Ready to celebrate the 4th of July with some Wild West apple pie magic? These cowboy-approved recipes take classic apple flavors and add just the right twist to make your barbecue guests come back for seconds. We've made them simple enough for any home cook but special enough to steal the show at your holiday gathering!
Chuck Wagon Baked Apples
Perfect after a long day on the ranch
These baked apples have been warming the hearts of cowboys for generations. Simple enough to make over an open fire, yet elegant enough for the ranch house dining room, they capture the true spirit of frontier hospitality.
Ingredients:
- 3 apples, your choice of variety, halved and cored
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
- Fresh rosemary, chopped
- Brie, sliced
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice apples in half and remove the core with care. Heat your cast iron skillet—the same kind the chuck wagon cooks used on the old cattle drives—and melt butter. Add brown sugar and stir gently. Place apples face down in the skillet like setting up camp for the night, then add apple juice and a sprig of rosemary. Let apples cook on the stovetop for 5-10 minutes. Flip them over with the care of a seasoned wrangler and top with Brie, chopped walnuts, and fresh rosemary. Bake for 6-7 minutes until the Brie melts. Best served warm around the campfire, these reheat beautifully for the next day's trail ride.
Frontier Apple Crisp à la Mode
The cowboy classic that never goes out of style
No chuck wagon spread would be complete without this timeless dessert. It's been warming the bellies of cowboys and ranch hands for generations. Serve it up with vanilla ice cream and watch tough cowboys smile like schoolchildren.
Ingredients:
Filling:
- 6-8 apples, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 cup oats
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease your pie plate or cast iron baking dish—the same kind they used in the old chuck wagons. Mix all filling ingredients together with the same care you'd use to prepare a meal for hungry cowboys after a long day of herding cattle, then place in your baking dish. For the topping, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in butter using a fork or pastry cutter until it resembles the coarse dirt of the Arizona high desert. Stir in oats and pecans, then sprinkle over the filling until covered like dust on the old cattle trails. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbling like a desert spring. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce—it's the taste of home on the range.
So whether you're escaping the Gilbert heat for a weekend in the pines or just dreaming of those cool Prescott nights, these apple treats bring all the magic of Frontier Days right to your kitchen. Giddy up and get cooking, partner—your taste buds are in for a real treat!