'Bona fide national treasure': McDonald’s brings back fried apple pies to mark America’s 250th birthday

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, McDonald’s is bringing back its fried apple pie, "a fan-favorite and bona fide national treasure," for the first time since the 1990s. The fast-food giant is the latest to launch menu items marking the semi-quincentennial.

The company said the fried version of its apple pies would be available in most US restaurants between June 23 and July 4, and that they would be a limited-time offering. McDonald’s uses 170 million American-grown apples in its US stores every year. As part of the product launch, McDonald’s is installing a 35-foot fried apple pie alongside Route 66.

The pie was first introduced in 1968, the same year that the Big Mac first appeared on its menu. The rectangle-shaped pie served in a cardboard sleeve was developed by Litton Cochran, a McDonald's franchisee in Tennessee.

Eric Cochran, a McDonald’s franchisee, said, "There are certain things that just take you back – and the Fried Apple Pie is one of them. It’s something that people love and remember from growing up. When Ray Kroc was trying to come up with a dessert for McDonald’s, my Grandad, Litton Cochran, suggested a Fried Apple Pie as a classic that people would love. My Grandmom, Jo Cochran, spent months perfecting the recipe. Bringing the Fried Apple Pie back for fans this summer to celebrate America’s 250th just feels right."

The fried version of the pie was switched out for a baked pie in 1992 in most of the US, coming the same year the US Department of Agriculture first published its food pyramid and the growing consumer awareness of fat and cholesterol consumption.

While the US moved away from the fried pie, other countries continued to carry it on their menus, including Mexico, Australia, and China. Notably, the fried version of the pie has 10 fewer calories than the modern baked version, which comes in at 230 calories per ABC News.

Other chains offering America-themed products for the momentous year are Burger King, with its Firecracker Cookie featuring American flag-colored sprinkles, Sonic with its American flag colored slush float, and Hardee’s, with its iced Star-Spangled Biscuit.