Don't Believe This Myth About McDonald's Apple Pie

If a Pop-Tart and an apple pie had a baby, it might look and taste a little like a McDonald's apple pie. As crispy on the outside as a french fry, these pocket-shaped fast food favorites are filled with piping hot, sweet cinnamon apples. Or...are they? Myths have been circulating for decades that McDonald's apple pies are filled with everything from pears to crackers, according to Snopes. "[P]otatoes – that is, leftover fries from the day before," speculated one message board user.

In fact, though, the only fruit in a McDonald's apple pie is the apple – a combination of American-grown Golden Delicious, Fuji, Jonagold, Rome, Gala, and Ida Red apples, to be precise, Reader's Digest reported. Depending upon the time of year, you can find other types of pie at McDonald's, including a limited-edition Holiday Pie. This fall, the fast-food giant also succumbed to the overwhelming demand for pumpkin spice everything with a Pumpkin and Creme pie (per Delish). But, you'll find nary a pear nor a potato.

You're not imagining things if you think the McDonald's apple pie you just sunk your teeth into tastes a little different than the fried pie crust treats you might recall enjoying as a child. But the reason for that is not and has never been pears. The apple pie, along with Chicken McNuggets and the type of butter used in breakfast sandwiches have all had recipe tweaks in the past few years, the chain reported.

"Our new freshly baked Apple pie recipe is in line with other positive changes we have made," Tiffany Briggs, a McDonald's spokesperson, explained on the company's website. "[O]ur new apple pie is made with fewer ingredients such as sugar, sliced 100-percent American grown apples and a bit of cinnamon to the filling for flavor to give each one that homemade taste our customers love." This isn't the first time McDonald's has changed its recipe for its iconic dessert; in 1992, the Golden Arches stopped deep-frying the pies, switching to a healthier baking method, according to TODAY. These changes have brought down the pie's calorie count, but not everyone has welcomed the healthy transformation of this McD's classic. "The Franken-Strudel you have offered 2 nite is yet another example of big business sticking it to the common man!!" angrily tweeted one customer.