7 Fast Food Apple Desserts To Look For This Fall

Take a look at many fast food fall menus and you'll see pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkin. While this squash certainly has a seat at the table, we'd be remiss to forget another traditional autumnal harvest food: apples. And while some chains like Starbucks have entirely eschewed apples in this year's fall selections, others are still featuring this classic fruit.

Apple-based desserts are on several seasonal menus for a limited time; these include hot desserts like a caramel apple empanada, and cold options like a new Frosty and a limited-time Blizzard from Dairy Queen. But there are also classic standbys from regular menus, such as two handheld apple pies from fast food titans.

These buzzworthy apple desserts also feature several sweetened drinks, some with caffeine, that can serve as an autumnal digestif of sorts. Among them are a trip of caramel apple pie-inspired beverages and a frozen coffee drink from a chain better known for its donuts. Despite the preponderance of pumpkin, there are still a lot of fast food apple desserts to look forward to this season.

Taco Bell's delightful caramel apple empanadas first debuted in 2000, and remained on the permanent menu for nearly 20 years until being discontinued in 2019. Since then, Taco Bell has brought it back several times for explicitly nostalgic purposes, including this year's Decades #TBTB (a combination of "Throwback Thursday" and "Taco Bell") menu.

Many Taco Bell fans were sad to see this crispy, apple-filled turnover leave the menu each time it did. Be sure to get your throwback fix while it lasts — or, if you've never had one before, see what all the fuss is about.

The Golden Arches has a trio of Caramel Apple Pie drinks, with this limited-time flavor combination available in either a Frappé, iced coffee, or warm latte. Each drink is sweetened with caramel apple pie-flavored syrup and topped with a salted caramel-flavored whipped topping and an apple pie crumble. Fans of McCafé drinks will likely want to try some (or all) of this triad before it goes away for the season.

Wendy's Frosty isn't technically ice cream or a milkshake, but rather a frozen dairy dessert that uses typical ice cream additives (and an ultra-cold serving temperature) to help maintain its consistency. However it works, Wendy's has expanded the Frosty flavor options in recent years, with the latest addition being this limited-time Apple Crumble version: a Vanilla Frosty mixed with spiced apple syrup and a simple oat crumble.

Dairy Queen's Blizzard has changed a lot from its first era of hand-crushed candy and instant pre-internet virality. One of the changes was the 2003 introduction of Blizzard of the Month, a tradition which still continues with this month's dessert: the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Blizzard. Soft serve is swirled with a caramel apple topping and cheesecake pieces, but only until the end of August — or perhaps longer, if your local store has remaining supplies.

Popeyes is better known for its delicious fried chicken, but the Cinnamon Apple Pie is nothing to scoff at either. Unlike some similar fast food hand pies, Popeyes' is actually deep-fried for an impeccably crispy crust. A dusting of cinnamon sugar provides a necessary flavor boost to the filling, and a pleasant finish to the deeply satisfying crust. Better yet, it has been a menu staple for years, so you can get one any time.

Little goes better with donuts than coffee, and Krispy Kreme has had a respectable lineup of coffee and coffee-inspired drinks for years. Like its seasonal donuts, the chain also frequently has seasonal coffee drinks, including the new, limited-time Frozen Apple Crisp Latte. It's a frozen blend of espresso and milk mixed with apple-flavored syrup, topped with real whipped cream, a caramel drizzle, and a graham-flavored crumble. It's a perfect pairing for Krispy Kreme's perennial pumpkin spice cake donut.

What would a list of fast food apple desserts be without the McDonald's apple pie? The history of this industry cornerstone began with a franchiser's family pie recipe in the 1960s, and led to one of the most iconic fast food desserts ever. It has been a customer favorite for generations, even after McDonald's switched from deep-frying to baking them in 1992. The baked pie remains a year-round classic, but if you really want to, you can still fry it low-and-slow at home.