Why it works: Rhubarb and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 279 recipes. Both carry methyl cinnamate, which smells strawberry. The science ↓
Easy Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Roll out and place pie crust in bottom of pie plate.
Place rhubarb over pie crust and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar.
Make the custard
Beat eggs and add 1/2 cup sugar and milk.
Pour mixture over rhubarb.
Bake
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 6 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Rhubarb | not in our table | 0 |
| Pie Crust | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Rhubarb + cinnamontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together279 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
-
Milk + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,655 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Rhubarb + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,852 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rhubarb
- Provides the tart flavor that balances the sweet custard.
- Eggs
- Set the milk mixture into a custard as the pie bakes.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and richness to the custard filling.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and offsets the tartness of the rhubarb.
The step that matters
Pour mixture over rhubarb. The egg and milk custard should be poured evenly over the rhubarb so it bakes into a uniform set filling rather than pooling in one area. Eggs coagulate as they heat, so the custard firms as the pie bakes.
Swap the rhubarb
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, egg, milk, cinnamon):
- Nutmegfits better
- Clovefits better
- Gingerfits better
- Rhubarbthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, egg, milk, cinnamon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More rhubarb pie recipes
You might also like
Cinnamon Rolls71 recipes
Cinnamon Cake42 recipes
Rhubarb Marmalade35 recipes
Rhubarb Jelly28 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.