8 Discontinued Fast Food Desserts That Deserve A Revival

A fast food stop would be nothing without a sweet treat to finish it off. Could you imagine a world where you couldn't follow up a Big Mac with a McFlurry? Or where Wendy's french fries couldn't be dipped into a chocolate Frosty? It would be a sad world indeed.

Desserts can become just as iconic and beloved as the fast food meal itself. And perhaps that's what makes it so hard to let them go. Some confections and frozen creations seem destined to stick around forever, remaining steadfast on menus for decades. But every so often, a dessert we've grown to love quietly falls out of rotation, never to be seen again.

They may be gone, but they're far from forgotten. Loyal fans can still taste their sweetness on their lips and hold them fondly in their hearts. Today, we're giving the spotlight to some of the discontinued fast food desserts that are most worthy of a sweet revival. From fast food pies and parfaits to cheesecake, here are the treats we're still craving from some of the largest chains in the game.

It wasn't just another cinnamon roll. It was McDonald's beloved Cinnamon Melts — also known as Cinnamelts. They consisted of doughy bread bits combined with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, topped with a cream cheese icing. They were released as a breakfast confection in 2007, but quickly became a favorite that customers enjoyed all day long. Redditors have reflected on the glory days when they used to swing by after school or work to grab one. Another remembered Cinnamelts tasting just like a scented candle smelled, and admitted to still finishing off about two per week.

They were clearly adored. But come 2017, they were no more. It's unclear why they were discontinued, and customers have been mourning the loss ever since. Some have attempted to take matters into their own hands by starting petitions. One popped up quickly in 2017, asking for the return — a petition which has gained nearly 20,000 signatures. Another has even surfaced more recently in 2026, proving that the nostalgia and love for Cinnamelts haven't faded one bit. The petition outlines that they were more than just a breakfast treat but a symbol of comfort and a ritual that helped people start their day with sweetness.

You may be thinking, "Wait a second, Burger King does still serve apple pie." And you would be correct. But to loyal fans, the Hot Pocket-shaped dessert that now sits on the menu is a sad replacement for what once was.

It's the chain's long-gone Dutch Apple Pie that still has customers swooning. It came in a true slice format that you would eat with a fork rather than your hand. People fell in love with the tasty crumbles on top and the cinnamon-infused homemade flavor. It became one of the chain's staple desserts — one that was even better when paired with a bit of soft serve. Then, the news broke in 2020 that it was to be discontinued. A devastating blow. At the time, Burger King shared with Fox Business that the supplier was halting production of the pies, so it was no longer able to offer them at locations in the United States.

We did notice that the Dutch Apple Pie still exists on Burger King's Bahamas website. So perhaps it's still out there somewhere with a chance of one day making its way back to us. But for now, we're left with the inferior apple pie handhelds and the always reliable Hershey's Sundae Pies — maybe a bit of chocolate would help to soften the blow.

KFC is famous for serving up its original recipe fried chicken in red-and-white family-sized buckets. They've become synonymous with the chain, and, at one point in time, Colonel Sanders and his team got the bright idea to use a similar kind of receptacle for desserts as well — a concept we need to bring back expeditiously.

The Little Bucket Parfaits were introduced in 1969. Just as described, they came in tiny little plastic "buckets," somewhat similar to a pudding cup. Flavors included Chocolate Creme, Strawberry Shortcake, and Lemon Creme, which all came in beautiful layers of pie filling, whipped cream, and crust. Eaten with a spoon, they weren't exactly finger-lickin ' good like the chicken. But they won over plenty of dessert lovers. Online, fans reminisced about the crumble crust and their overall tastiness. Even those claiming to be ex-employees said they used to sneak a few parfaits home with them after their shifts. It seems many people had a soft spot specifically for the lemon flavor. Others brought up a fourth lesser-known option that combined brownie and custard with chocolate frosting on top. Apparently, it was every bit as delicious as it sounds.

The little parfaits had a good run at KFC. But by 2013, all flavors had disappeared, leaving a tiny bucket-sized hole in our hearts.

Anything involving cookie dough is already bound to be a hit. There's just something about those sweet and chewy morsels that people love even more than fully baked cookies. Then, sprinkle in the fact that we're not just talking about classic cookie dough bites, but fried cookie dough bites, and it's game over.

Sonic was serving up this cheat code of a sweet treat for a brief stint in the fall of 2022. Each order came with three bites — which admittedly looked more like golden hashbrowns before breaking into the gooey center. But the best part was that they automatically came with a side of vanilla soft serve ice cream to dip them in. The chain really didn't give sweet tooths a chance at resisting, did they?

