McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie
DISCLAIMER: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you. Please read my policy page!
McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie
Craving that classic McDonald's apple pie? This homemade McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie recipe brings all the crispy, sweet goodness right to your kitchen. With a flaky crust + spiced apple filling, it's the perfect treat for satisfying your apple pie cravings without the drive-thru! Vegan + Gluten-free Option.
My McDonald’s Copycat Apple Pie recipe is seriously one of my fave desserts (or breakfasts. Haha.) They are full of fresh, sweet, tart apples + cinnamon for the filling, wrapped in a flakey, buttery pastry. It’s simple — but absolutely irresistible. Plus, I love a good baking moment that can be done with the entire family and these pies are just that!
What’s great about these pies is that you can go with pre-made puff pastry or make your own from scratch, and they’re easily adaptable to be dairy-free + vegan if that’s your thing! If you loved those classic apple pies as much as I did, you’re going to go wild for this Apple Pie Hawaiian Roll French Toast next if you’re in the mood for another brunch upgrade!
Jump to:
- How to Make McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie
- Ingredients
- Best Types of Apples for Apple Hand Pies
- How to Make Hand Pie Dough From Scratch
- Tips for Making the Best Apple Hand Pies
- How to Store + Thaw Puff Pastry
- McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie Q + A's
- More Delicious Apple Recipes
- MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
- McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie
How to Make McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie
This is such a quick + easy recipe, the hands-on time is only 10 minutes. You’ll start by making a quick apple filling made from apple chunks (chopped), brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon + maple syrup. Then finish the puff pastry dough with an added layer of spices and bake everything to perfection.
Ingredients
APPLE FILLING:
- Apples. Peeled + diced --- I love to mix together Honey crisp + Granny Smith apples.
- Unsalted butter. No need to have the butter at room temperature. You can take it right out of the fridge if needed because you’ll be melting it in a skillet for the filling.
- Brown sugar. Make sure it’s organic for vegan.
- Cane sugar. Again if you're wanting to make a vegan version opt for organic.
- Spices. Ground cinnamon, nutmeg + a pinch of sea salt
- Lemon juice. Freshly-squeezed
- Vanilla extract. Use pure vanilla extract for the best vanilla flavor.
- Cornstarch + warm water. This helps to thicken up the filling.
CRUST:
- Puff pastry sheets. Feel free to use any puff pastry (including a vegan-friendly version if preferred)
- Light brown sugar. Organic.
- Ground cinnamon.
- Egg wash. 1 egg whisked + 1 tablespoon milk. This helps the hand pies to become golden while baking. See below for a vegan version.
SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THESE HAND PIES!
Here, I've curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with this McDonald’s Copycat Apple Pie recipe. Everything from my fave cast iron pans, dutch ovens, immersion hand-blender, mixing bowls, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
Best Types of Apples for Apple Hand Pies
Even though these hand pies are based on using Honey crisp + Granny Smith for the filling, you can also switch things up and add a slightly new flare in their flavor profile by adding any of the following apples for a bit more sweetness or tart:
- Gala
- Fuji
- Pink Lady
- Golden Delicious
- Braeburn
- and more!
How to Make Hand Pie Dough From Scratch
If you'd prefer to make your apple hand pie dough from scratch as opposed to using puff pastry sheets, you totally can! In just a few short steps and with a handful of ingredients, you can enjoy a completely buttery, flaky crust as well:
- 2 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsps organic brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- pinch of sea salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, COLD + cut into pieces
- 1 cup VERY COLD milk
To make the crust, you can follow my pop tart recipe for similar steps. NOTE: In this pop tart recipe, I use vegan ingredients, however, just use the listed ingredients above in replacement.
Tips for Making the Best Apple Hand Pies
Here are a few tips for making the perfect at-home hand pies:
MAKE YOUR FILLING FIRST!
Because the flaky dough (or puff pastry) is so sensitive, I like to make my filling first. The butter needs to stay cold to achieve the layers we want, so having the filling ready to go when the dough is ready is essential.
MORE PASTRY FLOUR MEANS MORE FLAKINESS.
You’ll see that I use organic all-purpose flour, however, you can use pastry flour as well in some of my recipes that include pastries. I discovered this mix when experimenting with many of my pastry recipes. Pastry flour adds a nice crunchy, flaky outer layer to the pastries.
DIMENSIONS MATTER!
It may seem tedious to measure out your dough squares/rectangles before creating the hand pies. After many trials, I have learned that randomly cutting squares and sticking them together was uneven and a waste of dough. Instead, I now measure the dough squares out to 3” x 4”, and the tops fit onto the bottoms each time!
