Have you ever been sitting at home and suddenly had a massive craving for fast food?

A little while ago, I really wanted an apple pie from a well-known fast-food restaurant, but I didn’t want to go out! So I went to my kitchen, found some apples and made my own version.

This apple pie is hot, crispy, crunchy, and by using ready-made puff pastry, a lot easier to make than you think – comfort baking at its very best. What’s more, kids love them, especially with powdered sugar and cinnamon on top.

Why not give it a try? Let me know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget you can find more delicious recipes like this in Sweet Love, my baking cookbook.

Comfort baking: My sweet and crunchy McDonald’s copycat apple pie

Craving something warm and filling? If you love comfort baking, this yummy apple pie is just like the one from your favourite fast food restaurant!

Author: Iman Osman

Ingredients

Units Scale

Here’s what you need to make 15 sweet and sugary apple pies:

1 pack of frozen puff pastry (thawed but still cold – it will get sticky if it’s too warm)
260g white granulated sugar
20ml water
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract (or beans from 1 vanilla pod)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (plus extra to serve)
60g unsalted butter
500g apples (cored and cut into small cubes)
500ml vegetable oil (for frying)
Powdered sugar (to serve)

Instructions

My McDonald’s copycat apple pie recipe:

First, make your caramel mixture. Mix the sugar, water, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon in a small saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and then simmer until it darkens to a golden/amber tone
Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the butter, mixing until it’s completely melted, then add the apples. Set aside to cool
Lay out some parchment paper and lay out your puff pastry. Cut the pastry into the sizes you want your pies to be. I like to keep mine rectangular, about 10cm x 4cm. Repeat until all the dough is used
Take a slice of puff pastry and put 2 to 3 tsp of filling in the centre, avoiding the edges, so the filling doesn’t leak out of the dough. Take another slice of puff pastry and lay it on top, using the tip of a fork to seal the slices of dough together
Place all the filled pies on a tray lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes while you heat the oil
Pour the oil into a frying pan and heat on a medium-high heat until it reaches 190°C – don’t let it get too hot. Carefully drop the pies in 2 to 3 at a time until golden and puffy. This will take about 2 to 3 minutes, although the first batch might take longer
When done, place on a tray lined with disposable kitchen towels to absorb the excess oil
When all the pies are ready, place them on a serving platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon. These are best eaten warm, although check the temperature of the filling before you serve them to children!

Making apple pie: my top tips

You can use any apple you like for this recipe. Green apple is more traditional, but I love the sweetness of red gala apples. Try both and see which you like best!
It’s ideal if you have a cooking thermometer to check the heat of the oil. If not, take a small piece of puff pastry and place it in the oil to see if it’s at the right temperature
You can prep these apple pies in advance and freeze them for up to two weeks, perfect if you want something sweet in a hurry! Just let them thaw while you heat the oil

Notes

Check out my baking cookbook for more sweet inspiration

These apple pies are lovely at any time of year. Try them in winter with a mug of hot chocolate or in the summer with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side!

I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.

If you’re in the mood for comfort baking, I have lots of lovely recipes to try on my website. Alternatively, my baking cookbook, Sweet Love, is full of wonderful bakes and desserts to try.