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Amish Fry Pies
What are Amish fry pies? I am glad that you asked. Because I would like to introduce you to an amazing Amish dessert, namely a personal hand-held fried pie.
That's simply what it is. A small little half-moon-shaped pie that is filled with pie filling, then fried, and drizzled with glaze. Fry pies are similar to turnovers but are made with pie crust instead of puff pastry.
There is so much to love about this Amish fried pies recipe. They have everything going for them.
First of all, it's "Pie". I love pie! I have tried many different kinds of Amish pie in my lifetime, and I don't remember ever eating a pie that I did not like.
Second, they are "Fried". Let's be honest, fried food tastes amazing! It may not be the healthiest food around, but it sure tastes good!
Third, it's a "hand-held" pie. They're so fun to eat and easy to grab to eat on the run.
And to top it off, they have a sweet crackly glaze on the top. Let's just say that Amish fried pies are irresistibly good!
Fried or Baked Amish Fry Pie Recipe
This fry pie recipe is obviously suggesting that you would fry your little pies. But sadly, we have a lot of people in our world today that have to watch their cholesterol levels and cannot eat too much fried food. But don't worry, you can still eat these Amish fry pies even if you can't eat fried food.
The good news is that you can bake them instead, and they will still taste amazing! To be completely honest with you, I like them just as well baked as fried. And it's a lot less messy to bake them.
To bake the fry pies instead of frying them, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the pies on a greased cookie sheet, cut a small slit in the top crust to create a vent, and bake them for 15 - 20 minutes or until nicely browned.
Amish Fried Apple Pies
You can make these Amish fry pies with any kind of pie filling that you desire. And if you buy the fruit filling, you will need about 3 cans of pie filling to make this whole batch of fry pies.
I like to make my own apple pie filling, and it's not hard to make. You can use the apple pie filling recipe that I use in my Dutch Apple Pie Recipe. However, you will want to cook the apple slices along with the water/sugar mixture for about 20 minutes to soften them before adding the clear jel.
Amish women also sometimes make these with Schnitz pie filling. (Find that recipe here). And you could use my blueberry pie filling recipe that I have for blueberry pies.
Recipe for Fried Pie Dough
You could probably use any pie crust recipe to make Amish fried pies.
But to make this dough recipe, mix the dry ingredients. Crumble in the butter, lard, or shortening of choice. (I use 1 cup of lard and 1/2 cup of butter.)
Mix the beaten egg and milk and gently mix them into the crumbles until it comes together in a ball. Do not overmix.
Fry Pie Maker
I was lucky enough to find a fry-pie-making gadget for 25 cents at a yard sale. I guess technically you can use these kitchen gadgets for making dumplings, empanadas, etc. But I have the 6" one which is perfect for fry pies.
I am adding an affiliate link for fry pie makers in case you are interested in buying one of these sets.
If you plan to make fry pies very often it will be well worth your time to invest in one of these gadgets. They make it super easy to shape and make perfect fry pies.
How to Make Fry Pies
Take about a 2 or 2 1/2" ball of dough, place it onto a floured surface, and roll it out into a 6 1/2" circle. To make a perfect circle you can use a lid or any 6" round object to cut a neat circle.
Place a generous 1/4 cup of filling on one half of the circle and moisten the edges with wet fingertips to create a better seal. Fold over and use a fork to press the edges together.
Place the pies onto a parchment paper-lined tray. If you are planning to fry your pies, I would suggest refrigerating them until you have them all ready to fry.
Making Amish fry pies can be a little time-consuming, but trust me, they are worth every minute spent in the kitchen. And if you don't feel like taking the time to fry them, bake them in the oven instead.
Sweet Amish Desserts - Cover or Drizzle with Glaze
Some people like very sweet desserts and the Amish seem to be known for their sweet desserts. Although some Amish people also try to have a healthier diet.
I have been trying to cut back on the amounts of sugar that we eat, and whenever I bake or make any desserts, I try to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. Because let's face it, many recipes taste great without as much added sugar. And I believe that you can reset your palate to develop a new baseline for sweet and salty flavors by cutting back on the amount you use.
