McDonald’s is known for its iconic menu items like the Big Mac, Chicken McNuggets, and French fries. However, one menu item that often gets overlooked is McDonald’s dessert options. McDonald’s has a variety of pies and baked goods, but many customers wonder if sweet potato pie is one of the available dessert choices at the famous fast food chain.
McDonald’s Pie Selection
McDonald’s currently offers three main pie options:
- Apple Pie – McDonald’s classic baked apple pie made with apple filling and a flaky, buttery crust.
- Cherry Pie – A baked cherry pie made with sweet cherry filling covered in streusel crumbs.
- Chocolate Cream Pie – A decadent pie with a chocolate pudding filling and topped with whipped cream.
In addition to these core pie choices, McDonald’s sometimes releases limited-time seasonal pies. Around the holidays, customers can often find pumpkin pie and egg nog pie on the McDonald’s menu. However, sweet potato pie has never been part of the regular pie rotation at McDonald’s.
The History of McDonald’s Pies
McDonald’s first began selling pies in the 1960s shortly after Ray Kroc took over the chain from the McDonald brothers. The original McDonald’s pie was only apple. Over the years, McDonald’s has experimented with various pie flavors including strawberry rhubarb, lemon meringue, and even a cheeseburger pie. But sweet potato pie has never made the cut.
| Year | New McDonald’s Pie Flavors |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Apple, Cherry, Chocolate, Coconut Creme, Blueberry |
| 1970 | Cheeseburger pie |
| 1972 | Strawberry rhubarb |
| 1980 | Fried pies added |
| 1986 | Cherry pie reintroduced |
| 2015 | Chocolate cream pie added |
Why No Sweet Potato Pie?
There are several possible reasons sweet potato pie has never made McDonald’s dessert menu:
- Niche appeal – Sweet potato pie is not as universally popular or well-known as apple pie and other classic flavors.
- Difficult to mass produce – The sweet potato filling may be more labor intensive than simpler fruit fillings.
- Not enough consumer demand – McDonald’s headquarters may feel there is not enough interest to justify adding sweet potato pie to menus nationally.
- Doesn’t fit brand identity – Sweet potato pie may seem too sophisticated and not align with McDonald’s classic, straightforward brand image.
McDonald’s menu development is a careful science based on proven sales and ease of operations. Sweet potato pie likely just hasn’t met the criteria to expand beyond a regional offering.
Regional and Seasonal Options
While sweet potato pie is not found at McDonald’s nationwide, it does make limited regional appearances. Some McDonald’s locations in the Southern United States have offered sweet potato pie seasonally around Thanksgiving. Sightings have occurred in places like Nashville, TN and Jacksonville, FL. Additionally, McDonald’s will sometimes test new pie or dessert flavors in certain test markets before rolling them out more broadly.
So while standard McDonald’s restaurants do not sell sweet potato pie currently, it’s possible a localized test could eventually lead to wider availability if the pie proves popular enough. Customers can try to request sweet potato pie at their local stores to demonstrate demand.
Other Places to Find Sweet Potato Pie
For those craving sweet potato pie, here are some places where it can often be found:
- Grocery store bakeries – Especially around the holidays, in-store bakeries will carry sweet potato pies.
- Southern-style family restaurants – Homestyle chains like Cracker Barrel and Bob Evans will feature sweet potato pie on their dessert menus.
- Local soul food eateries – Check with local restaurants specializing in Southern classics and soul food.
- Pie shops – Many pie bakeries offer sweet potato as a flavor option year-round or seasonally.
- Fast food – Church’s Chicken has carried sweet potato pie on their menu before.
Making Your Own Sweet Potato Pie
Interested in baking your own sweet potato pie? Here is a simple recipe to try at home:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
- 1⁄2 cup sugar
- 1⁄4 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Mix together sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla extract, and eggs until well blended.
- Pour mixture into unbaked pie crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 45-60 minutes until filling is set.
- Allow pie to cool before serving.
The Verdict on McDonald’s Sweet Potato Pie
While McDonald’s nationwide does not currently offer sweet potato pie, it has appeared regionally for the restaurant chain before. Customers looking for this fall and holiday treat can try requesting it at local McDonald’s or seek out other restaurants baking up fresh sweet potato pies. And for a homecooked dessert, follow the simple recipe above. Though not a staple McDonald’s menu item, sweet potato pie remains a delicious seasonal favorite for many to enjoy.
Conclusion
McDonald’s core pie offerings stick to traditional crowd-pleasing flavors like apple, cherry, and chocolate. Sweet potato pie is considered more of a regional, niche favorite that just hasn’t become popular enough nationwide to join McDonald’s permanent dessert lineup. But fans of the sweet potato pie can follow its occasional appearances in select locations or bake up their own version to satisfy their craving. Though not impossible, launching sweet potato as a new McDonald’s staple would require demonstrated customer enthusiasm. For now, sweet potato pie lovers will have to look beyond the Golden Arches to find this classic Southern treat.