Pennsylvania Dutch food is all about simple ingredients that get the job done. These recipes have been passed down for generations and are still showing up at church dinners and family tables because they actually taste good. The meals are filling, a little quirky, and rooted in traditions that haven’t changed much. Nothing’s fancy, but everything has a purpose and a story behind it. Some of the names might throw you off, but the flavors speak for themselves.
Shoofly Pie
Shoofly pie is built on a gooey molasses filling with a crumb topping that turns golden as it bakes. It walks the line between cake and pie and has roots in frugality and farmhouse baking. The name comes from exactly what you think—people used to shoo flies off it while it cooled by the window. You’ll usually see it cut into big wedges at church sales or breakfast tables.
Chicken Corn Soup
This soup skips the cream and loads up on clear broth, sweet corn, pulled chicken, and sliced hard-boiled eggs. A pinch of saffron gives it a bright color and a subtle flavor that sets it apart from standard chicken soup. You’ll usually find rivels floating around in it too, which are tiny lumps of dough stirred directly into the pot. Locals serve this all year, even when it’s 90 degrees outside.
Pot Pie (Without the Crust)
Don’t expect anything baked here. Pennsylvania Dutch pot pie is a hearty stew made with wide, homemade egg noodles, cubed potatoes, onions, and chunks of meat. It’s ladled into bowls and eaten with a fork or spoon, and it’s usually simmered long enough for everything to get rich and cozy. If you try to ask where the crust went, someone’s grandmother might scold you.
Whoopie Pies
These are basically handheld cake sandwiches filled with a sweet, fluffy cream. The traditional version uses chocolate cake rounds and vanilla filling, but bakeries churn out versions with pumpkin, red velvet, and peanut butter too. You’ll find them everywhere—from local markets to kids’ lunchboxes—and most people in the area grew up eating them like it was no big deal.
Apple Butter
Apple butter is applesauce’s older, more intense cousin. It simmers for hours with cider, sugar, and spices until it turns thick, spreadable, and dark brown. There’s no actual butter in it, but it goes on toast like one. Locals eat it on biscuits, pancakes, or even straight off the spoon when no one’s watching.
Scrapple
This one’s not for picky eaters. Scrapple mixes pork scraps, cornmeal, and spices into a loaf, then gets sliced and fried until it crisps on the outside and stays soft inside. People eat it with ketchup, maple syrup, or nothing at all. It was born from the “use everything” mindset, and if you grow up with it, there’s a good chance you love it for life.
Lebanon Bologna
This smoked, fermented beef sausage looks like salami but has a tangier, deeper flavor thanks to the curing process. It’s a Pennsylvania staple that shows up in lunchboxes, deli trays, and snack spreads. Some folks like it cold and sliced thin, others prefer it fried in a pan with eggs. Either way, it has a loyal fan base and a smell you’ll never forget.
Pickled Red Beet Eggs
These hard-boiled eggs soak in a mixture of beet juice, vinegar, sugar, and spices until they turn an unmistakable magenta color. The outside gets stained, and the inside picks up a slightly tangy, slightly sweet flavor that doesn’t taste like regular pickled eggs at all. They’re usually served chilled as a snack or appetizer at potlucks and picnic tables.
Dutch Country Chicken and Waffles
Unlike the Southern fried chicken version shown here, this one’s all about shredded chicken in gravy poured over a plain waffle. No syrup, no fried skin—just savory comfort food that lands somewhere between sandwich and stew. It’s filling, messy, and a guaranteed hit at Pennsylvania Dutch diners.
Chow-Chow
Chow-chow is a mix of pickled vegetables like green beans, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, and peppers that’s sweet, tangy, and crunchy all at once. It’s made in big batches and canned for the winter, then served on the side of just about everything. If you’re confused about what to do with it, just scoop it onto meatloaf or mashed potatoes and go from there.
Fasnachts
Fasnachts are deep-fried potato doughnuts made to use up lard and sugar before Lent. Some are round, some are square, and some are sliced open and stuffed with jelly or cream. Every bakery in Pennsylvania Dutch country sells them on Fasnacht Day, and locals treat it like a mini holiday. If you didn’t grow up with them, they might look plain, but one bite usually changes minds.
Snitz and Knepp
This dish combines dried apple slices (snitz) and ham with soft, boiled dumplings (knepp). The apples bring a sweet note, the ham adds salt and smoke, and the dumplings soak it all up. It’s a stovetop comfort meal with roots in cooking what you had on hand. You won’t find it in restaurants outside the region, and even some locals only eat it when grandma makes it — which is why it’s so hard to find an actual picture of it!
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*Select images provided by Depositphotos.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