So, because I always use less sugar in my recipes, my kids do not like their desserts too sweet. And I am saying all of this to explain why I do not cover my fry pies in the glaze.
Some people will dip their fry pies in a glaze to cover them completely. I prefer mine with a bit of glaze drizzled on the top. It adds a bit of extra sweet flavor but does not make it too sweet.
It is up to you if you want to cover your fry pies in glaze or drizzle a bit on the top. But you will need to double the glaze recipe if you want to cover them.
How to Store Fry Pies
It's fine to store fry pies at room temperature for a day or two, but you will want to refrigerate them if you have them around for too much longer than that (because of the fruit filling).
Store them loosely covered. I drape a tea towel over mine. The crust will get soggy sooner if you have them tightly covered.
More Amish Recipes with Apples
Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings
Apple Goodie
Homemade Apple Fritters
Apple Bread
Apple Butter Recipe
I hope you enjoy these delightful, hand-held, Amish fry pies as much as we do. If you try this recipe, I would love it if you left a comment and star rating below.
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Amish Fry Pies Recipe
Amish fry pies are irresistible hand-held fried pies that are filled with delicious pie filling and topped with a sweet glaze.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 3 minutes mins
Frying in batches 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Amish
Servings 20 fry pies
Calories 556 kcal
Ingredients
Fry pie dough:
- 7 c. flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 1/2 c. lard, butter, or shortening
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 13 oz. evaporated milk
Pie Filling: any kind you prefer (use my Dutch apple pie filling recipe (*see notes), Apple Schnitz pie filling, or blueberry filling
Glaze:
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 4 Tbs. milk
Instructions
Fry Pie Dough:
Mix the dry ingredients. Add lard, butter, or shortening of choice. Using a pastry blender, crumble the shortening into the flour mixture to create course crumbs. It's ok to have pea-sized pebbles remaining.
7 c. flour, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. sugar, 1 1/2 c. lard, butter, or shortening
Mix milk and eggs. Add to flour mixture and mix gently to bring the dough together into a ball. Do not overmix.
2 eggs, beaten, 13 oz. evaporated milk
Roll about a 2 - 2 1/2 ball of dough into a 6 1/2" circle. Use a round 6" object to cut out a perfect circle. (You can add the trimmings to your next ball of dough.)
Put about 1/3 cup of pie filling on one half of the dough. Moisten the edges with wet fingertips to help create a better seal. Fold the remaining half of the dough over the top of the filling. Press the edges together with a fork. Place the pie onto a parchment-lined tray.
Repeat the same steps with the remaining dough. This recipe makes about 20 fry pies.
Fry the pies in hot oil (350° F) for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Place them on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then drizzle with the glaze. Cool and enjoy!
If you prefer to bake your pies, cut a slit in the top of each pie to create a vent. Then bake the pies at 425° for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Glaze:
Beat all the ingredients until smooth. Give each pie a little drizzle.
2 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 4 Tbs. milk
Notes
I use 1 cup lard and one-half cup of butter in my crust. And if you don't have evaporated milk, you can substitute it with regular milk.
I recommend using cold pie filling.
*When using my Dutch apple pie filling recipeto make these fried pies, you will want to cook the apple slices with the filling for about 20 minutes before thickening with clear jel.
This dough recipe yields about 20 fry pies.
*Nutrition is approximate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1fry pieCalories: 556kcalCarbohydrates: 89gProtein: 11gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 374mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 514IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Amish fried apple pies, Amish fry pies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Connie
I made this pie dough and it was a winner everyone loved it, How far in advance
can I make the dough. I have a bake sale this weekend and I want to make the dough ahead of time if I can.Reply
Anna
I've never made it ahead. But if you roll it out in circles, place a piece of parchment between each circle, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate, it should be fine to do it a couple of days ahead. I would suggest only 2 to 3 days. And it might be easier to fold if you let it warm up a bit first.
