Paula Deen's Apple Pie Recipe - Something Swanky Dessert Recipes (2025)

FAQs

Why are McDonald's apple pies so good? ›

Many pie fillings are made with a processed thickening agent that keeps the filling jelly-like and in place. But McDonald's uses a dehydrated apple powder. The powder not only thickens the filling, but it also adds that extra apple taste that you love.

Granny Smith apples are considered by many to be the "pie apples." They are known for their snappy tartness and ability to maintain their shape and texture when cooked. These are, no doubt, a terrific choice for apple pie — especially when combined with a sweeter, softer apple like Braeberns or Crispins.

The cheese-apple pie connection traces back to England, where both cheddar and apple pie are said to have originated. In the 17th and 18th centuries, a dairy-based sauce often topped English pies, such as custard. Somehow, some folks decided to try out cheddar along the way, and the rest was history.

Public opinion started to lean away from fried food and more toward baked, so McDonald's switched to a baked version in 1992. The new version was undoubtedly healthier, though many longtime fans insist that the old flaky, crispy crust was tastier.

And then there's the long forgotten fried apple pie at McDonald's, which made the switch to baked in 1992 due to health reasons and has tasted inferior ever since. Unless you're over 40 and/or live in Hawaii (more on that soon), you've probably never tasted a McDonald's fried apple pie.

Here's a look at one of the most unusual laws on the books in the Badger State. In Wisconsin, it is illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without a slice of cheese on top. Yes, you read that right: cheese is required on top of any apple pie that is served in a public restaurant in Wisconsin.

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed.

Honeycrisp. One of the sweetest apples around, this Midwestern favorite is good for anything—including baking. It boasts a distinctive juicy crispness and is firm enough that it won't cook down much. It complements just about any other apple variety to make a stellar pie.

Honeycrisp. The Honeycrisp apple is one of the sweeter varieties, so it definitely is not lacking in the flavor department.

Are honeycrisp apples good for you? ›

The health benefits from eating apples are numerous. One medium Honeycrisp apple has 5 grams of fiber and only 80 calories. Because of the amount and type of fiber, an apple will help a person feel full longer, helping him or her to consume fewer calories daily. The pectin in apples may also help lower cholesterol.

Let's begin with one of the most frequently cited state laws, which reportedly requires that “all apple pie in Wisconsin must be served with a slice of cheese on it.” Sadly, despite the law's prevalence among weird-law lists, the law itself is just a myth.

Pie à la Mode (literally "pie in the current fashion"/ "fashionable pie") is pie served with ice cream. The French culinary phrase à la mode used in the name of this American dessert is also encountered in other dishes such as boeuf à la mode (beef à la mode).

Cheddar is the most common variety, but there are regional preferences. In parts of Yorkshire, they prefer their regional cheese of Wensleydale. There's a saying that comes from the area: "An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze."

Absolutely—McDonald's apple pie has real diced apples. The exact variety can vary from season to season, but we look for apples that are sweet and slightly tart.

The cinnamon level was perfect, the filling was packed with tart apples, and it was just the right consistency. All I could think of was how it would taste if I had it blended into McDonald's vanilla ice cream as some menu hackers suggest. Indeed, a side of vanilla ice cream was the only thing this pie was missing.

Ingredients: Apples (apples, Ascorbic Acid, Salt, Citric Acid), Enriched Flour (bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Palm Oil, Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, Modified Food Starch, Invert Syrup, Contains 2% Or Less: Yeast, Salt, Cinnamon, Sunflower Lecithin, ...

For more than 50 years, all the pies sold in US McDonald's have been made exclusively at Bama Companies in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Bama also makes biscuits and hotcakes for the fast-food chain.)