McDonald’s Apple Pie Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My McDonald’s Apple Pie Recipe is an easy homemade copycat with warm cinnamon apples wrapped in crisp, flaky pastry. These golden apple hand pies, made with wholesome ingredients and served from your own oven, are even better than the famous fast-food treat.

• Easy to make: Use my homemade Easy Puff Pastry or store-bought puff pastry for a simple shortcut.
• Fresh apple filling: Tart fresh apples, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon make a thick, flavorful filling.
• Crisp and flaky: Buttery puff pastry topped with egg wash and cinnamon sugar gives the pastry a beautifully golden, crunchy finish.
• Perfect for making ahead: Prepare the apple filling in advance or freeze it for later.
• Individual servings: These homemade apple hand pies are perfect for parties, holidays, or an anytime treat.

I’ve always had a soft spot for McDonald’s Apple Pies—I adore that combination of warm cinnamon apples and crisp pastry—so as a professional baker, I naturally wanted to make my own version at home. I’ve made countless fruit pies and pastries throughout my career, and one of the biggest differences between a good hand pie and a great one is temperature. My top tip: Let the apple filling cool completely and keep your puff pastry cold when assembling. This makes the pies easier to fill and seal and helps the pastry bake up beautifully crisp and flaky instead of soft or soggy.

Skip the drive-thru and enjoy these warm from the oven, on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. And if you love baking with apples, try my Best Apple Pie, My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake, and Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin next.

Bold Bakers Loved This!

“Yummy! We made this, and the kids and I agreed that these are even better than the golden arches!”—Ashley

“What a great recipe! These hand pies taste fantastic.” —James

“I’m so glad I took the time to make your recipe, because it was so worth it. Buttery, flaky, warm, sweet cinnamon apples—absolutely delicious.” —Daniyal 

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 8/30/2026 to include a refreshed introduction, explanations and substitutes of key ingredients, clearer steps, make-ahead and storage instructions, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

Table of Contents

• What Is a McDonald’s Apple Pie?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make McDonald’s Apple Pie
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Apple Recipes

What Is a McDonald’s Apple Pie?

A McDonald’s Apple Pie is an individual pastry filled with tender, cinnamon-spiced apples and enclosed in a crisp crust. It’s essentially an apple turnover or hand pie rather than a traditional round pie.

My homemade version is inspired by the McDonald’s baked apple pie, using fresh Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and buttery puff pastry to recreate those familiar flavors in an easy homemade hand pie.

Because these are individual pastries, there’s no slicing or serving required. Just bake them until puffed and golden and enjoy them while they’re still warm.

Tools You Need

• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Medium saucepan
• Small mixing bowl
• Two baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Rolling pin
• Sharp knife or pastry cutter
• Pastry brush

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Granny Smith Apples

• Granny Smith apples are firm and tart, so they hold their shape as they cook and balance the sweetness of the brown sugar.
• Dice the apples fairly small so they cook evenly and fit easily inside the hand pies.
• Substitutes: Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, or Jonagold all work well. Bramley apples are also a good option in Ireland and the UK, but note that they break down more and will give you a softer filling.
  • See the FAQ below for more on choosing the best apples for this recipe.

Butter

• Butter adds richness and combines with the brown sugar and apple juices to create a luxuriously thick filling.
• I recommend unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt.
• Substitute: Salted butter will work; simply reduce or omit the added salt.

Dark Brown Sugar

• Dark brown sugar sweetens the tart apples while adding deep caramel and molasses notes.
• As the dark brown sugar cooks with the butter and apple juices, it creates the base of the thick, glossy filling.
• Substitute: Light brown sugar works well for a slightly milder caramel flavor. Customize it using my Brown Sugar Recipe.
  • You can also use granulated sugar, but the filling won’t have quite the same depth.

Ground Cinnamon

• Cinnamon gives the filling its classic warm apple-pie flavor.
• It’s also used in the cinnamon-sugar topping, giving you warm spice inside and out.
• Substitute: Apple pie spice can be used for a slightly more complex spiced flavor.

