Description
These fried apple pies are a delicious McDonald’s copycat recipe featuring a homemade apple filling wrapped in flaky puff pastry and deep fried to golden perfection. Served warm with cinnamon sugar and optional caramel sauce, they’re a perfect dessert treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Puff Pastry
- 17.3 ounce box puff pastry sheets, thawed
Apple Filling
- 3 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Coating and Frying
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Oil for frying (vegetable or canola recommended)
Serving
- Caramel sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Puff Pastry: Cut each sheet of thawed puff pastry into 4 equal pieces. Arrange the pieces on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cook the Apple Filling: In a pan over medium heat, combine the diced apples, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes or until the apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the butter until melted.
- Thicken the Filling: Whisk the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry. Add this mixture to the apple filling and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly until the filling thickens and coats the apples.
- Assemble the Pies: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the thickened apple filling onto one side of each puff pastry piece. Lightly brush the edges of the pastry with water, then fold over to form a rectangle, enclosing the filling.
- Seal the Edges: Use a fork to crimp the edges of each pie firmly to seal the filling inside and prevent leakage while frying.
- Chill the Pies: Place the assembled pies in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up the pastry, which helps maintain shape during frying.
- Heat the Oil: In a deep skillet or fryer, heat 3 inches of oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit using a frying or candy thermometer for accuracy.
- Fry the Pies: Fry 2 to 3 pies at a time in the hot oil for 6 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking.
- Drain the Pies: Remove the pies from the oil and place on paper towels to drain excess oil and crisp up.
- Add Cinnamon Sugar: In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar with the remaining cinnamon. While the pies are still warm, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar generously all over each pie for added sweetness and flavor.
- Serve: Let the pies cool slightly and serve warm with optional caramel sauce on the side for dipping or drizzling.
Notes
- If short on time, canned apple pie filling can be used as a convenient substitute for homemade filling.
- Use a frying thermometer to maintain oil temperature at 350°F to ensure evenly cooked pies without absorbing too much oil.
- Drain fried pies on paper towels to remove excess oil and prevent sogginess.
- Ensure there’s enough oil to fully submerge the pies during frying, but avoid overfilling the pot to prevent spills and splatters.
