Lancaster County’s shoofly pie: What it is & where to get it

Grab the gooey American classic, shoofly pie, at these Lancaster County bakeries, restaurants, and food stands.

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Shoofly pie is a distinctly Pennsylvania Dutch creation, a sticky and sweet molasses pie that you can find all across Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and especially in the heart of Dutch Country, Lancaster County. But the pie didn’t come over from Germany with the first of the Pennsylvania Dutch—it was invented right here in Pennsylvania.

What’s the history behind shoofly pie?

According to food historian William Woys Weaver, shoofly pie was created for the United States Centennial held in Philadelphia in 1876; its recipe was part of a 1870s trend of eschewing eggs in favor of the new, money-saving innovation of baking powder. The dish was meant to be enjoyed in winter, as there were no refrigerators back then, and molasses would spoil in summer.

But the pie wasn’t called “shoofly pie” when it was first baked. In fact, the name “shoofly pie” only became common years later, with the pie originally known as “molasses crumb pie”—or as it was dubbed during the centennial celebration, “Centennial Cake.”

Where did the name shoofly pie come from? 

The oft-told story is that bakers would need to shoo flies away from their pies as the pastries cooled on windowsills. But Weaver says it’s more likely the name came from a circus boxing mule named Shoofly who toured the Pennsylvania Dutch Country in the late 1800s. A molasses company adopted the popular mule’s name—and thus, so did the pie made with Shoofly Molasses.

What’s the difference between a wet bottom and a dry bottom?

I hope you’re talking about pie! A wet bottom shoofly pie is baked with the sticky molasses filling right atop the crust, allowing the gooey layer to soak right in. This is the version of shoofly pie you’re most likely to find in Lancaster County. Dry bottom shoofly pie is more like cake, with the molasses filling mixed with some of the crumble mixture; while the flavor is still molasses-y, the texture is drier. This was likely how shoofly pie was originally made, meant to be served with and dipped into coffee.

After all, in the words of Weaver, shoofly pie is “breakfast coffee cake.” In fact, in his book “As American as Shoofly Pie: The Foodlore and Fakelore of Pennsylvania Dutch Cuisine,” Weaver writes: “It is very odd to see [shoofly pie] served as dessert after dinner in the tourist spots of Pennsylvania and Ohio.”

You heard him: You now have permission to eat shoofly pie for breakfast!

Where to find shoofly pie in Lancaster County

We’ve put together a list of some of the best places to grab shoofly pie in Lancaster County, whether you’re eating it as part of breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Dutch Haven – Ronks  

Dutch Haven is a landmark Lancaster County shop in a distinctive, windmill-topped building that beckons from the roadside. Following a brief closure in 2023, Dutch Haven—the original Amish souvenir store along Route 30—is back with new owners, and still slinging fresh, wet bottom shoofly pie. In fact, the same recipe has been used since the store first opened in 1946, and the store declares it’s “the place that made shoofly pie famous.” You can visit the shop to try a sample or order a whole pie. Plus, vegans rejoice: Dutch Haven’s classic shoofly pie is made without dairy or eggs. Also, couch potatoes rejoice: you can ship Dutch Haven pie directly to your home.

Shady Maple – East Earl

Besides its shoofly pie, farm market and restaurant Shady Maple has another claim to fame: the largest buffet in the country. The smorgasbord contains 200 feet of classic Pennsylvania Dutch comfort food, with dozens of items for your main meal and for dessert. While offerings will rotate, the wet bottom shoofly pie is a “permanent resident” at the buffet’s dessert station. And since it’s a buffet, you can easily add a scoop of ice cream to your plate to enjoy with your pie.

Achenbach’s Pastries – Leola

Achenbach’s Pastries has been making your favorite Lancaster County baked goods since 1954. The shop sells homemade breads, apple dumplings, sticky buns, dinner rolls, doughnuts, muffins, cakes, and pie—including, of course, wet bottom shoofly pie. While Achenbach’s is most famous for its “Long John” pastries—long, rectangular doughnuts—the bakery’s shoofly pie is also acclaimed as one of the best in the region. You can buy pies whole and by the slice, or you can even buy a pie crust if you’d like to try your hand at making your own shoofly pie.

Bird in Hand Bake Shop – Bird in Hand

Family-owned bakery Bird in Hand Bake Shop first opened in 1972, and since then it has made a name for itself with its homemade baked goods, including whoopie pies, cakes, sticky buns, breads, and yes, shoofly pie—the bake shop claims it makes the best shoofly pie in the county. Once you’ve had your fill of pie, you can also check out the bakery’s other offerings, as the shop also sells Amish-made crafts as well as handcrafted soft pretzels and ice cream. Do note that Bird in Hand Bake Shop is different from Bird-in-Hand Bakery—though both are great options for pie!

Granny’s Discount Groceries – Lancaster 

You can’t argue with a pie made by Granny. A little Amish-owned grocery store, Granny’s Discount Groceries sells a small but mighty selection of pantry staples, produce, discount goods, and even plants and flowers. But most important to our interests, Granny’s makes its own baked goods from scratch, including bread, cake, dumplings, and some killer wet bottom shoofly pie.

Lancaster Central Market – Lancaster 

With its selection of homemade food vendors and homestyle bakers, of course you can find delectable shoofly pie at Lancaster Central Market. The market, which is the oldest continuously operated farmers market in the country, hosts several stands dedicated to sweet treats as well as Amish-made baked goods. Find shoofly pie at market vendors including Marley’s Country Goods (which sells Achenbach’s Pastries), Shady Maple, and Zig’s Bakery.

Miller’s Bakery – Ronks 

Miller’s Bakery is part of Miller’s Smorgasbord, a restaurant that has served Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine for nearly a century (since 1929). Back then, Anna Miller started making food and treats for the customers of her husband’s truck repair business—but soon more people than truckers wanted to try Anna’s home-cooked meals, and the restaurant was born. Today, you can visit the bakery or restaurant to try a large slice of classic, wet bottom shoofly pie. Too far from Lancaster County, and you’re just reading this article to make yourself hungry for no reason? Good news: You can order Miller’s Bakery shoofly pie on Goldbelly and have it shipped to you.

Root’s Country Market – Manheim

Root’s Country Market is only open on Tuesdays, so you may need to plan in advance to get your shoofly pie at the market. But the pie is worth the weekday trip. You’ll find what you’re looking for (shoofly pie) at a number of excellent market vendors, like Bird-In-Hand Bakery, Countryside Bakery, Pies Galore & More, and Lantz Goodies. Why not get some pie at all of these stands and then do a taste test to find your favorite?

S. Clyde Weaver – East Petersburg and Lancaster

Clyde Weaver may be best known in Lancaster County for its selection of meats and cheeses at its stores in East Petersburg and Lancaster and at farmers markets across the region, but it also whips up a number of baked goods and desserts, including a mean shoofly pie. Can’t make it to one of the stores to satisfy your pie craving? S. Clyde Weaver also sells its shoofly pie online! Pricing is quite affordable, too, but note you’ll need to pay shipping costs, and you may need to pay for overnight shipping when it’s exceptionally warm outside. However, according to my research (testing the web form with my address), two-day shipping doesn’t increase in price if you add more pies. So you could buy, say, 10 pies and split the shipping fee with friends and family!

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Related: 8 Pennsylvania Dutch Foods You Need to Try