McDonald’s Holiday Pies are back – but so far only in a few southern cities

‘Tis pie season.

From the first apple harvest in early autumn all the way through December, southerners embrace the fact that the dessert of the season is pie. (Who are we kidding—our love of ice cream pies and fresh strawberry pies in the summer is no joke, either!) But there’s something especially comforting about an apple pie in September, a pumpkin pie in October, a pecan pie in November, and a doll chess pie in December. You can swap them around as you like.

But there’s another pie that people don’t forget when the cold of the ‘ber’ months hits: McDonald’s holiday pies. These handheld pies — first introduced in 1999 — are a beloved fan favorite that returns around the holidays with the fast food chain’s signature pie crust, vanilla cream filling, sugar glaze and rainbow sprinkles. It’s a small slice of sugar cake in pie form!

This year, however, Holiday Pies will not be quite as widespread as they have been in the past. Starting Friday, November 15, the pies will be available primarily in select local markets with southern locations in St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and Dallas, Texasas confirmed by McDonald’s to PEOPLE. Those outside the South can also find Holiday Pies in markets in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York City and Cleveland.

That’s not to say the pies aren’t showing up at other Southern McDonald’s locations, though. Social media users have already started spotting the pies in the wild and are documenting their finds with food bloggers @markie_devo (Mark Vayntraub).

Vayntraub, who often confirms the return of popular snacks before they hit shelves, wrote further Instagram that the best way to search for Holiday Pies is through McDonald’s appeven recommend changing your location to find a pie near you. He noted that so far the pies have been spotted in Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Arkansas and Pennsylvania.

Several users pointed out the obvious lack of holiday pies in their state. “Never available in Florida,” one user wrote. “Never in Oklahoma,” said another. “I’ve been watching for 3 years now.” Fans also shared tips on how to get the most out of candy when you do find them – like pop them in the freezer and bake when you need a bite of that buttery custard.

McDonald’s Holiday Pies generally remain in stores until the end of the year (last year, until December 30, TODAY.com reported), so you might want to grab one of these festive fluttery treats before they’re gone. And if you’re looking for a pie that will hit the spot no matter where you live, try making Big Mama’s Egg Pie at home. You just can’t beat homemade custard.