The McDonald's Location We Can Thank For Bringing Us The Apple Pie

McDonald's is known for many things, from the iconic Happy Meal with its rotating selection of collectible toys, to superior Sprite, to its eternally-broken McFlurry machines. Sadly, many a customer has been stymied in their quest for a sweet finish to their meal by the words, "I'm sorry, our ice cream machine is down." Thank goodness for the McDonald's apple pie, which relies on far less finicky machinery in order to make it into your hands.

Coming in at 230 calories, McDonalds' take on this all-American classic consists of American-grown apples, sugar, and a lattice crust. While it may not be quite up to grandma's standards, it's a reliable and palatable standby — and has been a company staple since 1968 (the same year McDonald's introduced the Big Mac). In fact, it was the first dessert featured on the national McDonald's menu. But eight years before the nationwide rollout, the apple pie was available at a single McDonald's franchise in Knoxville, Tennessee, owned by Litton Cochran.

Cochran's mother was a skilled baker who served him fried apple pies as an after-school snack. Cochran had such fond memories of this treat, he knew there was a place for them in his restaurant. In fact, Cochran's mother and sister were the original McDonald's pie bakers. However, it didn't take long until customers were ordering pies faster than they could be produced in this setting, and Cochran hired a commercial supplier before the McDonald's corporation took over.

While the original McDonald's apple pie was fried, the current United States iteration is baked — unless you live in Hawaii or Downey, California. And McDonald's has capitalized on the popularity of the pie by introducing new, seasonal flavors over the years, from its custard-filled holiday pie to the cookies and cream pie and a variety of other fruit pies. 

Travel abroad to experience some McDonald's pie flavors not available in the United States, such as corn pie (in Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea), cheese pie (in Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico), and mango passion fruit (in Singapore). You may even be able to get your hands on some savory options, such as Japan's bacon potato pie. While some of these varieties may have been limited-time-only, it's worth popping into a McDonald's during your international travels to check out the unique menu items. 

Finally, a McDonald's apple pie pro tip: If you're lucky enough that the ice cream machine is working, order an apple pie along with a vanilla milkshake for a makeshift à la mode — or ask to have it blended into the shake.