What Kind Of Apples Are In McDonald's Apple Pie?

Once upon a time, McDonald's apple pies used to be deep fried, which lent them a super-crisp surface that was dotted with bubbly air pockets. Nowadays, this classic McDonald's dessert menu item is baked for a lighter bite, making for a handheld sweet treat that isn't as greasy. However, underneath the sugary lattice crust is the same old bubbly filling of baked apples sweetened with sugar and cinnamon. If you want to recreate these iconic fellas at home you might be wondering which kind of apples are in a McDonald's apple pie. On the restaurant's website, it states that "McDonald's apple pie has real diced apples. The exact variety can vary from season to season, but we look for apples that are sweet and slightly tart." The website also confirms that the fruit is 100% American-grown but unfortunately, doesn't go so far as to detail which exact type is used.

If we had to take a stab at it, we'd guess the fast food chain may use a variety like Golden Delicious or Braeburn. These American apples are sweet but have a tangy note to them that lends apple pies a complexity of flavor when combined with sugar. As they have a dense texture, these apples tend to retain their shape as they soften, creating a pie with heaps of body. This balanced quality might be what gives McDonald's apple pie its cozy vibe.

Along with apples, a McDonalds apple pie also contains sugar, palm oil, apple juice concentrate, and invert syrup. There's also a touch of modified starch, which is a thickener that's often added to food to act as a binder that improves viscosity. When preparing a homemade apple pie, the sliced apples are often coated in a sprinkling of corn starch, which serves the same purpose — the starch absorbs the natural fruit juices released by the apples as they cook down in the oven, producing a thick, almost gel-like syrup that clings to their surface. McDonald's apple pie also contains a little cinnamon, which lends it an inviting aroma and spiced flavor. Cinnamon is commonly paired with apple as its inherent warmth complements the bright sweetness of the fruit and imbues it with a comforting quality.

If you want to reheat your McDonald's apple pie at home, skip the microwave in favor of the oven or air fryer. While the microwave will warm your pie quickly, it will also soften the pastry, ruining the pie's textural balance. Pop your pie in the air fryer, however, and the pastry will come out crisp and the middle will be gooey and bubbly. Give your pie a minute to cool before you take your fist bite to prevent burning your mouth on a super-hot filling.