10 Pioneer Recipes We Need To Know (2024)

As I see the price of groceries continues to rise, I feel the need for all of us to learn and use a bunch of “cook at home” skills, including how to make meals like these 10 pioneer recipes. I am very concerned with the economy of our country, and the world for that matter. If this generation hasn’t learned to cook from scratch, how can they teach their kids?

Getting takeout doesn’t cut it when teaching our family how to cook. And what about manners? Am I old-fashioned or what? Where have all the manners gone? There is something about having a conversation around a table. Okay, I will get off my soapbox. Let’s have fun with these 10 pioneer recipes!

I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how popular my pioneer-related posts have been. I think most of us have a great deal of respect for the early settlers of our country, and many of us want to learn how to emulate their grit, passion, and willingness to be self-sufficient.

Our ancestors didn’t have grocery stores around the corner like most of us have. They had to cook from scratch because that was the only way they could survive. They could make meals with a few ingredients just to fill their bellies.

Related: 10 Pioneer Skills That We Need

Kitchen Items I Recommend Every Kitchen Has:

• Cookie Sheets
• 9 by 13-inch Baking pans
• Danish Whisk
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Spatulas
• Pan Cake Turners
• Cast Iron Frying Pan or cast iron skillet
• 6-Quart Dutch Oven (this one is basically for outside cooking, but it’s critical to have)
• Cheese Grater
• Pastry Cutter
• 4-quart Saucepan and a 6-quart Saucepan
• Good Quality Knives
• Cutting Boards (I just got these and I love them)
• A Large Pot

Ingredients Needed For Recipes

Most of these are in your Pantry or Refrigerator:

• Flour
• Butter
• Sugar
• Rice
• Salt
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Parsley
• Eggs
• Salt and Pepper
• Shortening
• Milk
• Cream
• Sour Milk
• Cinnamon
• Honey
• Whole Wheat Flour
• Cabbage
• Chicken
• Pork Chops
• Apples

10 Pioneer Recipes

1. Potato Pancakes

I grew up eating potato pancakes, these look very similar to the ones my mom made for me growing up.

2. Scottish Shortbread

I could almost call this Norwegian Shortbread, I grew up on homemade shortbread in a Norwegian family. My mom used molasses in many of her recipes in place of sugar. I do that from time to time, you may want to give it a try.

3. English Tea Biscuits

Has anyone made tea biscuits? This was a really popular pioneer recipe, as were most biscuit varieties like soda biscuits.

4. Crepes

I love making crepes, for dessert, or with chicken a la king. These are so easy to make and so versatile. Pioneers MAY have used lard instead of shortening. I remember lard in many of my mom’s recipes, but it’s not my favorite ingredient choice.

5. Homemade Soda Crackers

If you find making bread hard for you, try making crackers. These are really easy to make. These are very similar to hardtack which I recently wrote about.

6. Homemade Graham Crackers

I can’t wait to try making these graham crackers again. I have freshly ground whole wheat flour, so these will be easy to make. I love that they are made with honey. Remember, in pioneer times the granulated sugar we use now wasn’t available. I wish we all tried using honey as a sweetener more often.

7. Fried Cabbage

I’m starting to feel a bit old because my mom made several of these recipes. I grew up on fried cabbage, did you? Note the use of bacon grease in the recipe. Some people would refer to this ingredient as bacon fat, but it all works and tastes the same.

8. Wagon Fried Chicken

Who loves fried chicken? Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering! This recipe is a keeper, I promise! Don’t think about the grease! I also like to make this recipe using buttermilk in place of regular milk. It makes for a unique flavor, but the overall taste and texture should be loved by your whole family!

9. Pork Chops With Apples

This recipe is the reason I love cast iron pans! I swear everything tastes better cooked in cast iron, right?

10. Grandma’s Rice Pudding

Mark grew up on rice pudding, but didn’t like it when his mom put raisins in it. Did you grow up with rice pudding? With or without raisins?

Some Other Pioneer Foods You May Want to Try

There are so many other foods the pioneers liked as a part of their meals. Do some research and check out these and others you’d like to make and serve:

• Cornbread
• Biscuits and Gravy
• Stews of all Kinds
• Jerky from Various Types of Meat, Including Venison
• Fruit Pies – Cherry is My Favorite
• Jams and Jellies
• Potato Cakes
• Apple Butter
• Home Prepared Syrup

Did Pioneers Eat Vegetables with Their Meals?

As with so many food items, keeping vegetables fresh enough to eat during the pioneer treks was a tough task. One thing most settlers tried to do once they reached their destination was to plant a garden. Often that was a priority over building a hut or cabin. At least with a garden, there was hope for enough foodstuffs to stay alive.

Did Pioneers Use a Lot of Flour in Meal Preparation?

You’ll notice that flour was a key ingredient in most of the recipes referenced above. Having flour was critical to survival.

Are Pioneer Recipes Healthy?

I’m not sure the recipes we’ve referenced in this post have all the vitamins we try to see our family consume each day. They also may not have the types of calories that are good for us. I do know that with the rigors of the trip and the physical challenges they faced each day, they burned a bunch of calories!

Final Word

I hope today you print these 10 pioneer recipes to have ready to make when you need to cook with very few ingredients. It’s fun to discuss with your family or guests why pioneer recipes are so delicious and enjoyed on special occasions. We may need these recipes sooner than we think. Thanks for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world. Stay safe and keep prepping, Linda

Other Pioneer Recipes by Linda

Copyright Images: Crepes Deposit photos_132686566_s-2019