Celebrate pi day with (what else?) fresh pie Homemade
By: Eva Wasney Posted: 2:00 AM CDT Wednesday, Mar. 11, 2026

Math fans and baking enthusiasts have a common cause for celebration on Saturday.

Pi Day is observed each year on March 14 — a nod to the beginning digits (3.14) of the mathematical constant that describes the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.

The day is marked, fittingly, by attempts to recite the infinite digits of pi while consuming, you guessed it, pie.

Read on to find three recipes from Free Press readers to help fuel your numerical revelry: a tropical Pineapple Pie with Meringue from Candy Irwin, a nostalgic Butterscotch Pie from Anita Mills and a Fresh Saskatoon Berry Pie from Laureen Graham that will have you daydreaming about summer.

The pie shells in each recipe can be store-bought or made from your favourite pastry recipe. Regardless of the size of the shell, the ratio of its circumference to its diameter will always be 3.1415926535 … and on and on and on.

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Pineapple Pie with Meringue

30 ml (2 tbsp), plus 5 ml (1 tsp) cornstarch

125 ml (1/2 cup), plus 60 ml (4 tbsp) white sugar

2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) salt

1 can (14 oz) crushed pineapple

2 eggs, separated

15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 (8-inch) pie shell, baked

In a small bowl, mix together 30 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch, 125 ml (1/2 cup) sugar and salt.

Add pineapple and its liquid to a medium saucepan. Add cornstarch mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until clear and thickened.

Beat the egg yolks and stir in a small spoonful of hot pineapple mixture. Add the tempered yolks to the saucepan and cook for 1 minute more.

Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour filling into a baked pie shell.

To make the meringue topping, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the remaining 5 ml (1 tsp) of cornstarch and 60 ml (4 tbsp) of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread on top of pie.

Preheat the oven to 325 F and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: To make this pie more tropical, add 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) coconut extract to the filling and sprinkle meringue with flaked coconut before baking.

“This recipe comes from a circa 1948 cookbook that my mother had. She often served it for Sunday dinner because it was a family favourite.”

— Candy Irwin

Gramma’s Butterscotch Pie Filling

500 ml (2 cups) 2 per cent milk

45 ml (3 tbsp) corn starch

60 ml (1/4 cup) white sugar

1 egg, mixed with 60 ml (1/4 cup) milk

60 ml (1/4 cup) brown sugar, or more to taste

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla

5 ml (1 tsp) butter

1 (8-inch) pie shell, baked

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat milk, cornstarch, white sugar and egg mixture, stirring constantly until thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in brown sugar, vanilla and butter. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into a baked 8-inch pie shell.

Note: This butterscotch filling can also be served as a pudding and topped with fruit.

— Anita Mills

Fresh Saskatoon Berry Pie

1 L (4 cups) Saskatoon berries, divided

30 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch

80 to 125 ml (1/3 to 1/2 cup) white sugar

125 ml (1/2 cup) water

1 8-inch pie shell, baked

Crush 1 cup of berries and set the rest aside.

Add crushed berries, cornstarch, sugar and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 750 ml (3 cups) of whole Saskatoon berries.

Pour berry filling into a baked pie shell and chill until ready to eat. Serve topped with whipped cream, if desired.

“Our parents’ idea of a Sunday drive was to grab sand pails, not for a day at the beach, but a day in the bush somewhere outside of Winnipeg or Saskatoon, where we later lived, to berry pick. Yes, there were mosquitoes and yes there was the odd shout from one of us kids — ‘Mom, Dad, where are you?’ — as we would get momentarily lost in the bush. However, the outstanding memory that I have is of purple fingers and tongues and very little in our pails and our parents laughing at our efforts, while their own pails were full to the brim. I still love to berry pick so that I can make this recipe that my mom (Wilma) shared with me.”

— Laureen Graham

 

 

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