Amish Funeral Pie — The Raisin Pie Tradition and What It Means

Why Raisins Became the Funeral Dessert

In Pennsylvania German settlements, the spiced raisin pie became so closely associated with funerals that "funeral pie" itself became a euphemism for death.

The connection wasn't sentimental — it was practical. When a death occurs, the community has roughly 72 hours to prepare food for hundreds of guests. Raisins are shelf-stable, available year-round, and don't require seasonal fresh fruit. A wife could pull together a raisin pie from pantry staples — flour, sugar, raisins, vinegar, eggs, spices — without a trip to town. The double-crust, lattice design was sturdy enough to survive a rough carriage ride to the homestead without spilling or crumbling.

The Traditional Recipe

Amish funeral pie (sometimes called rosine pie, from the German word for raisins) is a double-crust pie with a sweet, spiced raisin filling:

Filling: Raisins soaked in water until plump, combined with sugar, a splash of cider vinegar (for brightness), eggs, and warm spices — cinnamon, allspice, and sometimes nutmeg. The mixture thickens as it bakes, producing a dense, jammy filling.

Crust: A traditional lard-based double crust, either fully covered or latticed on top. The crust is never decorated or crimped elaborately — plain baking mirrors the plain life.

Yield: Multiple pies are baked per household contributing to the funeral meal. With 300 to 600 guests expected, dozens of pies arrive at the homestead.

The pie is served after the burial during the communal lunch, alongside other desserts — cupcakes and fruit pies that can be mass-produced quickly.

The Full Funeral Meal

The post-burial meal is served cafeteria-style in the cleaned-out workshop, machinery shed, or barn where the funeral service was held. Church benches are converted to long tables. The menu is standardized so it can be prepared by a committee of women for up to 1,000 guests:

• Egg noodles cooked in large canners of hot chicken broth
• 600+ cold ham and cheese sandwiches on white bread platters
• Sweet mustard potato salad in large serving bowls
• Cupcakes and fruit pies — including the raisin funeral pie
• Coffee and water in bulk

During the viewings on Days 1 and 2, visitors are served a different dish: Hobo Stacks (also called Hobo Delight). Guests assemble their own plates from a buffet line — crushed corn chips as a base, topped with seasoned ground beef and onions in a tomato sauce, chili beans, white rice, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, and ranch dressing. It's designed for self-service at high volume with minimal coordination.

Mennonite Funeral Food

Conservative Mennonite congregations serve a lighter post-funeral meal called Faspa in the church basement:

• Zwieback — double-tiered yeast rolls, the signature Mennonite bread
• Raisin bread and cold cuts
• "Funeral cheese" — mild local varieties (New Bothwell cheese is a classic)
• Platz — a flat, fruit-filled cake
• Butter, but no jam — the omission keeps the meal appropriately simple for mourning

What Outsiders Should Know About Funeral Food

If you're attending an Amish or Mennonite funeral and wondering what to bring or how to contribute:

• Don't bring elaborate dishes. The women's food committee has a system. Unsolicited contributions can disrupt their logistics.
• Ask the deacon or a neighboring family how you can help. You may be directed to bring specific raw ingredients — bulk flour, eggs, cases of sandwich bread — rather than prepared dishes.
• Don't bring flowers. Floral arrangements violate the plain testimony against worldly display. A more appropriate gesture is a quiet, anonymous cash contribution to the church's mutual aid fund through the deacon.
• Eat what's served. The meal isn't gourmet — it's functional hospitality designed to feed hundreds. Accept it in the spirit it's offered.

For the full logistics of coordinating funeral food within the three-day timeline, including the women's committee structure and the division of labor between neighboring households, the Amish & Mennonite Funeral Guide covers it in detail.