How to Store + Thaw Puff Pastry
Store leftover puff pastry sheets (uncooked) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for longer. Always remember that when thawing out the puff pastry from the freezer, be sure to do so in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours before using.
McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie Q + A's
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 1-3 days. To serve warm, simply re-heat in the oven, microwave, or a toaster oven.
For longer storage–leftovers can be stored in the freezer. After they have baked and are completely cooled, simply place your hand pies onto a baking sheet (spaced apart) and freeze them for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a zip loc bag and reheat when ready to eat!
To make these hand pies entirely vegan and dairy-free, simply ensure that the puff pastry brand used is vegan-friendly and melted vegan butter (w/ 1 tablespoon of Agave or maple syrup mixed together) in place of the egg wash.
Absolutely! You can use store-bought gluten-free puff pastry or make your own. Either way, you'll get delicious, crispy apple pies that everyone can enjoy!
More Delicious Apple Recipes
Now that you've fallen in love with the apples in this recipe, put them to good use with these other sweet apple recipes:
- Homemade Apple Berry Crumble Pie
- Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Apple Cider Cake + Cinnamon Maple Buttercream
- Homemade Apple Berry Crumble Pie
- Salted Caramel Apple Crisp
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you tried this McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea! I love hearing from you!
McDonald's Copycat Apple Pie
Ingredients
APPLE FILLING:
- 3 cups apples, peeled + diced (I love to mix together Honey crisp + Granny Smith apples; That's about 4 large apples)
- 2 Tbsps unsalted butter
- 3 Tbsps organic brown sugar
- 3 Tbsps organic cane sugar
- 1 ½ tsps ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch + 2 Tbsps warm water
CRUST:
- 2 (14 oz.) packages premium puff pastry sheets (You'll need 2 sheets, thawed)
- 3 Tbsps light brown sugar, organic
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 egg wash (1 egg whisked + 1 tablespoon milk)
Instructions
COOK THE APPLE FILLING:
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, add the butter and heat until melted. Add the brown sugar, cane sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and sea salt and stir until combined and everything begins to bubble a bit, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the apple chunks, lemon juice, water, and vanilla and stir everything until apples are well coated. Also, add in cornstarch mixture and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until apples are tender and the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
TO MAKE THE PUFF PASTRY CRUST:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove pastry sheets from packaging and roll out unto a floured surface. Cut the pieces into 8 squares total (per package; 16 squares total for both). Place about 2 Tbsps of cooled cooked apple filling unto one square and lightly brush the edges with egg wash to create a nice seal and then cover with another square, gently pressing the edges down. Using a fork, carefully “crimp” around the edges and place on the baking sheet.
- Repeat until all squares are topped and you've made 8 hand pies.
- Once all hand pies are laid flat on the baking sheet, gently prick a set of holes on the tops using a fork, lightly brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with the tops with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice until fully covered.
- Bake in the oven 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and the filling bubbles at the sides.
- Once done, remove from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes (10 minutes or so) before serving.
- Bon Appetit!
- In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Unfold thawed puff pastry and place it onto a lightly floured and roll it out onto squares (about 12 x 12). Spoon a few tablespoons of the apple pie filling and brush the edges with egg wash.
- Top with remaining puff pastry squares. NOTE; You my find it easier to stretch the dough with your hands.
- Crimp the edges with a fork and add 4 slits into each mini pie using a knife on the tops. Brush the tops with egg wash for a nice finish. Repeat until all mini apple pie are made!
BAKE THE PIES:
- Bake the mini apple pies for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve immediately (once safe to handle) on it's own or with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 1-3 days. To serve warm, simply re-heat in the oven, microwave, or a toaster oven.
- FREEZE: For longer storage–leftovers can be stored in the freezer. After they have baked and are completely cooled, simply place your hand pies onto a baking sheet (spaced apart) and freeze them for 2-3 hours. Once frozen, transfer them to a zip loc bag and reheat when ready to eat!
- VEGAN OPTION: To make these hand pies entirely vegan and dairy-free, simply ensure that the puff pastry brand used is vegan-friendly and melted vegan butter (w/ 1 tablespoon of Agave or maple syrup mixed together) in place of the egg wash.
- APPLES: Best apples to use for these hand pies are: Granny Smith, Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, etc.
- EQUIPMENT: To see the equipment that I used for these hand pies, see my Baking Essentials list!
Nutrition
DID YOU MAKE THIS recipe?
Tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea
LOVE THIS RECIPE?
LET US KNOW!