My 6 Favorite Amish Communities

Here are some of my favorite Amish communities to visit. There are over 600 Amish communities and I certainly haven’t visited them all. But here are some of my favorites.

Holmes County, Ohio.

What do I like about this community? Well, it’s a beautiful area. It’s a very friendly community. Overall. This is actually the second-largest Amish community. In Holmes County, Amish make up, nearly half of the population. It’s very heavily Amish.

If you want to see the full range of Amish in terms of the most conservative to the most progressive Amish, then this would be the place to go. You have everything from the very plain Amish, all the way up to the most progressive Amish that use tractors in the fields. There are lots of shops, lots of restaurants, and lots of places to see.

It’s just a real pleasant experience to drive through this community, and stop in at Amish stores.

Etheridge, Tennessee.

So what do I like about this community? These are the pretty much, the most plain of all Amish. What’s really attractive about this place is if you like to go to Amish businesses and stop in and buy things from Amish shops, or even from the front porch of an Amish home, this is the community for you because there are a ton of little stores selling, all sorts of Amish made goods, everything from candles to rugs, to furniture, to produce, to canned goods, and more.

Be sure to visit the Amish Heritage Welcome Center when in Etheridge, TN.

How To Meet & Talk To Amish People

If you want to meet Amish people, the best way to do that is to visit them out in their businesses.

Etheridge offers a lot of opportunities to do that. And it’s a plainer Amish group. You can learn how some of the plain Amish live quite simply in tech restricted conditions. This is such a great community.

Big Valley, Pennsylvania.

One of the largest Amish communities would be Big Valley, Pennsylvania. Big Valley is a nickname for the Kisha Coquis Valley.This is in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, right in the center of the state.

What’s nice about this community is that it is a beautiful area. As the name says, it’s literally a 30-mile long by about five-mile wide valley, and the Amish live all throughout the valley. The first time I drove through the valley, I was awed by the beauty. Two ridges of mountains line the 2 sides of the highway, and the valley is filled with farms and homes.

The other thing that’s very interesting is you find really three specific groups of Amish here, each distinct from one another. And that’s probably best seen in the colors of the buggies because within this one valley, you will find black buggies, yellow buggies, and white top buggies.

Why are there different colors of Amish Buggies?

When the Amish moved into the area, their buggies were made of the materials available to them at the time. The buggy styles then became a standard for the communities, even when they settled in new areas.

The Nebraska Amish are considered the most conservative of the three, and you can see that reflected in the style of their buggies. They have open fronts. They only have lanterns on the side, not battery-powered lights, as most other Amish buggies will have.

There’s a weekly auction there in the town of Bellville, which is right in the middle of the valley. And you’ll see a lot of Amish people buying and selling things there a little bit off the beaten path as well

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

This community is the oldest of all Amish communities. It’s technically the largest, although it’s just, just a little bit larger than the Holmes county community. This is a really beautiful picturesque area. These are some of the neatest and most well-cared-for farms, which you’ll find among the Amish.

This area has a lot of history and it’s of course, it’s very well geared to visitors. Lancaster County has lot of restaurants and a lot of Amish businesses that you can visit places to stay. You do get a lot of people that visit Lancaster county. So it is the most popular community to visit of them all.

Brooks Garden, Virginia

Burkes garden Virginia — Heading into Burke’s garden

Burke’s Garden is a bowl-shaped valley scooped out of the rugged Appalachian Mountains in Southwest VA. This is a very small Amish community. The main reason I put Burke’s Garden here is it is such a unique location and also very difficult to get to, which I think in my mind adds to its appeal.

Brooks Garden is a community that’s within a valley, that’s enclosed on all sides. And there’s really only one paved road going into the valley, very winding, a lot of switchbacks cutbacks to get into this community. So when you get there, you really feel like you’ve gone there on purpose. You meant to get there. You don’t accidentally drive through Brooks Garden.

Now it’s quite a small community. There are only maybe between the one and two dozen Amish households there. That said there are several Amish businesses there, including two general stores, well food stores where you can get food, canned goods, and those sorts of things.

These Amish are originally from Delaware. How did this unique valley get created? Well kind of looks like a dormant volcano from above, but that’s not what it is. It said that there was once a limestone mountain here that collapsed upon itself a long time ago, just a beautiful setting, very isolated, very off the beaten path. Very kind of interesting backstory to this community.

Pinecraft, Florida

Pinecraft, Florida is a pretty unique community in that you won’t find any Amish buggies here. This is kind of the Amish vacation spot different from all other Amish communities. In that sense, one of the last places you’d expect a find Amish. It is a Sarasota area neighborhood, a neat and unique location.

I have a very close friend that has a house and winters in Pinecraft. I have visited him there and really enjoyed it.

Pinecraft has a large shuffleboard court that is a center for the community. In the evenings it is alive with folks visiting with one another. The streets are also busy with bicycles and people walking. They will stop along their way to visit with neighbors who are sitting on their porches. This is probably the friendliest community I have ever visited.

What’s your favorite community or communities that you’ve been to?

