For devoted food fans, the holidays sometimes arrive through the drive-through window. McDonald’s is feeding that seasonal appetite by bringing back its Holiday Pie at select locations this month, reviving a dessert whose limited availability has only magnified its legend, as reported by The New York Post.

The return comes alongside several limited holiday drinks from the Golden Arches. The lineup includes a Frosted Cranberry Splash with Sprite, a Red Bull Cranberry Energizer, and a Cookie Butter Frappé that customers can add to coffee.

Introduced in 1999, the Holiday Pie has developed a cult following among customers who eagerly await its reappearance. Each hand pie contains 260 calories and 13 grams of fat, though its most enthusiastic admirers are not exactly treating it like health food.

McDonald’s describes the dessert as “the greatest gift to yourself—creamy, smooth custard nestled in a flaky, buttery crust glazed with sugar and topped with rainbow sprinkles.” The combination resembles a warm Funfetti pocket filled with custard and holiday nostalgia.

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Food blogger Markie Devo reported on Instagram this week that he had satisfied his craving at a McDonald’s in Brooklyn. He also advised fans to request that their pies be warmed up for maximum enjoyment.

 

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The post quickly drew comments from customers frustrated that the dessert had not appeared near them. That uneven availability produced plenty of envy, scarcity, and caloric yearning among fans still searching for the elusive seasonal treat.

“Will never understand why McDonald’s only releases this one in like 3 or 4 states, and then not in a bunch of them. They’re a multi-billion-dollar business; they can transport to all 50 states easily,” one commenter complained.

So far, supplies of the Holiday Pie have been confirmed in New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Orlando, Boston, and Columbus, Ohio. Customers hoping to track one down can use the McDonald’s app to check whether a nearby location has it available.

Even with the app, finding the dessert may require persistence and a little luck. One commenter on Devo’s post compared securing one of the coveted pies to “finding a unicorn,” which is not exactly the usual standard for ordering fast food.

Other fans used the discussion to offer suggestions for improving the pie. One commenter, described as Veruca Salt adjacent, demanded another seasonal flavor by writing, “I want it in chocolate format with peppermint.”

Another critic had a different proposal for upgrading the crust and preparation. “They need to have a fried version!” the commenter declared, adding another variation to the growing Holiday Pie wish list.

An NJ food review from several years ago offered a more poetic endorsement. The reviewer admitted uncertainty about what qualified the dessert as a holiday item but showed no uncertainty about its appeal.

“While I’m still not 100% sure what makes this a ‘holiday’ pie, I frankly don’t care. It’s completely scrumptious. If this were served at a bakery, I would make a trip there at least once a week to have one.”

Not everyone has joined the chorus of praise. “They taste like Play-Doh,” one Threads commenter complained, proving that even a sprinkle-covered custard pie can become another front in the online food wars.

For fans who love the dessert but cannot locate it nearby, a dupe recipe offers another option. Until local supplies appear, those customers may have to recreate the custard, sugar glaze, buttery crust, and rainbow sprinkles at home.