Summer Just Got Sweeter with the Return of McDonald's Fried Apple Pie

The OG fan favorite is back June 23 for a limited time – bringing with it a 35-foot
Fried Apple Pie to celebrate America's milestone birthday

CHICAGO, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer tends to move fast – but the moments worth remembering don't. And with America's 250th birthday around the corner, we're bringing back a fan-favorite and bona fide national treasure made for slowing down and savoring the season: the Fried Apple Pie.

If you know, you know. If you don't, June 23 is your chance to find out. The OG Fried Apple Pie is back at participating restaurants nationwide for a limited time. The all-day menu item features our signature filling made with 100% American-grown apples, wrapped in the same golden crunch and flaky fried crust fans remember – or soon won't forget.

A Classic Since the '60s

The Fried Apple Pie didn't start as a menu item. It started as a family recipe. Back in the 1960s, East Tennessee Owner/Operator Litton Cochran created a fried apple hand pie. It became a local fan favorite and eventually a McDonald's classic.

"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." said Eric Cochran, McDonald's Owner/Operator. "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. 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."

The Sweetest Stop on the Map

There's a new mile marker on Route 66 – and this time, it's not the Golden Arches. A 35-foot Fried Apple Pie is rising from the roadside, paying tribute to our fans' love for this classic American dessert, right off America's most iconic road. A gloriously larger-than-life monument that screams "worth the detour" in true American road trip fashion.

The McDonald's Largest Fried Apple Pie invites fans to snap a selfie and pick up a McDonald's souvenir map before hitting the road again. You'll find it just outside Chicago, in McDonald's own backyard at 920 N Broadway St. Joliet, IL 60435.

Mark your calendars and swing by this summer:

• Kickoff Event, June 23: Join us for the debut of The McDonald's Largest Fried Apple Pie in Chicagoland from 3:30-6:00 p.m. CT, complete with live music, an ice-cold Coca-Cola and complimentary Arch Cards.
• June 23 through July 4: The McDonald's Largest Fried Apple Pie will be standing tall through America's 250th birthday. The ultimate way to celebrate a milestone summer.

So, take the long way home this summer and grab a Fried Apple Pie at a McDonald's restaurant or on the McDonald's App, while supplies last.  

McDonald's USA

McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's – approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants – are owned and operated by independent franchisees. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, and follow us on social: X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Media contact: [email protected]

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SOURCE McDonald's USA, LLC