What Type Of Oil Does McDonald's Use For Its Fried Apple Pies?

There's a lot of tasty fried food out there, but nothing beats the crunchy golden crust of an old-school McDonald's fried apple pie. You might enjoy a number of fried foods and never wonder exactly how they got that way. But there are actually more than a few different types of oil that can get those goodies crisp and delicious. As a major multinational chain, it's not surprising that McDonald's would look for an oil with broad appeal that can maintain consistency across continents and avoid as many potential allergens as possible. Chowhound reached a McDonald's employee who confirmed what your palate may have already expected: that the deep-frying stage of the apple pie's preparation crackles the dessert in a vegetable oil blend. In fact, it's the same oil that crisps up McDonald's top-selling fries and its other fried foods.

The pie's listed ingredients break it down more precisely, naming canola, corn, and soybean oils among the slick compounds one will encounter when taking a bite. These also happen to be many of the oils that typically combine to make up a lot of vegetable oils. In this case, that canola oil blend satisfies all the fast food giant's needs. It's readily available, avoids potential peanut allergy concerns, and is neutral in flavor, making it a versatile choice.

If McDonald's fried apple pies sound familiar as something other than a mere golden arches' menu item, it might be because of a bit of corporate lore. The fried apple pie did not actually get its start in some test kitchen, according to the company. It was, instead, the contribution of a single McDonald's operator in Tennessee in the 1960s. In spite of its iconic status, it was actually only available in most of the United States until 1992, when it was swapped with a baked version in the majority of the country. McDonald's original fried apple pie remained available in Hawaii and in international locales like Mexico, Greece, and Hong Kong after largely disappearing from the U.S.

In 2026, McDonald's announced plans to bring back the fried apple pie for that old fast food classic, "a limited time." But there is always confectionery hope on the horizon for anyone willing to get their hands — and their pans — a little dirty. You can make McDonald's existing apple pies taste more like the original by popping them in the air fryer. That ought to hold you over until the next revival.