An American staple is bringing back a former fan-favorite menu item just in time to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.
McDonald’s announced Tuesday that its fried apple pie will soon be available for purchase for the first time in over three decades. The fast-food giant phased the sweet treat off of its menu in 1992, but has decided to re-debut it just in time for America250 celebrations.
The fried apple pie didn’t start as a McDonald’s menu item. It started as a Tennessee family’s recipe. Back in the 1960s, east Tennessee McDonald’s franchise owner Litton Cochran created a fried apple hand pie. It became a local fan favorite and eventually a McDonald’s classic. The fried apple pie was notably introduced the same year as the Big Mac.
“There are certain things that just take you back – and the Fried Apple Pie is one of them. It’s something that people love and remember from growing up.” McDonald’s owner Eric Cochran said, reminiscing about how the dessert came to life.
“When Ray Kroc was trying to come up with a dessert for McDonald’s, my Grandad, Litton Cochran, suggested a Fried Apple Pie as a classic that people would love,” Cochran continued. “My Grandmom, Jo Cochran, spent months perfecting the recipe. Bringing the Fried Apple Pie back for fans this summer to celebrate America’s 250th just feels right.”
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The fried apple pie will be on the menu at participating McDonald’s locations nationwide, including Mississippi, on June 23, with the treat being sold until either July 4 or when inventory runs out.
According to McDonald’s officials, the dessert item will feature the fast-food joint’s signature filling made with 100% American-grown apples, wrapped in a golden crunch and flaky fried crust.
Adding to the excitement of the once ditched menu item’s return, a new mile marker along the popular Route 66 will feature a 35-foot fried apple pie in Joliet, Ill., from June 23 through July 4, offering fans a chance to snap shots of the landmark between the time its erected to an Independence Day expected to be rife with patriotic flare.
