McDonald’s brings back a fan-favorite not seen in 30+ years. When to get it in NC
McDonald’s customers across North Carolina can soon get their hands on a classic dessert missing from menus for more than 30 years.
The original fried apple pie arrives Tuesday, June 23, at McDonald’s restaurants nationwide, making a sweet return just in time for America’s 250th birthday, the fast-food giant announced this week.
The classic dessert, featuring a “signature filling made with 100% American-grown apples,” will only be available for a limited time, while supplies last. Pricing information wasn’t immediately available.
The fried apple pies were already available at some Charlotte-area restaurants as of June 18, local franchisee Jason Saylor told CharlotteFive.
He recalled enjoying free meals on his shifts as a 16-year-old McDonald’s employee. Today, he owns more than a dozen restaurants across South Charlotte, plus a few in South Carolina.
“The meal policy said we could have a sandwich, fries, drink and dessert — and you better believe I had a fried apple pie every day I worked ... from the time I started probably until the time it was discontinued (in 1992),” Saylor said.
“It’s really cool to have it back for the 250th anniversary of the country. What’s more appropriate than all-American apple pie?”
McDonald’s first dessert
The apple pie was McDonald’s very first dessert, joining menus in 1968, Eater.com reported. The pastry-wrapped treat was the brainchild of Tennessee franchisee Litton Cochran, who drew inspiration from a family recipe.
“My grandfather was having a conversation with (then-McDonald’s president) Ray Kroc about needing a dessert on the menu,” grandson Eric Cochran, who is also a McDonald’s owner-operator, told CharlotteFive. Kroc “had tried a couple of things in a couple of markets but hadn’t really settled on anything he liked.”
That’s when Litton Cochran suggested a Southern fried apple pie.
“My grandmother then spent the next several months trying to tweak the recipe,” Eric Cochran said. “She would make several versions every night,” tweaking the crust, spices and filling until it was just right.
The hand-pie has seen dozens of iterations since its debut, including the switch from deep-fried to baked in 1992.
The latter was touted as a healthier, grease-free option — despite having more calories, sugar and total fat than its deep-fried predecessor.
Before news that McDonald’s would re-introduce its original fried pie, the treat was only available in two U.S. locales: Hawaii and a single restaurant in Downey, California, according to Reader’s Digest.
Now, McDonald’s lovers nationwide can nosh on the crispy pastries, but be careful of the “molten” apple filling inside, Saylor and Cochran warned.
The rollout has prompted creative menu “hacks” from online food influencers, but the longtime owner-operators have pitched their own ways to enjoy the classic treat. That includes having it à la mode — or “breaking it in half and drinking the filling first and then saving the crust for last,” Cochran said.
Other McDonald’s pies
Nothing beats classic apple, but McDonald’s has offered a revolving door of seasonal pie flavors over the years, McClatchy News previously reported.
Popular flavors include:
- Blueberries and creme
- Strawberries and creme
- Pumpkin and creme
- Special holiday pie
Find your nearest McDonald’s restaurant here.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 12:53 PM with the headline "McDonald’s brings back a fan-favorite not seen in 30+ years. When to get it in NC."