CopycatSpices
Copycat McDonald's Apple Pie
Bake crispy, flaky McDonald's-style apple pies at home with cinnamon-spiced apple filling inside golden pastry shells.
copycat · mcdonalds · fast-food · dessert
🕑Prep20 min
🍳Cook20 min
⏱Total40 min
🍽Serves8
⭐DifficultyMedium
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced small
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar for topping
Instructions
- 1.Cook the filling. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the apples are soft but still hold their shape. Stir in the cornstarch and cook for 1 more minute until the mixture thickens. Let it cool.
- 2.Cut the pastry. Roll out the puff pastry sheets and cut each into 4 rectangles (8 total). These will be your pie shells.
- 3.Fill the pies. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the cooled apple filling on one half of each rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
- 4.Seal and crimp. Fold the other half of the pastry over the filling. Press the edges firmly with a fork to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut 3 small slits in the top of each pie for steam to escape.
- 5.Brush and bake. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the pies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes until puffed and deep golden brown.
- 6.Cool briefly. Let the pies cool for 5 minutes before serving — the filling will be extremely hot. Serve warm for the best experience.
McDonald’s apple pie is an American institution. That crispy, golden shell hiding a molten cinnamon-apple filling has been a dollar-menu staple for decades. While McDonald’s now bakes their pies instead of frying them, this copycat version uses puff pastry for the flakiest, most buttery shell you can imagine — better than both the fried and baked originals.
The Secret
The filling needs to be cooled before you assemble the pies. If you put hot filling into the pastry, it will turn the dough soggy before it even hits the oven. The cornstarch is also critical — it thickens the juices so the filling stays inside the pie instead of leaking out. Granny Smith apples provide the right balance of tart and sweet that makes these pies sing.
Pro Tips
- For an even closer match to the original fried version, deep fry the assembled pies at 350°F for 3-4 minutes per side instead of baking.
- Dice the apples small (1/4-inch pieces) so they cook evenly and fit neatly inside the pastry pockets.
- The coarse sugar on top is not just decorative — it adds a satisfying crunch to every bite.
- These freeze beautifully before baking. Assemble, freeze on a sheet pan, then bake from frozen adding 5 extra minutes.
