Description
These Fried Apple Pies are a delicious homemade take on the classic McDonald's favorite. Featuring a flaky puff pastry filled with a warm, spiced apple mixture, these pies are deep-fried to golden perfection and coated with cinnamon sugar, making a perfect dessert or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 17.3 ounce box puff pastry sheets (thawed)
- oil for frying
Apple Filling
- 3 cups Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and diced)
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon (divided use)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Topping
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- additional cinnamon for mixing with granulated sugar
- caramel sauce for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Pastry: Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4 pieces and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to prepare for filling and folding.
- Cook Apple Filling: In a pan over medium heat, combine apples, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add Butter and Thicken: Stir in the butter to the apple mixture. Whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and add this to the saucepan. Cook for 3 minutes until the filling thickens.
- Fill Pastry: Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of the apple filling onto one side of each puff pastry piece. Brush the edges with water, then fold over to create a rectangle. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal.
- Chill Pies: Place the sealed pies in the freezer and chill for 20 minutes to firm up before frying.
- Heat Oil: In a deep pan or fryer, heat 3 inches of oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, preparing for frying the pies.
- Fry Pies: Fry 2 to 3 pies at a time for 6 minutes or until golden brown and the pastry is fully cooked, turning as needed to brown evenly.
- Make Cinnamon Sugar: While frying, mix granulated sugar with the remaining cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Coat Pies: Remove the fried pies from oil and immediately sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar while still warm.
- Serve: Allow pies to cool slightly and serve with optional caramel sauce if desired.
Notes
- This recipe is inspired by the popular McDonald's fried apple pies for a nostalgic homemade treat.
- Using Granny Smith apples gives a nice tartness that balances the sweetness of the sugar and cinnamon.
- Freezing the pies before frying helps the puff pastry hold its shape and achieve a flaky texture.
- If you prefer a less sweet filling, reduce the amount of brown sugar to 4 tablespoons.
- Use a deep-frying thermometer to maintain the oil temperature at 350°F for best results.
- For a lighter version, the pies can be baked instead of fried at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes until golden.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 476 kcal
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 181 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