The Most Unusual Amish Pie Recipe Ever

I was so surprised to find this recipe in an Amish cookbook. When I think of Amish recipes I think of casseroles, fruit pies, fry pies, plain cookies, whoopie pies, and wonderful chicken and gravy dishes. Coca-Cola seems to me to be a worldly treat. Few Amish homes have soda pops in their homes.

Yet, here is this delicious and unique pie straight from Amish Country.

As a bonus, I have included the recipe for a Coca-Cola Pecan Pie.

COCA-COLA PIE

9-inch graham cracker crust pie shell (you may substitute a prebaked pie crust)
1 12 oz can of Coca-Cola
¼ cup cocoa powder
⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ cup corn starch
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

GANACHE

What is Ganache? Ganache is made of an equal amount of chocolate and heavy cream. It is commonly used as a filling or a frosting.

1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup of heavy cream (You may substitute half&half cream mixed with 1/4 cup butter for the heavy cream.)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan and place over medium heat.
Stir constantly with a whisk until thickened, 5-10 minutes.
Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Pour into graham cracker crust.
Cover and place in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.
Place chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
Place bowl in the microwave for 45-second intervals, stirring after each, until chips are melted and the mixture is creamy and easy to blend.
Stir together until thoroughly blended and creamy.
Allow ganache to cool for five to ten minutes before spreading on top of refrigerated pie

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

Ingredients

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (you can make your own in a food blender)
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
7 Tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

Pulverize graham crackers in food processor until finely ground into crumbs (skip this step if starting with graham cracker crumbs).
Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugars in a medium-sized bowl. Add melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well.
Pour mixture into pie or springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of the pan and gently press up the sides. Use your fingers to pack crumbs tightly into the sides of the pie pan.
If the crust needs to be pre-baked, bake on 375F for 7-10 minutes. If using this crust as part of a different recipe, bake according to your recipe’s instructions. If this crust is for a no-bake recipe, refrigerate or freeze for 10-20 minutes before filling.

How To Make Coca-Cola Pecan Pie

1 pie crust
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup Coca-Cola
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups pecan halves

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees.
Unroll 1 pie crust and place in 9-inch pie plate.
Unroll the remaining crust and press over the bottom crust; gently press crusts together. Fold edges under and crimp.
STIR together eggs, sugar, corn syrup, Coca-cola, butter, vanilla and salt in large bowl
Stir in pecans.
Pour filling into pie crust.
Bake 55 minutes or until set.

Amish Parmesan Chicken

This is a delicious parmesan chicken recipe without the tomato-based sauce. Forgoing the spaghetti sauce allows you to enjoy the juicy taste of the meat enhanced with the crisp breading.

Quick and easy to make, it will soon become a favorite of yours, I am sure.

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds chicken thighsor boneless breasts
3 /4 cup cracker crumbs
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon basil leaves
1 /2 teaspoon oregano
1 /2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 stick butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all dry ingredients.
Melt butter in a 9X13-inch pan.
Dip chicken pieces in butter and then coat with crumbs.
Place in pan
Bake 60 minutes at 350.

Amish Apple Goodie

This is a delicious apple crisp dessert. You can use any apples, but the tartness of a Granny Smith really sets this dish off.

Ingredients

4 cups Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup cold butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the peeled and sliced apples in a medium-size bowl.
Sprinkle the sugar, flour, salt and cinnamon over the apples and mix.
Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray.
Pour the apple filling into the prepared pan.
Using the same bowl that you mixed the apples in, combine the oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and baking powder.
Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle the oatmeal streusel on top of the apple mixture and pat it down firmly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until it is golden brown.
Serve with milk or ice cream.

Authentic Amish Onion Patties

This is an authentic and popular Amish recipe for onion patties. Tasting a bit like onion rings, these treats are easy and quick to cook up. Perfect for parties and serving to company when you are not preparing a full meal. Dip them in ranch dressing or catsup for a delicious snack.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cornmeal self-rising or regular
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oil I used Canola

Instructions

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cornmeal in a large bowl. Mix in chopped onions. Pour in milk and mix well with a spoon.
Heat oil in a skillet on top of the stove. Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil. Cook on one side until brown and flip to cook on the other side. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup full of batter for each pattie. You can add more oil to the skillet if you need to do so while frying. Makes 10 to 12 onion patties.

TRADITIONAL AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD

Amish Friendship Bread is a coffee-cake type bread. Full of cinnamon and sweetness, just like a good friendship.

With only a few ingredients, this bread is made quickly and always turns out perfect.

Ingredients

Bread

2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter softened
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda

Cinnamon Sugar Mixture

2/3 cups brown sugar (white granulated sugar can be used)
3 tsp cinnamon (I always add more cinnamon)

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Set aside
Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs. Add buttermilk, flour, and baking soda. Divide ½ of the batter into two greased loaf pans (¼ in each pan).
Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture on top of the batter in each pan, reserving about ¼ to sprinkle on the top.
Evenly add the remaining batter to your two pans; sprinkle the rest of your cinnamon topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until baked through.
Cool for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan

Recent Posts

My 6 Favorite Amish Communities

Holmes County, Ohio.