Make The Crispiest Fried Apple Pies With Just One Kitchen Appliance

Fruity and aromatic, a classic apple pie that's baked in the oven is a comforting dish that can hit every nostalgic taste bud. However, the gastronomic experience of biting into an audibly crisp, deep-fried apple pie? That's something different altogether. The combo of the ultra-crispy pie crust paired with the sticky and bubbly interior is more than ambrosial. The only problem is all the annoying deep frying involved. Luckily, you can make the crispiest fried apple pies in an air fryer.

Now, you might be wondering, is it really possible to bake a pie in the air fryer? There's no reason why not, seeing as air fryers are simply petite versions of convection ovens. They work by swirling hot air inside the cavity to ensure that whatever's cooking gets evenly colored and crisp on the top, sides, and bottom, maximizing their crunch. As long as your pie fits within the smaller dimensions of the kitchen appliance, you're good to go (you might even be able to bake a standard-sized sweet potato pie in the air fryer, depending on the width of the basket).

Unlike a classic apple pie that's baked inside a pie dish, fried apple pies are made turnover-style — essentially pockets of dough stuffed with a fruit filling that are prepared in an individual serving size. This makes them incredible for air-frying, as their entire surface area is fully exposed to the circulating hot air as they bake.

Making crispy fried apple pies in the air fryer is as easy as cutting out circles of store-bought dough, dolloping a spoonful of apple pie filling on one half, and folding them over (feel free to upgrade your canned apple pie filling with warming spices, lemon juice, or even nuts for texture). Once you've pressed down the edges with a fork, the trick is to glaze them in beaten egg and a scattering of sugar. This egg makes the pastry crispier (and encourages it to develop a golden brown color), which mimics the texture of a deep fried fruit pie. Meanwhile, the sugar doubles up on the crunch factor, producing a turnover that has a crispy exterior and soft and gooey middle. 

While the finished product won't have the same bubbly little distinctive pockets on the surface, it will give you a similar flavor and mouthfeel without all that deep-fried oil that can occasionally make the pastry taste overly greasy.

If you're still hankering after a bona fide deep-fried apple pie but don't want the hassle of heating up a vat of oil, you'll be pleased to know that McDonald's is bringing back its iconic fried apple pie for a limited period. Back in 1992, the fried pie was replaced with a baked version due to health concerns from customers, but the original recipe is returning between June 23rd and July 4th in 2026.