My first bite of a warm fry pie happened on a backroad in Ohio, and I still think about the way that glaze cracked and the fruit filling spilled out. It turns out these hand-held, deep-fried pockets of goodness are a signature treat all through Amish Country, and every bakery does them a little differently.
Some load them with elderberry, others go wild with buckeye or peaches and cream, and a few tuck them behind counters in old general stores. Pack your appetite, because these seven spots are worth every mile of the drive.
1. Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery, Millersburg, OH
Kids tugging their parents toward pony rides while grownups sneak back for one more fry pie: that is a normal afternoon here. Sitting along OH-557 deep in Holmes County, this stop mixes a full working bakery with a petting zoo, buggy rides, and shelves of seasonal produce.
The fry pies are the headliner, made with no artificial colors and stuffed with fruit fillings that range from familiar apple to the harder-to-find elderberry. Fresh breads, cinnamon rolls, donuts, and jars of Amish apple butter round out the counter, and the prices stay friendly.
Come hungry and plan a little wandering time, since there is more here than baked goods. Doors open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 5 PM, and the place is closed Sundays.
Saturdays draw the biggest crowds, so a Monday or Wednesday morning visit means shorter lines and fuller shelves.
2. Kauffman’s Country Bakery, Millersburg, OH
Glazed donuts the size of your hand, cream sticks that disappear in three bites, and fry pies that regulars call the best in the area: Kauffman’s earns its reputation one tray at a time. You will find it along US-62 in Millersburg, surrounded by rolling farmland.
Everything is baked fresh daily, from breads and cookies to pies both big and small. The fry pies here have a devoted following, and it is easy to see why once the sugar glaze hits your tongue.
Hours run Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 4 PM, Saturday 8:30 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM. Saturday afternoons get busy, while Sundays stay calm.
Bonus for planners: this spot offers delivery and in-store pickup on top of regular shopping and takeout.
3. Miller’s Bakery, Millersburg, OH
Some treats knock the words right out of you, and the fry pies at Miller’s have that kind of reputation. Tucked along Township Highway 356 among working Amish farms in Holmes County, this confectionery shop rewards anyone willing to follow the backroads.
The counter overflows with filled donuts, cinnamon rolls, candies, homemade jams, and pies of every kind. Their wheat bread earns loyal fans, the apple fritters shine, and the cookies and doughnuts run comically large.
And then there are the fry pies, some of the finest around and paired beautifully with a cream stick if you cannot decide. Stop by Monday through Saturday from 7 AM to 4 PM, since the shop closes on Sundays.
Saturday mornings buzz with visitors, but early weekday hours feel almost private.
4. Der Dutchman, Walnut Creek, OH
Rocking chairs line the front porch, farmland stretches to the horizon, and inside there is both a hearty buffet and a bakery counter you should not skip. Der Dutchman sits in Walnut Creek, a small Holmes County community famous for panoramic Amish scenery.
Fill up first on classics like pan-fried chicken, beef pot roast, homemade noodles, and dressing with gravy, plus a salad bar for good measure. Then wander to the bakery for fresh-baked pies, that famous coconut cream, and of course the fry pies.
The fried pies keep folks coming back, though nothing on the shelves disappoints. Saturdays fill fast, so arrive early before the bakery shelves thin out.
Open Monday through Thursday 7 AM to 7 PM, Friday and Saturday until 8 PM, and closed Sunday, with high chairs, a kids’ menu, and plenty of parking making it easy for families.
5. Country Crust Bakery, Bainbridge, OH
Where else can a whole cream pie cost about seven dollars and a sandwich come out the size of a small pillow? Country Crust, an Amish-run bakery on State Route 41 South in Bainbridge, brings that kind of generous value to southern Ohio’s Amish community.
The lineup leans wide: soft baked pretzels, pretzel bun sandwiches, apple fritters, doughnuts, turnovers, whoopie pies, breads, and cookies. Pies of all kinds fill the cases too, and the fried pies hold their own with a crust so thin it practically melts.
The blueberry fried pie is a sweet standout worth seeking out. Hours are Monday through Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 8 AM to 4 PM, closed Sunday.
Saturday mornings see the most traffic, so weekdays are your best bet for a relaxed browse.
6. End of the Commons General Store, Mesopotamia, OH
Stepping through the door feels like time travel, past candy bins and knick-knacks to a bakery counter where the fry pies steal the show. Billed as Ohio’s oldest general store and standing on State Route 534 in Mesopotamia, it anchors the Geauga and Trumbull Amish settlement.
The fry pies come in an impressive range of flavors, from apple and raspberry to peach and cheesecake, each one a pie crust folded around fruit or cream, fried, then sealed with a sweet vanilla glaze. Alongside them you will find homemade jams, a lunch menu, souvenirs, and even handmade quilts.
Many say the fried pies alone justify the drive, and that is a claim worth testing. The store keeps long hours Monday through Friday from 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM to 6 PM, closed Sunday, with Saturday afternoons the liveliest stretch.
7. Ashery Country Store, Fredericksburg, OH
Fry pie flavors like buckeye and peaches and cream are the kind of surprise that makes a detour feel like a discovery. That is the pull of the Ashery, a grocery, bakery, sandwich shop, ice cream parlor, and coffee stop rolled into one along OH-241 in Fredericksburg.
Set in the Wayne and Holmes County Amish region, it stocks bulk foods, spices, sugar-free jams, dried fruit, and great produce beside its fresh baked goods. The fry pies here are the star, and pairing one with a strawberry milkshake is a small stroke of genius.
Regulars leave with armloads of jam jars and pockets full of pastries. Hours run Monday through Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM, closed Sunday.
Save this one for a leisurely Saturday drive, and you will have plenty of parking waiting when you arrive.