Right after they were introduced, fans were already worrying about just how long they would last. One TikToker even dubbed them the best new fast food dessert of the year. Even now, years later, people have returned to old posts to beg for the bites' return. Sonic has yet to answer the pleas. But we'll continue to hold out hope as autumn approaches year after year after year.

Yes. Cherry Turnovers and Apple Turnovers are still alive and well on the Arby's menu. They stand alongside milkshakes as some of the only dessert options the chain offers. But there was a time when a third turnover sat amongst these fruity picks in the display case. A turnover that had more of an indulgent edge, and that customers would give anything to taste just one more time. That's right. We're talking about the Chocolate Turnover.

Stuffed with chocolate filling (said to be Hershey's chocolate) and with an extra chocolate drizzle adorning the top, the Chocolate Turnover emerged as a limited-time offering in 2008. It was then brought back in 2010 due to popular demand and lasted six years on the menu before being stripped away yet again — reportedly to make room for a line of Ghirardelli cookies instead. Fans were unhappy with this change. They urged Arby's to stick to what it knows. One even noted that the Chocolate Turnovers were the sole reason they kept coming back to the chain.

It's uncertain if the Chocolate Turnover will return. But as you hold onto hope for a revival, you can lean on a copycat recipe to get you through. There are plenty out there, and some fans even swear that the recipe shared on Hershey's website is identical to Arby's version.

Similar to Arby's turnover selection, Whataburger's pie inventory is but a shell of what it used to be. The burger chain is down to just a lonely Hot Apple Pie on its menu — a sad remnant from what used to be a bright and colorful array of seasonal flavors.

In a Reddit thread dedicated to discontinued Whataburger items, the pies were a hot topic of conversation. People remembered the chocolate pies fondly and recalled ordering the pumpkin pies à la mode. There were also recollections of cherry pies, lemon pies, strawberry pies, and banana pies. There was a pineapple pie at one point as well.

They came and went with the seasons, but at some point, many of them stopped coming back. The lemon pie stuck around a bit longer, but was also eventually axed in 2022. That one stung a little bit extra. Some fans called it their favorite fast food pie of all time. Others said it was far better than the apple. But the general consensus was that it's a dessert that deserves a comeback. Better yet, bring back the entire gamut of fruity and decadent flavors. It would make life a little bit sweeter.

Fat Tuesday hasn't been the same since Popeyes stopped dishing out its festive Mardi Gras cheesecake. Looks-wise, the dessert was everything you would expect. Every slice came adorned with purple, green, and gold sprinkles that made it look like it had just walked down Bourbon Street and been blasted with confetti. Underneath, a graham cracker crust was joined by a spiced cheesecake filling. Unlike a traditional king cake, it didn't come with a small plastic baby hidden inside (that we know of). But it was a colorful and crave-able ode to the holiday nonetheless.

The cheesecake became something of a tradition at the chicken chain. Some would even say it had customers in a chokehold. But unfortunately, it hasn't been seen since around 2019. Fans certainly took notice, and many are still missing it to this day. On Instagram, people shared that they dream of the sweet slices and that they would fight just to get them back.

We'll just have to wait and see if the next Mardi Gras season brings whispers of the dessert's return. But for now, we'll have to settle for one of Popeye's other sweets, like the Cinnamon Apple Pie or Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Cup.

The made-from-scratch Lemon Meringue Pie will go down in history as one of the most beloved Chick-fil-A desserts ... it already kind of has. It has a story as long as the chain itself. It was first made by founder Truett Cathy at his original Atlanta restaurant in 1946. The citrusy slices then experienced a long and happy life across countless locations until they were stripped from national menus in 2012. A sad year to be sure.

Nearly 15 years later, people still can't stop talking about them. Fans say it was their favorite pie at the chain, and they've been suffering ever since. Others note that nothing really compares to the pie's amazing flavor and recall that you could get it by the slice or as a whole pie when the zesty cravings were strong.

To what seems like everyone's dismay, the pie shows no signs of making a full return. However, it can still be purchased from that first Atlanta location, known as Dwarf House. In addition, Chick-fil-A broke down a few years back and shared the exact recipe with its customers. Grab some quick ingredients like graham crackers and vanilla wafers, eggs, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and vanilla, and you can recreate that nostalgic taste in your own kitchen.