We Recreated McDonald's Original 1968 Fried Apple Pie

Before the drive-thru version got softened up and switched to sliced apples in 2016, McDonald's fried its apple pies in beef tallow, using cubed apples and a hand-folded crust. That's the 1968 franchisee recipe we're rebuilding here — cubed Granny Smith and Fuji apples, a real cornstarch-thickened filling, puff pastry, and a fry in a properly monitored tallow fry instead of a fryer basket of seed oil.

This is a Saturday-with-the-kids kind of recipe — the filling chills in the freezer while you square up the pastry, and everyone gets a turn crimping edges and cutting slits. It's nostalgic, a little messy, and the payoff is a pie that tastes like the one you remember, not the one on the menu now.

Why Cubed Apples Beat Sliced Apples

Cubed apples hold their shape and give you pockets of texture instead of a mushy jam — which is exactly why the original 1968 filling used them, and exactly why the 2016 corporate switch to sliced apples made the pie worse, not better. Cubes cook evenly, thicken cleanly with a cornstarch slurry, and don't turn to mush once they're fried a second time inside the pastry.

Why mix Granny Smith and Fuji apples?

Four Granny Smiths and one Fuji gets you the tartness a fried pie needs to cut through the sugar, plus a touch of natural sweetness so the filling isn't one-note. If you only have Granny Smith on hand, that works too — just expect a slightly sharper filling.

Why the Filling Has to Go in the Freezer

A hot, loose filling will blow out your puff pastry seams the second it hits hot tallow. Chilling the cornstarch-thickened apple mixture firms it up so it holds its shape while you cut, fill, and crimp the pastry, and so it doesn't leak into the fryer.

Why fry in beef tallow instead of oil?

McDonald's fried everything in beef tallow until 1990, then switched to seed oil. Tallow gets you a flakier, crisper crust with a deeper fried flavor than seed oil delivers — it's the difference between a pie that's just crispy and one that actually pops when you bite it.

How to Build and Fry the Pies

1. Melt 2 1/2 tsp unsalted butter in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add 4 1/2 cups cubed apples (4 Granny Smith, 1 Fuji), a pinch of salt, and 2 tsp cinnamon. Stir to coat evenly.
3. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Reduce heat to about 325°F equivalent (medium-low) and cook 8–10 minutes, until the apples soften.
4. Splash in apple juice in place of water for extra flavor, then stir in a cornstarch and water slurry to thicken the filling. Finish with a small splash of vanilla.
5. Transfer the filling to a container and chill it in the freezer until fully cooled and firm.
6. Roll out puff pastry, square off the edges, and cut into rectangles sized for hand pies.
7. Spoon the chilled apple filling onto each pastry rectangle, fold over, and crimp the edges shut with a fork.
8. Cut three small slits in the top of each pie to let steam escape and prevent bursting.
9. Heat wagyu beef tallow until it's actively sizzling — test with a small piece of dough; if it bubbles right away, the tallow is ready.
10. Fry the pies until deeply golden and crisp on both sides, flipping once.
11. While still hot, roll each pie in cinnamon and sugar to coat completely.
12. Serve warm with caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, topped with a little extra cinnamon and sugar.

Stage	Target
Apple filling cook	8–10 minutes, medium-low heat, until soft
Tallow fry temp	Actively bubbling on contact with dough (roughly 350°F)
Doneness	Deep golden brown, blistered crust, both sides

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