McDonald's Apple Pie features a traditional pie crust, real apple chunks, and a goopy filling, though the cinnamon and caramel notes taste somewhat artificial and the filling leans too sweet. Burger King's deep-fried Cinnamon Apple Pie, introduced earlier this year, offers a crust that resembles fried churro or crispy wonton rather than classic pie pastry. The Burger King version contains abundant apple chunks and strikes a better balance of fall flavors, making it the preferred choice despite its departure from traditional pie form.
McDonald's Apple Pie debuted in 1968, switched from fried to baked in 1992, and was updated in 2018 with sliced apples and a lattice-top crust. Burger King discontinued its Dutch Apple Pie in 2020 before launching the new deep-fried Cinnamon Apple Pie this year.