Salt

• Salt balances the sweetness of the brown sugar and enhances the flavors of the apples, butter, and cinnamon.
• If you’re using salted butter, reduce or omit the added salt.

Lemon Juice

• Fresh lemon juice adds acidity to balance the sweetness and brightens the apples’ flavor.
• Substitute: Bottled lemon juice will work if that’s what you have on hand.

Cornflour (Cornstarch)

• Cornflour thickens the juices released by the apples, creating a wonderfully gooey apple pie filling that stays inside the pastry rather than leaking out during baking.
• Mix the cornflour (cornstarch) with the water first to make a slurry. This helps the starch thicken the filling evenly without clumping.
• Important: In Ireland and the UK, this ingredient is called cornflour. In the U.S., use cornstarch, not cornmeal.
• Substitute: Arrowroot starch can be used, although the final consistency may be slightly different.

Water

• Water combines with the cornflour to make a smooth slurry before it’s stirred into the filling.
• Making a slurry allows the starch to disperse evenly through the apple juices without forming lumps.

Puff Pastry

• Puff pastry creates the crisp, buttery, flaky layers around the warm cinnamon apple filling.
• Use two batches of my Easy Puff Pastry or four sheets of store-bought puff pastry.
• Keep your pastry cold until you’re ready to work with it for the best rise and flakiest layers.
• Substitute: You can use pie crust, but it will give you a more tender, traditional hand pie rather than the light, layered texture of puff pastry.

Egg Wash

• Egg wash helps the puff pastry bake up glossy and deep golden brown.
• Brushing egg wash around the edges also helps the pastry stick together when you seal the pies.
• Substitute: You can use milk or heavy cream instead, although the finished pastry won’t look quite as glossy.

Cinnamon Sugar

• Cinnamon sugar gives the pies extra sweetness, warm spice, and a lightly crunchy finish.
• Use store-bought cinnamon sugar or make your own by combining granulated sugar with ground cinnamon.

How to Make McDonald’s Apple Pie

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.

To Make the Apple Pie Filling

2. Prepare the apples: Peel, core, and dice the apples into small chunks.
3. Cook the apples: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice, and cook gently until most of the liquid reduces and the apples have softened, about 6 minutes.
4. Thicken the filling: In a small bowl, mix the cornflour and water to make a ‘slurry’. Add this to the cooked apples, stirring as you go. Allow to cook for 2 minutes to thicken the filling before removing it from the heat.
5. Cool the filling: Set the apple filling aside to cool down completely. (Once cool you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen)

To Fill the McDonald’s Apple Pies

6. Roll out the pastry: Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to roughly ⅛ inch thick.
7. Cut the pastry: Cut into eight 4.5×6 inch (12x15cm) rectangles and transfer to your prepared baking sheets. You can re-roll this pastry and make even more pies.
8. Add the filling: For each pastry rectangle, scoop out 1-2 heaped teaspoons of apple filling and lay it in the center of the pastry.
9. Seal the pies: Brush the edges with a touch of egg wash, fold over, press, and seal with the tines of a fork.
10. Finish the pies: Cut three slits in the top of each pastry for venting, brush with the egg wash, and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.

To Bake the McDonald’s Apple Pies

11. Bake the pies: Bake until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 25-35 minutes.
12. Serve and store: Enjoy warm with cream or ice cream! Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two days. Rewarm in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp before eating.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Keep everything cold: Your puff pastry and apple filling should both be cold when assembling. Warm filling will soften the butter in the pastry and make the pies difficult to handle.
• Dice the apples small: Small, evenly sized pieces cook quickly and fit neatly inside the hand pies.
• Adjust the sugar to your apples: Apples vary in sweetness, so if you’re using a naturally sweeter variety, reduce the brown sugar slightly to taste.
• Cool the filling completely: Don’t rush this step. Warm filling can soften your puff pastry before it reaches the oven.
• Don’t overfill: Too much filling makes the pies harder to seal and increases the chance they’ll leak or burst during baking.
• Seal the edges well: Brush with egg wash, press the pastry edges together, and then crimp firmly with a fork.
• Don’t skip the vents: Cutting slits in the tops allows steam from the hot apple filling to escape as the pies bake.
• Chill the pies if needed: If your puff pastry becomes soft or sticky during assembly, refrigerate the pies for 15 to 20 minutes before baking.
• Make the filling ahead: Preparing the filling in advance saves time and ensures it’s completely cold when you assemble the pies.
• Use leftover filling: Spoon it warm over vanilla ice cream, pancakes, waffles, or oatmeal, or use it in a full-size pie or tart.
• Homemade or store-bought works: My Easy Puff Pastry works beautifully here, but good-quality store-bought puff pastry makes mini pies especially quick and easy.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make the Filling Ahead

