McDonald's Original Fried Apple Pies Are Still Available In These 2 States

McDonald's iconic Baked Apple Pie is the sweet finish to many Mickey D's meals, and is usually a pretty safe bet, considering its ice cream machines are often down. But what younger patrons may not know is that it used to be fried, and many people who remember it say it was better than the current baked version. It's still possible to get the fried one in America, but you'd have to make your way to one of the only two places where it's still sold: Hawaii, and Downey, California, home to the oldest McDonald's still open.

The fast-food giant didn't sell any desserts before it introduced the apple pie in 1968. It got the idea and recipe from Tennessee franchise owner Litton Cochran, who had been selling a lot of them at his Knoxville location. While there have been plenty of McDonald's menu fails over the years, the pie was a success and became a classic item on the burger chain's roster. However, the company decided to switch to baking them in 1992, amid public interest in eating less fried food.

After it was rolled out in Hawaii, residents weren't happy with the baked pie, and McDonald's let restaurants in the 50th state go back to the original — a decision that proved lucrative for local franchise owners. Meanwhile, the historic Downey location was only the third McDonald's ever opened; because it predates the chain's modern corporate structure, it enjoys unique menu freedom and still chooses to serve the fried version.

McDonald's fried pie features a crispy shell covered with small bubbles. The baked one is the same rectangular shape, but the shell has a doughier texture and taste, with a sugar-dusted top and several venting slits. The filling for both of the versions sold in the States is made with a variety of different apples from the U.S., and includes pieces of the fruit. But they aren't the same, as each filling has some ingredients the other doesn't, such as apple juice concentrate in the baked version, and brown sugar and lemon puree in the fried one. It's interesting to note that the fried type actually has fewer calories and less fat. Both are made by Oklahoma-based Bama Companies, which produces all of the chain's pies.

The fried apple pie, which can be found in some other countries as well, was the first of more than 40 pies in a range of flavors that McDonald's has introduced at different times and in various parts of the world. The Hawaiian restaurants also have two other flavors of the fried dessert that you won't find in the rest of the U.S. The Fried  Taro Pie has a sweet, lavender-colored filling made with the root vegetable. The Fried Coconut (Haupia) Pie is filled with coconut pudding, a Hawaiian ingredient that's part of the unique and beloved local dish chocolate haupia pie.