Amish Fry Pies Recipe

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What are Amish fry pies? I am glad 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. A circle of flaky crust filled with pie filling, folded in half, deep-fried, and drizzled with glaze to create an irresistible treat for on-the-go or anytime! These fry pies can also be baked instead of fried for a healthier option.

an apple fry pie cut in half to let you see the inside.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love Fry Pies
Pastry Ingredients
How to Make Fried Pie Dough
What Kind of Pie Filling Should I Use?
How to Make Fry Pies
Fry Pie Maker
Frying Instructions
Can I Bake Amish Fry Pies?
Sweet Amish Desserts - Cover or Drizzle with Glaze
Should Fried Pies Be Refrigerated?
Can You Freeze Homemade Fry Pies?
More Amish Recipes with Apples
📖 Recipe Card

Why You'll Love Fry Pies

There is so much to love about Amish fried pies. They have everything going for them.

First of all, it's "Pie". I LOVE pie, it's an amazing dessert! I have tried many different kinds of Amish pie in my lifetime, and I don't remember ever eating a pie 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 and easy to grab to eat on the run.

Then to top it off, they have a sweet crackly glaze on the top. Let's just say that Amish fried pies are irresistibly good and loved by all!

Pastry Ingredients

All-purpose flour or pastry flour forms the base structure of the dough. It provides the necessary gluten to give elasticity and strength.
Baking Powder acts as a leavening agent, helping the dough to rise and become light and fluffy.
Salt enhances flavor.
Sugar adds sweetness and promotes browning.
Lard, Butter, or Shortening adds richness and flavor. Fats create a tender, flaky texture by coating the flour particles and preventing too much gluten development. (I like to use a combination of lard and salted butter for pie crust.)
Eggs (beaten) provide moisture, structure, and richness. They also help to bind the ingredients together and contribute to the color and flavor.
Evaporated Milk adds moisture and richness. It also helps to create a tender dough and adds a subtle, creamy flavor. (Can be substituted with half and half or whole milk.)

How to Make Fried Pie Dough

You could probably use any pie crust recipe to make Amish fried pies, but I like this dough recipe. Follow these step-by-step instructions to make the best fried pie dough.

Combine Dry Ingredients:
- In a large bowl, mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Add Fats:
- Add shortening of choice. (I like to use 1 cup of lard and ½ cup of cold, cubed butter.) Use a pastry blender or your fingers to mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (It's ok if pea-sized pebbles remain.)
Prepare Wet Ingredients:
- Mix the beaten eggs and milk in a separate bowl.
Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Pour the egg and milk mixture into the bowl with the dry crumbs.
Form the Dough:
- Gently mix everything until the dough comes together into a ball. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the dough tough.

What Kind of Pie Filling Should I Use?

You can use any kind of pie filling you like to make Amish fry pies. Use store-bought filling or make homemade. (Any kind of fruit filling, chocolate filling, lemon, etc. all makes yummy fry pies.) When using store-bought pie filling, you'll need about 3 cans to make a batch of these.

Some Amish women make fry pies with Apple Schnitz filling for Sunday church dinner. To make apple fry pies, I use homemade apple pie filling from my Dutch apple pie recipe. When using this recipe, however, you will need to cook the apples with the water and sugar mixture for at least 20 minutes (or until softened) before adding the clear jel to thicken.

(If I have my own canned apple pie filling on hand, I use it instead.)

You could make blueberry fry pies with my homemade blueberry pie filling recipe or make cherry pie filling. Whatever kind of filling you use, it needs to be fully cooked and cool before spreading it onto the dough (unless you will be frying the pie immediately).

apple pie filling on a half of the dough.

How to Make Fry Pies

Prepare the Dough Ball:
- Take about a 2 to 2 ½ inch ball of dough.
Roll Out the Dough:
- Place the dough ball onto a floured surface.
- Roll it out into an approximate 6 ½-inch circle.
- Use a lid or any 6-inch round object to cut a neat circle.
Add the Filling:
- Place a generous ¼ cup of filling on one half of the circle.
Moisten the Edges:
- Moisten the edges of the dough with wet fingertips to create a better seal.
Fold and Seal:
- Fold the dough over to cover the filling.
- Use a fork to press the edges together to seal the pie.
Prepare for Frying:
- Place the pies onto a parchment paper-lined tray.
- Refrigerate the pies 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.

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.

This post contains affiliate links...

Frying Instructions

Be very careful when working with hot oil!!

