In Pi We Crust: 8 Amazing Pies in Chicago for Pi Day 2021

If math class taught us one thing, it’s that every year on March 14 we celebrate the mathematical constant known as pi by eating our weight in pie. According to our calculations, Sunday is 3/14, the first three digits of pi. “If you can’t work this equation [to eat pie],” said the Spice Girls, “then I’ll guess I’ll have to show you the door [to the pie shop].” In other words, Sunday is Pi Day! 

Pi Day may look different this year for your favorite bakery or restaurant, so we recommend ordering ahead or checking websites before making the annual pie pilgrimage. Fortunately, we’ve created a list of the best sweet pies in Chicago right now—and how to get them before they’re gone. 

First Slice Pie Cafe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Grab your forks because this is a good one. First Slice serves a mean chocolate peanut butter pie cradled by an Oreo cookie crust and topped with whipped cream, chocolate and peanuts. The guilty pleasure is served with the side of a good cause. As part of their mission, the pie cafe provides quality meals with local, organic ingredients to the homeless. 

Slices are $3.14, mini pies are $6.28 and whole pies are 20% off on Sunday from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. Pickup details for their Andersonville and Ravenswood Manor locations will be posted on Instagram

Bennison’s Bakery: Sack Apple Pie 

Bennison’s Bakery is an Evanston institution. The Davis Street bakery serves up a Pi Day special offering apple, strawberry rhubarb, Boston cream and French silk mini pies for just $3.14. As for us, we’re headed there for the sack apple pie, the classic American favorite baked in a paper bag. The bag traps the steam from the fresh apples melding the all-butter crust into the fruit. 

Visit the store for the mini pies and preorder the Sack Apple Pie online.

Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits: Franken-pie

Bang Bang Pie’s Franken-pie. Photo by Danny Allegretti.

Why settle for one pie when you can have six? Bang Bang’s Franken-pie combines six fan favorites into one pie dish. The delectable medley includes Key lime, honey rose, banana French silk, puppy chow, apple raspberry caramel and citrus shaker. The cherry on top? Bang Bang is hosting a canned food drive this weekend for Clemente Solidarity Fund to support families of the Roberto Clemente Community Academy in Humboldt Park. 

Order online for pickup on Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14, at the Logan Square location.

Justice of the Pies: Salted Caramel Peach Pie

If you’re going to eat pie for breakfast, salted caramel peach pie is the perfect choice. The comforting dessert from Justice of the Pies tastes just like your favorite breakfast bar full of oats, peaches and brown sugar. Founder Maya-Camille Broussard established Justice of the Pies to honor her late father and his belief that everyone deserves an opportunity to reform their lives. Justice of the Pies partners with various community organizations, including Cabrini Green Legal Aid and DreamOn Education, to continue her father’s fight for social justice. 

Order pies online for pickup on Saturday, March 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Muse Coffee Studio in Chicago.

Sugargoat: Chocolate French Fry Pie 

If you’ve never dipped fries in a chocolate Frosty, then Sugargoat’s chocolate French fry pie might sound like a bizarre combination. We promise it’s amazing. Stephanie Izard, executive chef of Girl & the Goat and “Top Chef” winner, opened her sweet new bakery last year. The playful chocolate French fry pie consists of a silky malt filling inside a fry crumble crust—served cold, of course. 

Order online and pick up at the shop in the West Loop. 

Beatrix: Oh My! Caramel Pie 

Don’t sleep on the Oh My! Caramel Pie at Beatrix, a restaurant and coffeehouse in River North, Streeterville, Fulton Market and Oak Brook. Indulge in the caramel custard filling piled into a twice-baked shortbread cookie shell. It’s perfectly dreamy. 

Order for pickup, enjoy in the restaurant or ship a pie nationally. 

Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe: Key Lime Pie 

Traveling to the Florida Keys on Sunday might be off the table, but indulging in a slice of Key lime pie from Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe should do the trick. Their Key lime is one of the best in the city with a tangy Key lime custard and a housemade gingersnap crust. The bakery and cafe is also a nonprofit organization that provides homeless and at-risk youth with transitional employment making it a wonderful place to spend your money. 

Order a whole pie or a $3.14 slice for pickup on Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. A limited number of slices are available for walk-in. 

Hoosier Mama Pie Company: Sugar Cream Pie

Hoosier sugar cream pie and a strong cup of black coffee are a match made in heaven. It’s just that sweet. If you haven’t heard of it, sugar cream pie is a homey Indiana classic. Hoosier Mama makes it with a creamy brown sugar filling inside a buttery crust. The pie shop has a special Pi Day menu making it the perfect time to check out their Lincoln Square pie window that opened last year.

Order online at least two days in advance for pickup on Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14, in West Town, Lincoln Square and Evanston.


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Caroline Hetzel lives in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago with her fiancé and two dogs. She’s a Tennessee native who likes local breweries, DIY projects, and vintage Pyrex. After graduating from Northwestern University, she spent three years in the San Francisco Bay Area creating videos and content for Brit + Co and Sunset. Caroline loves dogs and has volunteered at PAWS Chicago and supports Second City Canine Rescue, where she adopted her second dog Foggy. 

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