• The apple filling can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Making it ahead is ideal because the filling needs to be completely cold before assembling the pies.

Assemble the Pies Ahead

• Assemble the hand pies several hours before baking and keep them covered in the refrigerator so the puff pastry stays cold.
• Bake as directed when ready.

Freeze the Apple Filling

• Freeze the apple pie filling for up to 2 months.
• Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before assembling the pies.

Freeze the Unbaked Pies

• Arrange the assembled, unbaked apple hand pies in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm.
• Transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.
• Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes as needed.

Store Leftover Apple Pies

• Store leftover baked apple pies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheat the Apple Pies

• For the crispiest pastry, reheat the pies in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 10 minutes.

FAQs

What apples are best for McDonald’s Apple Pie?

• For the best filling, use a firm, tart baking apple that softens while still holding some of its shape. Granny Smith is my first choice because its tart flavor balances the brown sugar and cinnamon beautifully.
• Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Jonagold are also great choices. If you’re in Ireland or the UK, Bramley apples work well, but because they break down more as they cook, they’ll give you a softer filling.
• You can also combine a tart apple with a sweeter variety for more depth of flavor.

Are McDonald’s apple pies baked or fried?

• McDonald’s Apple Pies sold in the U.S. today are baked.
• Originally, McDonald’s pies were fried, which is why you may remember the original pies having a different crust and texture.

Are McDonald’s apple pies turnovers?

• Yes. They’re essentially a type of apple turnover or hand pie: apple filling is enclosed in an individual pastry rather than baked in a traditional round pie dish.

Can I use store-bought puff pastry?

• Absolutely. Store-bought puff pastry is one of the easiest ways to make these homemade McDonald’s Apple Pies.
• You can also make my Easy Puff Pastry from scratch.

Is cornflour the same as cornstarch?

• Yes! The name depends on where you live. In the U.S., this fine, white starch is called cornstarch; in Ireland and the UK, it’s called cornflour.
• Use cornstarch if you’re in the U.S., and cornflour if you’re in Ireland or the UK. For this recipe, yes. Don’t substitute cornmeal.

Can I use pie crust instead of puff pastry?

• Yes, but you’ll get a different texture.
• Pie crust gives you a more tender, traditional hand pie, while puff pastry produces a lighter, crispier pastry with distinct flaky layers.

Why did my apple pies leak?

• The most common reasons are too much filling, warm filling, or edges that weren’t sealed securely.
• Make sure your filling is completely cold, use only 1 to 2 heaped teaspoons per pie, and press and crimp the edges firmly before baking.

Why didn’t my puff pastry rise?

• The pastry may have become too warm before it went into the oven. Puff pastry needs its butter layers to remain cold so they can create steam and lift the pastry as it bakes.
• If the assembled pies feel soft or warm, refrigerate them for 15 to 20 minutes before baking.

Can I use the apple filling for a full-size pie?

• Yes! The filling also works in a full-size apple pie or tart.
• You can even serve leftover filling warm over vanilla ice cream.

More Apple Recipes:

• Best Apple Pie Recipe
• My Mum’s Irish Apple Cake
• Crock Pot Apple Pie Filling
• Apple Crumble Bars
• Homemade Pop-Tarts: Apple Pie

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 8/30/2026, to include a refreshed introduction, explanations and substitutes of key ingredients, clearer steps, make-ahead and storage instructions, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

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