If you grew up somewhere in the timeframe of the late ’70s to the early ’90s, then chances are you are intimately familiar with those McDonald’s fried apple pies. These delicious confections often burned the roof of your mouth like sweet lava, but we loved them anyway. Sadly, McDonald’s took them off the menu back in 1992, but Gen X and elder Millennials will forever be nostalgic for them. Well, via People, we’ve learned that as a way of celebrating America’s 250th birthday, the fast food giant will soon bring the fried apple pies back for a limited time only, after 34 years. After all, what’s more American than apple pie, right?
To commemorate this long-awaited return, McDonald’s also announced they are building a 35-foot version, creating McDonald’s largest fried apple pie. Probably one for the record books. This will become a huge roadside attraction, located off Route 66 just outside of Chicago. Which just so happens to be the headquarters of the iconic fast food chain. McDonald’s said that the giant pie found “off America’s most iconic road,” is a tribute to a “classic American dessert.” The attraction will be available for travelers to stop and look at from June 23 to July 4. Its location is 920 N Broadway St., Joliet, IL 60435.
The McDonald’s fried apple pie began as a family recipe from East Tennessee owner and operator Litton Cochran back in 1968, where it became popular locally. It eventually found its way onto the menu across all McDonald’s locations. But by 1992, America had become far more health-conscious and traded in friend apple pies for baked ones. Which they still sell to this day. But millions never forgot those tasty treats of yesteryear, and are happy to have them back. Whether our cholesterol suffers or not. Hopefully, they still come in those old-school pie cartons, just to make the nostalgic experience complete.