Reply
Ng
Wow, thank you, they are delicious! Almost as good as the ones I got in Amish country (Ohio). I didn't have all-purpose flour so I used cake flour, and I used Crisco shortening. I rarely make pie crust so I was quite hesitant as to if I had the skills to make this, but the dough for the crust was so easy. I am experimenting with different fillings, trying to get a good pumpkin/cream cheese filling. Thank you for clear, complete instructions!Reply
Anna
Yay! I'm glad you were brave enough to try it. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Reply
Debra Sanderson
Do you think they can be baked instead of fried it would cut down on calories a little (sorry I know they’re called FRY pies)Reply
Anna
Yes, I have instructions to bake within the post.
Reply
Crystal Kniffen
I was wondering if the dough could be made ahead, rolled and cut then frozen? Thank you!Reply
Anna
I have never tried it, but I don't know why it wouldn't work. I would place a piece of parchment between each circle, put them in an airtight container, and then let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reply
Hugj
These are Soo good! Thank you!Reply
Anna
I am so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment!
Reply
Monica
Are you using salted or unsalted butter?
Reply
Anna
I use salted butter in everything.
Reply
Tracy
Could you cut out circles and separate between wax paper and store in air tight container overnight?
Reply
Anna
I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work. I think I would refrigerate them, and maybe let them warm back up a bit again so they are more pliable. Although, if it's just overnight, they may be fine at room temperature too.
Reply
Charlotte Criswell
Hello, could I use this as a base pastry recipe for any type fried pie such as meat or savory pies? If leave out the sugar and icing part? Or is there a better technique? Thank you very much for your time.
Reply
Anna
Yes, you could use this recipe with any type of filling. But for regular pies I like to use my simple flaky pie crust recipe.https://amish-heritage.org/flaky-amish-pie-crust/
Reply
Lela Kirby
Can you use pre-made pie crust.
Reply
Anna
Haven't actually tried it. But yes, I think that should work.
Reply
Aaron
Can regular milk be substituted for Almond milk?
Reply
Anna
I would see no reason why that couldn't work.
Reply
June
How many fried pies does this recipe make.
Reply
Anna
It makes approximately 20 fry pies.
Reply
Kelly Taylor
Can I add cold filling to crust and then fry them or is it important to add hot filling? For example, chocolate filling.
Reply
Anna
Cold filling is perfect! I would actually recommend cold filling.
Reply
Gale
Kelly, how do you make the chocolate filling for your fried pie?Reply
Debra
Thank you so much for listing the ingredients for each step. So thoughtful! Gonna make these today!Reply
Anna
Yay, let me know how they turn out for you.
Reply
Vanjoes
Hi Anna, Your recipe sounds amazing and I am eager to try it but due to physical limitations I am unable to it all in one day. Would it be okay to make the dough and refrigerate it overnight and then assemble and fry the pies the next day?
Reply
Anna
I have never tried that, but I don't see any reason why that would not work. Perhaps you will want to let the dough come back to about room temperature before rolling it out.
Reply
Vanjoes
Anna, Good news, it works. Even without letting it come back up to temperature the dough can go into the fridge overnight and be rolled very easily and with no loss of taste. I even kept half back and left it in there for 2 nights but would not recommend leaving it there any longer. I do only roll one at a time because it is easier for me. Thank you for this amazing recipe! <3
Reply
Anna
You're welcome. I'm so glad that it worked for you.
Reply
Genice Jones
Is this plain flour
Reply
Anna
Yes, all purpose flour.
Reply
Liz Meier
Hi!
I have used an Amish recipe that calls for HOT milk
Are you familiar with that technique?
If so, can you explain the difference between the two variations please?
Thank you!
LizReply
Anna
I have never used hot milk. Sorry, I'm not sure why it would include hot milk?
Reply
Ruth Feltner
Can you freeze the baked fried pies?
Reply
Anna
Mine never last long enough to need to freeze them. But I'm sure you could freeze them.
Reply
Joann
Where do I get the recipes to make the item confused please help
Reply
Anna
The recipe is in the post. At the bottom. You should've scrolled past it to get to the comment section.
Reply
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