18 Heirloom Pennsylvania Recipes Bringing Tradition To Your Table

Pennsylvania Dutch cooking isn’t fancy, but it’s the kind of food that sticks with you long after the last bite disappears. Passed down through generations, these recipes tell stories of resourcefulness, community gatherings, and flavors that refuse to fade into the background.

From sticky-sweet pies to hearty soups that warm you from the inside out, this collection celebrates the culinary traditions that made Pennsylvania kitchens legendary. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and cook like your great-grandma just handed you her secret recipe box.

1. Shoofly Pie

This dessert is so sweet that flies literally won’t leave it alone, hence the ridiculous name that somehow stuck around for centuries. Shoofly Pie balances gooey molasses filling with a crunchy crumb topping that creates the most addictive texture contrast you’ll ever experience in pie form.

Some folks prefer the wet-bottom version where molasses pools at the base, while others swear by the drier cake-like style. Either way, you’re getting a sugar rush that’ll have you understanding why Pennsylvania Dutch grandmas kept this on rotation.

Pair it with black coffee to cut through the sweetness, or just embrace the sugar coma.

2. Schnitz un Knepp

Where else would you find dried apples swimming alongside ham and dumplings in a single pot? Schnitz un Knepp sounds like something you’d make up to confuse tourists, but it’s actually a beloved Pennsylvania Dutch comfort dish that’s been warming bellies since the 1700s.

The sweet-savory combo hits differently when you realize the apples were originally dried for winter preservation, not Instagram aesthetics. Those fluffy dumplings soak up all the porky, fruity broth like edible sponges.

It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’ll make you question why more cuisines don’t throw fruit into their meat stews.

3. Scrapple

Are you brave enough to eat something made from every last bit of the pig that didn’t make it into fancy cuts? Scrapple is the ultimate nose-to-tail breakfast meat, combining pork scraps with cornmeal and spices, then slicing and frying it until the edges turn gloriously crispy.

It looks like meatloaf’s grittier cousin, but one bite of that crunchy exterior giving way to savory, slightly grainy interior will convert even the squeamish. Pennsylvania diners serve it alongside eggs like it’s no big deal.

Pro tip: don’t ask what’s in it until after you’ve fallen in love.

4. Potato Filling

Though it’s called filling, this carb-loaded masterpiece deserves to be the main event, not some turkey’s sidekick. Potato Filling combines mashed potatoes with bread cubes, celery, onions, and butter in quantities that would make a cardiologist weep.

The texture sits somewhere between stuffing and mashed potatoes, creating a hybrid that’s greater than the sum of its starchy parts. Every Pennsylvania Dutch holiday table features a massive bowl of this stuff, and it vanishes faster than pie.

Make extra because cold leftovers fried up the next morning are basically breakfast gold.

5. Chicken Corn Soup With Rivels

When summer corn hits peak sweetness, Pennsylvania Dutch cooks turn it into this soul-soothing soup that’s deceptively simple yet completely unforgettable. Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels features tender chicken, sweet corn, and these tiny pinched dumplings called rivels that look like rustic noodles but taste way better.

The rivels are made by pinching flour and egg dough directly into the bubbling broth, creating irregular little bites that soak up flavor like nobody’s business. It’s the kind of soup that makes you slow down and actually taste each spoonful.

Church suppers always feature giant pots of this stuff for good reason.

6. Pickled Red Beet Eggs

However you feel about beets, these magenta-stained eggs sitting in jars at every Pennsylvania diner counter will change your mind fast. Pickled Red Beet Eggs are hard-boiled eggs that swim in sweet-tangy beet brine until they turn the most unnatural yet completely appetizing shade of pink.

The flavor is vinegary, slightly sweet, and earthy in the best possible way, while the texture stays creamy despite the pickling process. Bar snacks wish they could be this interesting.

Grab one from the jar, sprinkle with salt, and understand why Pennsylvanians have been obsessed with these for generations.

7. Whoopie Pies

This treat sparked an entire regional war over who invented it first, but Pennsylvania Dutch communities have been making these cake-sandwich hybrids since before your grandma was born.

Whoopie Pies feature two soft, cake-like chocolate cookies sandwiching a mountain of marshmallow cream filling that squishes out when you bite down.

They’re messy, they’re sweet, and they’re absolutely worth the sugar crash that follows. The name supposedly comes from farmers yelling “whoopie!” when they found these in their lunch pails.

Whether that story’s true or not, the enthusiasm is completely justified.

8. Apple Dumplings

Did anyone really need to wrap an entire apple in pastry dough, drench it in cinnamon syrup, and bake it until it’s basically a fruit package of pure joy? Apparently yes, and Pennsylvania Dutch cooks perfected this technique centuries ago.

Apple Dumplings are whole apples cored, stuffed with cinnamon sugar and butter, wrapped in flaky dough, then baked in a sweet syrup that caramelizes everything into dessert heaven. The apple steams inside its pastry blanket, turning tender while the outside gets golden and crispy.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and prepare for compliments.

9. Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie

Where’s the crust, you ask, staring at what looks suspiciously like chicken noodle soup? Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Pot Pie isn’t your typical pie at all but rather a thick, hearty stew featuring homemade square noodles that are more like dumplings than anything Italian.

The noodles cook directly in chicken broth with vegetables, releasing starch that thickens everything into a gravy-like consistency that coats your spoon. It’s comfort food that understands assignment, delivering warmth and satisfaction in every bowl.

