McDonald’s Is Attempting to Make Its Apple Pie Healthier | Eater

"The chain’s apple pie began in the late 1960s as a hand-pie turnover introduced by Knoxville franchisee Litton Cochran and was the company’s first dessert in 1968. Originally deep-fried and served hot in a folded cardboard sleeve, the crunchy, bubbled crust and hot sweet filling became iconic and even inspired an Apple Pie Tree character in the 1970s. In 1992 the pie was switched to a baked version to align with changing customer preferences; modern baked pies use six U.S.-grown apple varieties (Fuji, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Rome, Gala and Ida Red). A 2016 reformulation moved from diced to sliced apples and added a lattice-top crust, and a 2018 update reduced sugar and ingredients while adding real butter and extra cinnamon. Over its history the pie has seen more than 40 variants and international flavors (for example taro in China, sweet corn in Thailand, and berries and currant in the U.K.), plus seasonal and signature varieties such as strawberry-and-crème, s’mores, cherries-and-crème, guava-and-crème, peaches-and-crème, blueberry-and-crème, pumpkin-and-crème and sweet potato-and-crème. Nostalgia for the original fried texture remains strong: chefs and food writers have hunted down original fried pies or fried the current baked pies (one successful method reported was frying at about 300°F for three minutes) to recreate the distinctive crispness." - Dana Hatic