. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface – or don't even bother doing it in one piece. My favorite trick: lay parchment on a tart pan and build the crust directly on it, piece by piece, pinching the dough together with your fingers until it holds. No one will ever know. Pile on the filling, fold the edges over, sprinkle with sugar, and bake. Same technique every season. Change the filling, keep the method.
How to Make this Strawberry-Rhubarb Galette
- Chill the dough. Plan ahead - galette dough needs a few hours in the fridge (or up to 24 hours). It can also be frozen for longer storage.
- Make the pastry. Combine the dough ingredients in a stand mixer or food processor until it forms a ball. Wrap and chill. (You can also mix by hand.)
- Prepare the filling. Pit and flatten the dates, slice the strawberries, and cut the rhubarb into even pieces.
- Lightly macerate the rhubarb while you roll out the dough.
- Assemble the galette. Spread the filling over the rolled dough (or press into a tart pan for easier shaping), leaving a border.
- Fold the edges over the fruit.
- Brush with butter-vanilla mixture and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the strawberry-rhubarb filling is bubbly.
Cooks Tips
- Use ripe, seasonal strawberries and rhubarb for the best flavor. Local and organic when possible.
- Start with very cold butter for the flakiest pastry dough.
- Chill the dough at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days). It freezes well for up to a month.
- If the dough becomes sticky while rolling, return it to the fridge for 5–10 minutes, then continue.
- Embrace the rustic look. Galettes aren’t meant to be perfect – uneven edges are part of the charm.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, yogurt, or whipped cream.
Strawberry Rhubarb Galette with Dates
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1 large egg beaten to blend
For the Rhubarb, Strawberry & Date Filling
- 4-6 4–6 rhubarb stalks, trimmed and sliced
- 1 cup of strawberries sliced
- 6-8 dates pitted, cut in halve (or smaller pieces) and flattened
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract or vanilla pasta
- 2 tablespoons of butter melted
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 lemon juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Pulse the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle in the egg and pulse just until the dough begins to come together.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface, form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 2 hours.
- To assemble the galette, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface. If the dough softens while you work, return it to the refrigerator to stay firm.
- Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface into a large circle (about 12 inches). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave a 1½–2 inch border around the edges for folding.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Prep the Rhubarb
- Slice the rhubarb stalks lengthwise into thinner strips (halves or thirds). Place in a shallow dish, toss with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar, and let lightly macerate while you prepare the rest of the filling.
- Build Filling: Pit and halve the dates. Arrange them evenly over the center of the dough, covering as much of the base as possible. Slice the strawberries and layer them over the dates. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Arrange the rhubarb strips neatly over the strawberry layer. Trim as needed so they fit within the dough border.
- Melt the butter and stir in the vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
- Brush the rhubarb with half of the vanilla butter mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. (Optional: Nestle a split vanilla bean among the rhubarb for extra flavor.)
- Fold the edges of the dough up and over the filling, overlapping slightly. Brush the crust with the remaining vanilla butter mixture and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes, until the filling is bubbling and the crust is deeply golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm, ideally with vanilla ice cream.
Video
Notes
- Use ripe, seasonal strawberries and rhubarb for the best flavor. Local and organic when possible.
- Start with very cold butter for the flakiest pastry dough.
- Chill the dough at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days). It freezes well for up to a month.
- If the dough becomes sticky while rolling, return it to the fridge for 5–10 minutes, then continue.
- Embrace the rustic look. Galettes aren’t meant to be perfect — uneven edges are part of the charm.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, yogurt, or whipped cream.
More Rhubarb Recipes?
If you’re looking for more ways to bake with rhubarb, try some of my other fav rhubarb desserts. The season for this hot pink stalk is short – let’s take full advantage.
- Vanilla Poached Rhubarb – an easy way to create lusciously silky, sweet rhubarb with endless ways to enjoy it.
- Rhubarb Galette – the classic strawberry-rhubarb pairing gets a little more flexi here with a mix of berries in this rustic free-form tart.
- Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake – caramelized rhubarb baked over a warmly spiced yogurt cake for a super sexy spring dessert.
- Rhubarb Tart – crisp puff pastry topped with ginger-vanilla filling, rhubarb, pistachios, and honey.
- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp – the classic sweet-tart combo topped with a crunchy, crumbly layer.
- Rhubarb Cake – tangy-sweet stalks baked into a vanilla-cardamom spiced almond flour and yogurt cake for a bright, naturally gluten-free dessert.
More Galette Recipes
Same dough, same fold, different filling – strawberries, blueberries, all the berries, and peaches in summer, rhubarb in spring, apples and pears in fall, tomatoes when you want to go savory. Once you’ve made one galette, you’ll know how to make them all.
If ya tried this strawberry rhubarb galette, I’d love to hear – leave a comment below and tag me on IG, @danielagerson, so I can see too.
Keep exploring for more seasonal recipes and colorful produce guides designed to inspire ya to play in the kitchen.
Let’s make waves in the kitchen.
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