Forget the pastry crust, these noodles are the real stars of the show.

10. Funny Cake

Though the name suggests comedy, this dessert is seriously delicious in the most confusing way possible. Funny Cake starts as vanilla cake batter poured into a pie crust, then chocolate sauce gets poured on top, which magically sinks to the bottom during baking to create a fudgy layer beneath fluffy cake.

The result is a pie-cake hybrid that shouldn’t work but absolutely does, with contrasting textures that keep each bite interesting. Pennsylvania Dutch bakers have been pulling off this gravity-defying trick for generations.

It’s funny because it’s backwards, but your taste buds won’t be laughing at the flavor.

11. Moravian Sugar Cake

When German Moravian settlers brought this recipe to Pennsylvania, they basically introduced the region to the concept of breakfast cake done right. Moravian Sugar Cake features soft, yeasty dough dimpled with your thumb, then filled with butter and brown sugar that melts into sweet, gooey pockets of heaven.

The texture lands somewhere between coffee cake and sweet bread, with a buttery crumb that practically melts on your tongue. Traditional versions get made in large sheet pans for sharing at church gatherings and community events.

Eat it warm when those butter-sugar pools are still liquid gold.

12. Boilo

Hence the name that sounds like something bubbling on a stove, this traditional Pennsylvania holiday drink warms you from the inside out with citrus, honey, and aromatic spices. Boilo combines oranges, lemons, honey, cinnamon, and cloves into a fragrant brew that smells like Christmas decided to become a beverage.

Originally made by coal miners to ward off winter chills, it’s become a beloved holiday tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch communities. The citrus cuts through the sweetness while spices add depth and warmth without overwhelming your palate.

Serve it hot in mugs and watch everyone’s faces relax as they take that first sip.

13. Apple Butter

How do you make apples even better? Cook them down for hours until they transform into a thick, spreadable concentrate of pure apple essence. Apple Butter is Pennsylvania Dutch preservation at its finest, turning bushels of fall apples into a dark, intensely flavored spread that contains zero actual butter.

The slow cooking process caramelizes the fruit sugars, creating deep, complex flavors that taste like autumn in spreadable form. Traditional recipes simmer in copper kettles for hours, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

Slather it on toast, biscuits, or eat it straight from the jar with a spoon when nobody’s watching.

14. Soft Pretzels

Are there better pretzels anywhere else in America? Probably not, because Pennsylvania takes its pretzel game seriously thanks to generations of German bakers perfecting the craft. Soft Pretzels feature chewy, golden exteriors dusted with coarse salt, while the inside stays pillowy and slightly sweet.

The secret lies in the lye or baking soda bath before baking, which creates that distinctive pretzel flavor and deep brown color. Street vendors, farmers markets, and corner stores all sell these warm throughout Pennsylvania.

Eat yours plain, with mustard, or however you want because pretzel police don’t exist.

15. Chow Chow

However strange the name sounds, this tangy pickled relish is the condiment Pennsylvania Dutch tables can’t function without. Chow Chow combines chopped vegetables like cauliflower, beans, peppers, and onions in a sweet-sour mustard brine that brightens up everything from hot dogs to pot roast.

The vegetables stay crisp despite pickling, providing textural contrast and acidic punch that cuts through rich, heavy dishes. Every family recipe varies slightly, with some versions sweeter and others more vinegary depending on who’s making it.

Keep a jar in your fridge for when meals need a flavor boost that store-bought relish can’t deliver.

16. Pepper Pot Soup

When General Washington’s troops needed warming during the Revolutionary War winter at Valley Forge, this spicy, stick-to-your-ribs soup supposedly saved the day. Pepper Pot Soup features tripe, vegetables, and enough black pepper to clear your sinuses, creating a bold, warming bowl that’s definitely an acquired taste.

The tripe gives it a unique texture that’s chewy yet tender, while the peppery broth builds heat with each spoonful. Philadelphia claims it as their own, but Pennsylvania Dutch cooks have been making versions of this for generations.

If you’re adventurous with offal, this soup rewards bravery with serious flavor.

17. Pennsylvania Dutch Cinnamon Rolls

Though cinnamon rolls exist everywhere, Pennsylvania Dutch versions have a particular fluffy, not-too-sweet quality that makes them breakfast royalty. Pennsylvania Dutch Cinnamon Rolls feature tender yeast dough rolled with cinnamon sugar and butter, then baked until golden and topped with simple glaze that doesn’t overwhelm the delicate spice flavor.

The dough itself is slightly enriched but not brioche-level rich, allowing the cinnamon filling to shine through each spiral. Traditional recipes often use lard in the dough for extra flakiness and flavor.

Eat them warm when the glaze is still slightly melty and the rolls pull apart in soft, cinnamon-streaked layers.

18. Gingerbread Cookies

Did you know Pennsylvania Dutch gingerbread cookies are thick, soft, and cake-like rather than the crispy cutout versions most people expect? These Gingerbread Cookies pack serious molasses and spice flavor into tender rounds that stay soft for days, making them perfect for dunking in coffee or milk.

The spice blend typically includes ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in proportions that create warmth without overwhelming sweetness. Traditional recipes get passed down through families, with each cook adjusting spices to their personal preference.

Bake a batch when your house needs to smell like the holidays arrived early.