Burger King Vs McDonald's: Who Makes The Better Apple Pie?

Apple pie is a fall favorite, a holiday star, and a go-to comfort food. So, it only makes sense that two classic fast food chains would put their own spin on the beloved treat. McDonald's has been offering iconic American staples with a nostalgic twist since the 1950s, and Burger King also offers American classics while placing an emphasis on offering a variety of bold burgers. These similar yet ultimately different focuses mean each apple pie has a unique flavor, and I'm putting my taste buds to work to decide which one is the best.

Burger King and McDonald's understand their customers are on the go, which may be the reason why both pies have a convenient, rectangular shape that comfortably fits in one hand. They also offer sturdy, cardboard sleeves to help them retain heat until the customer reaches their destination. However, the key similarities stop there, and the taste of each pie is a true testament to each chain's overall vibe and focus. To better examine these differences, I set a list of criteria that carefully studies key ingredients and whether they work well together in an apple pie.

Nothing is better than cutting into the crisp crust of a fresh apple pie, and that's why I paid close attention to the crust quality. Each crust was evaluated by its crunch, its thickness, and whether it takes away from the all-important filling. A crust should offer a savory flavor to even out the sweetness of the apple and make the dessert a satisfying experience. That means it's important that you can taste it in the background of each bite. 

Of course, apple should be the star, and I evaluated the ratio of apples and cinnamon sugar filling in each pie. The cinnamon sugar filling should never overpower the apples. Instead, the cinnamon should share an earthy sweetness that enhances the apple's flavor. I also examined the shape and size of the apple pieces because they can help determine how dense and crispy the apple is once the pie is cooked.

These pies are usually devoured right after leaving the drive-thru, but some people like to save them for later. So, it was important for me to do a reheat test to better understand the quality of each item. I placed the pies in the fridge for about two hours, and reheated them for 30 seconds in the microwave. This test helped me better understand the true consistency of the apples and the crust.

McDonald's baked apple pie offers the big flavor of a traditional apple pie in a bite-sized package, which generally costs anywhere from $1.49 to $2.29, depending on the location. The traditional flavor begins with the latticed crust, which automatically offers a buttery taste and a flaky texture. This helps create a big crunch, which was taken a step further when I immediately bit into a crisp apple slice. There is a slight softness in the apples, allowing them to melt right into the cinnamon portion of the filling. This change in texture released the sweetness in the starchy apple. The sweetness from the apple also enhanced the cinnamon and its corresponding syrup, which helped soften the already flaky crust. All these elements blended into a perfect bite.

I had a similar experience when I reheated it for 30 seconds in the microwave. The crust remained crispy, and I could still feel the layers within the flaky crust. The apples were slightly softer, but they still held a substantial weight because of a starchiness that was maintained during the cooking process. Whether fresh or reheated, the last bite still left me satisfied because of how the cinnamon, apples, and crust stood out on their own before melting into one harmonious mixture. While some people may miss McDonald's fried apple pie, the chain's baked apple pie is a delicious fast-food take on the classic apple pie that contains precisely cut apples and thoughtfully prepared ingredients.

Burger King's cinnamon apple pie has a crunchier crust because it's fried, and it capitalizes on the use of cinnamon. However, the apple never becomes the true star of this pie, which costs $1.79 at many locations. My first bite gave me a giant crunch from a crispy crust covered in a cinnamon topping that was satisfying but not too sugary. However, the crust was so thick that I quickly tasted a doughy texture.

The syrupy cinnamon filling, which overflowed from multiple seams, softened the crust, and I didn't taste the apple until my second bite. They were chopped into bite-sized cubes, and this could be why they didn't maintain any crispiness in the cooking process. The apples felt mushy, and I barely had the chance to chew them because of how quickly they dissolved. It also felt like I didn't receive a full serving of apples, and I say this because I seemed to only find them in the last half of the pie. 

After reheating it for 30 seconds, the crust retained its original crispiness, but the doughy texture increased. The cinnamon filling still had a decadent, syrupy texture, but the apples were nonexistent. Any apples left inside had become extra mushy, and their distinct sugary, tart flavor was heavily masked by the cinnamon filling. Burger King has put a lot of work into tasting like itself again, but this pie has room for improvement. 

While Burger King tried its best to put its own twist on the handheld apple pie, McDonald's baked apple pie wins this showdown. This is because McDonald's uses its fast food creation to celebrate the ingredients that make this dessert a nostalgic classic. Burger King's decision to fry its cinnamon apple pie makes it the crispier of the two desserts, but its filling fails in comparison to McDonald's.

The company behind McDonald's apple pie makes this treat a triumph because the filling includes well-prepared ingredients. Apple slices rather than apple cubes help the fruit maintain its density, and this density is further protected by the careful amount of cinnamon sugar filling inside. Burger King's overly generous cinnamon syrup may contribute to the quick disintegration of its apple cubes. Overcrowding the apples can make them soggy and cause them to lose their crunch, and it made this cinnamon apple pie feel like a cinnamon pie that has a hint of apple.

Final verdict: McDonald's knows how to make apples the true star of its baked apple pie. Each bite offers a distinct taste of crunchy, sweet apple with cinnamon in the background. The delicate crust melts into the filling as the butter brings in the savory flavor needed to make this a satisfying experience that cannot be topped. Burger King tried to offer a decadent, deep-fried apple pie, but McDonald's proves that leaning into classic methods and flavors is where it's at.