Heat the Oil:
- Preheat oil in a deep fryer or a large pot to 350°F (175°C). I highly recommend using a cooking thermometer and adjusting the burner to keep the temperature around 350 degrees.
Fry the Pies:
- Carefully place the pies into the hot oil, only a few at a time.
- Fry for about 3 minutes or until they are lightly browned, turning them halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Drain the Pies:
- Use a slotted spoon or skimmer to remove the pies from the oil.
- Place them on a wire rack to drain and cool for a few minutes.
Drizzle with Glaze:
- Drizzle the pies with glaze while they are still warm.
Cool and Enjoy:
- Allow the pies to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your delicious fried pies!

Can I Bake Amish Fry Pies?

Yes, you can bake them. With the name fry pie, the recipe suggests that you 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 F. Arrange the pies on a greased or parchment-lined 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.

a full sized image of an Amish apple fry pie cut in half.

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. However, 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 flavors by cutting back on the amount you use.

Since 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.

Another option would be to omit the glaze and dust the tops with powdered sugar instead.

Should Fried Pies Be Refrigerated?

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). They can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. After that, they lose their appeal.

Store them loosely covered. (I drape a tea towel over mine.) The crust will get soggy sooner if you have them tightly covered.

Can You Freeze Homemade Fry Pies?

Yes, fry pies can be frozen for longer storage. Let them cool completely, place them into an airtight container, and freeze for up to a month or two. Thaw and enjoy. If desired, they can be reheated in the oven at 375 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes.

More Amish Recipes with Apples

Old-Fashioned Apple Dumplings
Apple Goodie
Homemade Apple Fritters
Apple Bread
Apple Butter Recipe
Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Fry pies are similar to turnovers but are made with pie crust instead of puff pastry. 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. Thank you!

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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 9 votes Print Recipe Pin Recipe Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes Cook Time 3 minutes Frying in batches 30 minutes Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes Course Breakfast, DessertCuisine Amish Servings 20 fry piesCalories 557 kcal Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Fry pie dough:

7 c. flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 ½ 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

3 (20-ounce) cans of pie filling

Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbs. milk

Oil for frying (Canola or Peanut Oil)

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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 ½ tsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. sugar, 1 ½ c. lard, butter, or shortening
Mix milk and beaten 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 ½ ball of dough into a 6 ½" 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 ⅓ 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. I recommend placing the pies in the refrigerator as you make them, to keep them cool until you get all of them made. This recipe makes about 20 fry pies.
Fry the pies, a few at a time, in hot oil (350°F) for approximately 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch the bottom for browning and flip them over to brown the other side.
Remove them with a slotted spoon, place them on a wire rack to cool for a few minutes, then drizzle with the glaze. Cool and enjoy!
Store, loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cool completely, place into an airtight container, and freeze for longer storage. Thaw 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 in a 425℉ preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Glaze:

Beat all the ingredients until smooth. Give each pie a little drizzle. (The glaze will thicken as it sits, so I recommend waiting to mix it until almost ready to use.)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 half and half or whole milk. I recommend using cold pie filling. *When using my Dutch apple pie filling recipe to 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 and was calculated without the addition of frying oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1fry pieCalories: 557kcalCarbohydrates: 89gProtein: 11gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 373mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 2gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 516IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 4mg Keyword Amish fried apple pies, Amish fry pies Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Check out my YouTube channel at My Amish Heritage

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Hi, I’m Anna. I grew up Amish in the Lancaster County, Pa. area (the heart of Amish country). I currently live in a small rural town in Missouri and am a homeschool mom to 4 great kids. Some of my favorite things to do are spending time in the kitchen, (baking and preparing meals from scratch), gardening, and spending time with my lovely family.

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Tag » How To Make Fried Pies

Why You'll Love Fry Pies

Pastry Ingredients

How to Make Fried Pie Dough

What Kind of Pie Filling Should I Use?

How to Make Fry Pies

Fry Pie Maker

Frying Instructions

Can I Bake Amish Fry Pies?

Sweet Amish Desserts - Cover or Drizzle with Glaze

Should Fried Pies Be Refrigerated?

Can You Freeze Homemade Fry Pies?

More Amish Recipes with Apples

📖 Recipe Card

Amish Fry Pies Recipe

Ingredients 1x2x3x

Fry pie dough:

Pie Filling: any kind you prefer (use my Dutch apple pie filling recipe (*see notes), Apple Schnitz pie filling, or blueberry filling

Glaze:

Oil for frying (Canola or Peanut Oil)

Instructions

Fry Pie Dough:

Glaze:

Notes

Nutrition

More Pies

Reader Interactions

Comments

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