When you’re craving soft-serve from McDonald’s, the first hurdle is often just finding a location that actually serves ice cream, since the machines are notorious for breaking. If you get that far, then you’re one step closer to ordering the caramel sundae, a sweet treat made with soft-serve vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce. But there’s a clever way to take this dessert up another notch: Try adding apple slices to the sundae for a McDonald’s secret menu item you’ll want to order on repeat.
The person preparing your sundae might not add apple slices upon request, but McDonald’s offers the cut fruit as a side. Just place an order for a caramel sundae and apples, add the slices yourself as soon as you get it, and enjoy. Prices vary by location, so the caramel sundae might cost around $4, and a side of apple slices $1.69 or so, meaning you could potentially construct this special caramel apple dessert for under $6. For a fun twist, you can skip topping the sundae with the fruit and instead dunk the apples in the caramel and ice cream, similar to eating apple slices dipped in peanut butter.
How to build a sweet-meets-savory caramel apple sundae
Apples add an extra layer of sweetness and a crunchy texture to this sundae, but there’s another way to build even bigger flavor. Ask for a side of bacon — you might find it on the regular menu for around $3.39, though again, cost will vary — then crumble it on top of the sundae. If you’ve ever opened your taste buds to glazed bacon, then you know how perfectly melted sugar and smoky, savory bacon go together. Crumbling the bacon before adding it to the sundae also mimics the crunch of sprinkles, just with a salty, robustly porky flavor.
It might seem a little outside the box, but it’s actually a delicious balance of flavors and a rather popular pairing — even Kamala Harris’ mother was a fan (she fried her apples in bacon fat). While this meaty add-on does increase the price of your caramel apple McDonald’s sundae, it at least seems worth the splurge. Now, how do you like them apples?
