Burger King's fried apple pie beats McDonald's in taste test

The Burger King-McDonald's rivalry is still going strong in 2026, and this time it came down to dessert. Delish put both chains' handheld apple pies head to head, and the winner was not the classic everyone assumed.

McDonald's Apple Pie has history on its side. It debuted in 1968, switched from fried to baked in 1992, and in 2018 traded diced apples for sliced ones along with a new lattice-top crust. That pedigree shows in the crust, which tester Amanda Mactas called "much more reminiscent of a true pie crust." The real apple chunks were a plus too. But the filling leaned too sweet, with cinnamon and caramel notes that tasted "a little artificial."

The underdog takes it

Burger King's Dutch Apple Pie was discontinued back in 2020, but earlier this year the chain launched a brand-new deep-fried Cinnamon Apple Pie. Because it's fried, the casing reads more like a churro or crispy wonton than a traditional crust. Mactas confessed the crust is usually her favorite part of any pie, yet this is the one she'd go back for.

The filling did the heavy lifting. The apple chunks were abundant, the gooey center was "top-notch," and the whole thing struck what she called "the perfect balance of fall flavors." Her verdict on Burger King's pie: "It might not give classic, but it definitely gives delicious."

So if you're finishing a Whopper next time instead of a Big Mac, skip the fries and save room, the underdog's fried pie is the one to order.