Food - Drink
How To Fill Your McDonald's Deep Fried Apple Pie Void
By LAUREN CAHN
McDonald's
From 1968 to 1992, the McDonald’s apple pie was deep-fried, and its popularity led to the creation of over 40 different McDonald's pie flavors since then. Today, the apple pie is baked and contains less sugar to be a little healthier, but if you're nostalgic for the original version, here are some places where you can find decent substitutes.
Hardee's
While the “turnover” in the name of Hardee’s Apple Turnover would imply that it is baked, it is actually deep-fried, making it pretty close to the original McD's apple pie. Old Nerd Reviews noted the turnover's crunchy exterior, while a Youtuber commented on the gooey and sweet filling, though they wished there was more of it.
Popeye's
It’s unclear if Popeye’s Cinnamon Apple Pie is baked or deep-fried, but since it contains 15.5 grams of fat compared to the McDonald’s pie's 11 grams, Popeyes probably deep-fries their pie. A Youtube reviewer praised the cinnamon sugar coating, while an Instagram user compared its crispy crust to a churro in taste and texture.
Jollibee
Jollibee’s Peach Mango pie is a popular Filipino dessert that suits American tastes. While Jollibee’s website doesn’t make it clear if its pie is baked or deep-fried, the Kwokspots recipe developer believes it is the latter, and a MyLondon review says that Jollibee's pie is way better than anything from McDonald's.
Amish
If you want to look beyond fast food, try a classic Amish apple fry pie at bakeries in Ohio’s Amish Country, or you can get these treats via mail order from Lehman's or Beyond Measure Market. These handheld pies may look like turnovers, but they are made with real pie crust, while turnovers are made with puff pastry.
DIY
It’s actually not difficult to make your own hand pies at home if you follow Tasting Table’s Fried Apple Hand Pie recipe. The ingredients are pie dough, oil, fresh apples, apple cider, cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar, salt, a little bit of flour for the prep stage, and some powdered sugar to sprinkle on top when it’s ready to be served.