Tucked into rolling farmland and quiet towns, Pennsylvania Dutch Country holds a culinary world all its own. Here, generations have passed down recipes that are hearty, homespun, and full of character—sometimes curious, always comforting.
From scrapple to shoofly pie, these dishes reflect a culture rooted in simplicity, tradition, and serious flavor. These 15 foods aren’t just meals—they’re stories served on a plate, and you won’t find them anywhere else.
1. Shoofly Pie
Sweet molasses magic in pie form! This sticky-sweet treat features a gooey molasses bottom layer topped with crumbly, buttery streusel. No actual flies involved – the name supposedly comes from bakers shooing away the insects attracted to the sweet smell.
Wet-bottom or dry-bottom? That’s the eternal debate. Wet-bottom shoofly pies have more gooey filling, while dry-bottom versions are more cake-like throughout.
2. Scrapple
Breakfast’s boldest creation! Scrapple transforms pork scraps into culinary gold by combining them with cornmeal, flour, and spices into a sliceable loaf. The mixture gets fried until crispy outside while staying tender inside.
German settlers developed this waste-not-want-not approach to use every part of the pig after slaughter. The Pennsylvania Dutch name “panhaas” literally means “pan rabbit” – though no bunnies are harmed in the making.
3. Chicken Pot Pie
Forget everything you know about pot pie! Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie isn’t pie at all – it’s square-cut noodles swimming in rich chicken broth with chunks of tender meat and vegetables. No crust whatsoever!
Farmers’ wives created this hearty one-pot meal to feed hungry field workers. The hand-rolled dough squares soak up the savory broth, creating a dish that’s part soup, part stew, and completely satisfying.
4. Schnitz Un Knepp
Ham, dried apples, and dumplings walk into a pot… and create culinary magic! This oddly named dish combines smoky ham with rehydrated dried apples (“schnitz”) and fluffy dumplings (“knepp”) in a sweet-savory symphony.
Rural families preserved summer’s apple harvest by slicing and drying fruit for winter meals. Those dried apple slices found their perfect partner in leftover ham and simple flour dumplings.
5. Whoopie Pies
Sandwich cookies on steroids! Two chocolate cake-like discs embrace a cloud of vanilla cream filling in this beloved treat. Legend claims Amish children shouted “Whoopie!” upon finding these in their lunch pails.
Originally made from leftover cake batter, whoopie pies transformed kitchen scraps into something extraordinary. The traditional filling uses shortening for stability, though modern bakers often substitute buttercream.
6. Corn Fritters
Crispy golden nuggets of sunshine! Fresh corn kernels suspended in light batter, then fried to perfection – creating pockets of sweet corn that burst with each bite. Nothing showcases summer’s bounty better.
Served with maple syrup for breakfast or alongside ham for supper, corn fritters bridge the sweet-savory divide. Some families add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon, while others keep it simple with just salt and pepper.
7. Lebanon Bologna
Not your standard lunch meat! This tangy, smoky beef sausage laughs in the face of ordinary bologna. The fermented, smoked beef creation boasts a distinctive tang that’s unmistakable – like summer sausage’s sophisticated cousin.
The longer the smoking process, the deeper the mahogany color and more intense the flavor. Sweet versions exist for the tang-averse, but purists insist on the original. Locals stack it on white bread with yellow mustard, cube it with cheese for snacking, or fry thick slices for breakfast alongside eggs.
8. Apple Butter
Concentrated apple magic! Despite the name, no dairy appears in this thick, spiced spread made by slowly cooking apples until they transform into a velvety, caramelized paste. The deep brown color comes from long cooking, not chocolate!
The secret lies in patience – rushing apple butter results in a pale, thin disappointment. Spread it on bread, swirl it into yogurt, or use it to top scrapple. Some traditional recipes include a copper penny in the pot to prevent scorching!
9. Chicken And Waffles
Forget Southern-style fried chicken perched on waffles – the Pennsylvania Dutch version features pulled chicken and rich gravy ladled over warm waffles! This savory-on-savory combination predates the Southern version by generations.
Resourceful cooks developed this dish to stretch leftover roast chicken into another meal. The waffle serves as an edible plate, soaking up every drop of the savory gravy.
10. Fastnachts
Potato-powered doughnuts with a purpose! These square-ish, hole-less doughnuts appear just once yearly – on Fastnacht Day (the day before Lent begins). The name means “fast night” in German, marking the last indulgence before Lenten fasting.
Mashed potatoes in the dough create a distinctive texture – denser than regular doughnuts but incredibly tender. Traditional recipes use lard for frying, giving these treats their characteristic flavor.
11. Pepper Cabbage
Coleslaw’s tangy cousin! Shredded cabbage mingles with diced bell peppers in a sweet-sour dressing – creating a refreshing side dish that cuts through rich meals. The vinegar-based dressing contains no mayo, making it picnic-perfect.
Farm families relied on this dish during cabbage harvest season. The simple preparation requires no cooking, just chopping and mixing with a dressing of vinegar, sugar, and seasonings.
12. Chow Chow
Garden party in a jar! This colorful pickled relish combines whatever vegetables were abundant at harvest’s end – typically green beans, corn, carrots, cauliflower, and peppers in a sweet-tangy brine. The riot of colors makes it as beautiful as it is delicious.
Nothing showcases Pennsylvania Dutch thriftiness better than chow chow. Families would gather end-of-season vegetables, chop them uniformly, and preserve them in pickling brine for winter eating.
13. Ham Loaf
Meatloaf’s fancier cousin! Ground ham and pork combine with bread crumbs, eggs, and milk to create a pink-hued loaf that’s then glazed with a tangy-sweet topping. The result is hearty, homey, and distinctly Pennsylvania Dutch.
Clever cooks developed this recipe to use leftover ham after holiday meals. The sweet glaze – typically brown sugar, vinegar, and mustard – creates a caramelized crust that perfectly complements the savory meat.
14. Funny Cake
Identity crisis in dessert form! This peculiar treat combines pie and cake – vanilla cake batter poured into a pie crust with chocolate sauce that mysteriously sinks to the bottom during baking. The result? Chocolate-bottomed cake in a pie shell!
Nobody knows exactly why it’s called “funny cake” – perhaps because of the funny way the chocolate layer settles underneath the cake layer. Some say it got its name from children’s delighted reactions to the surprise chocolate layer.
15. Rivvel Soup
Poverty never tasted so good! This humble milk soup features tiny hand-rolled dough rivvels (similar to irregularly shaped pasta) swimming in milk, seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and perhaps a hint of nutmeg. Depression-era ingenious comfort food at its finest.
Farm families with milk cows but little else could still make this filling soup. The rivvels – made by rubbing flour, egg, and salt together until small crumbs form – cook directly in the milk, thickening it slightly.