McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!) (2024)

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McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ is famous for a reason: its tea is strong, sweet, and cold – as sweet tea should be! Next time you’re craving a glass of McAlisters Deli Tea, save yourself the drive and make your own with this easy copycat recipe! You just need 3 ingredients (+ water!)

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Table of Contents hide

1 What Type of Tea Does McAlister’s Deli Use?

2 What You Need to Make McAlister’s Deli Tea

3 Why is there Baking Soda in This Recipe?

5 How to Make McAlister’s Deli Tea

6 How Much Sugar is in McAlister’s Sweet Tea?

7 How is McAlister’s Tea So Good?

8 Is McAlister’s sweet tea caffeinated?

9 Looking for More Easy Copycat Recipes?

10 McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!)

10.1 Ingredients 1x2x3x

10.2 Instructions

10.3 Nutrition

What Type of Tea Does McAlister’s Deli Use?

According to their website, McAlister’s Deli uses high-qualityblack tea leavesto make its McAlister’s World Famous Sweet Tea™.

What You Need to Make McAlister’s Deli Tea

Why is there Baking Soda in This Recipe?

In this recipe, we add baking soda to help take out the bitterness of the black tea and keep your tea fresh for longer.

Trust us, once you try this trick, you’ll swear by this hack! We’re so sure it works that we guarantee your tea will taste just as fresh the next day!

What If I Want to Make McAlister’s Deli Unsweet Tea?

To make McAlister’s Deli Unsweet Tea, you can simply omit the sugar in this recipe!

If you want it sweet but just want to cut down on the sugar, you can also substitute Splenda for the sugar, or just use less sugar to your taste preference!

How to Make McAlister’s Deli Tea

  1. In a medium pot, boil 1/4 gallon of the water on medium-high heat.
  2. Once water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and pour the water into an empty pitcher (I love this specific pitcher).
  3. Add the tea bags and baking soda and allow it to steep for 15 minutes.
  4. Take out the tea bags, then stir in the sugar. Top it off with the rest of the water and stir.
  5. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until cold. Serve the tea as needed in tall glasses with extra ice cubes. ENJOY!

How Much Sugar is in McAlister’s Sweet Tea?

There is 357 g of sugar in every gallon of McAlister’s Sweet Tea.

1 gallon equals to about16 (8 oz) cups, so each 8 oz cup of McAlister’s Sweet Tea contains approximately 22.3 g of sugar.

How is McAlister’s Tea So Good?

McAlister’s Tea tastes great because the tea is high quality and fresh, and the chain has a lot of experience in making tea – especially their World Famous Sweet Tea™ !

Is McAlister’s sweet tea caffeinated?

Yes, McAlister’s sweet tea is caffeinated because it contains black tea.

McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!) (1)

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Copyright © All Rights Reserved. Content is written by Michelle Schmidt of dwellbymichelle.com.

McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!) (2)

McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!)

McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!) (3)DWELL by Michelle

McAlister's Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ is famous for a reason: its tea is strong, sweet, and cold – as sweet tea should be! Next time you're craving a glass of McAlisters Deli Tea, save yourself the drive and make your own with this easy copycat recipe! You just need 3 ingredients (+ water!)

5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Steep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 148 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium pot, boil 1/4 gallon of the water on medium-high heat.

  • Once the water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and pour the water into an empty pitcher (I love this specific pitcher).

  • Add the tea bags and baking soda and allow it to steep for 15 minutes.

  • Take out the tea bags, then stir in the sugar. Top it off with the rest of the water and stir.

  • Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until cold. Serve the tea as needed in tall glasses with extra ice cubes. ENJOY!

Nutrition

Calories: 148kcal

Keyword authentic recipes, dairy-free, dairy-free recipes, drinks recipe, easy drinks, easy fall recipes, easy recipes, easy snacks, Gluten-Free, gluten-free recipes, gluten-free treats, holiday drink, restaurant copycat recipes, summer drinks, vegan, vegan treats, vegetarian

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McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!) (2024)

FAQs

McAlister’s Deli World Famous Sweet Tea ™ (Copycat Recipe!)? ›

Specially filtered. Made fresh with Orange Pekoe Black Tea leaves. Sweetened and poured over ice.

What kind of tea does Mcalister's use? ›

Specially filtered. Made fresh with Orange Pekoe Black Tea leaves. Sweetened and poured over ice.

How much sugar is in Mcalister's sweet tea? ›

Nutrition Facts
Calories 150(628 kJ)
Dietary Fiber0 g0%
Sugars39 g
Protein0 g
Alcohol0 g
7 more rows

How many cups of sugar are in a gallon of sweet tea? ›

Granulated sugar: For a 1-gallon batch of iced tea, you can start with 1 cup of sugar and adjust to taste. Honey: Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you will need less of it.

What tea does Popeyes use? ›

The iced tea, called Popeyes Cane Sweeeet Iced Tea, is a blend of black and orange pekoe tea, brewed in-restaurant and sweetened with all natural pure cane sugar.

Why do you put baking soda in sweet tea? ›

Adding a little baking soda to your tea will clear away any cloudiness left from the mixing process, and it's also thought to cut down on any lingering bitter tastes from the steeping tea bags, leaving your tea clarified and smooth and providing your get-together with one fantastic pitcher of tea.

What kind of tea is used for sweet tea? ›

Sweet tea is most commonly made by adding sugar or simple syrup to black tea while the tea is either brewing or still hot, although artificial sweeteners are also frequently used. Sweet tea is almost always served ice cold. It may sometimes be flavored, most commonly with lemon but also with peach, raspberry, or mint.

Why is sweet tea so sugary? ›

Southern sweet tea is made by steeping tea leaves in hot water, then adding sugar while the tea is still hot so that it dissolves completely. This gives the tea a very sweet taste, which is characteristic of the southern United States. Other types of iced tea may not be as sweet or may not use sugar at all.

Does sweet tea have more sugar than soda? ›

In fact, most commercial sweet teas contain more sugar than a can of soda does! While artificial sweeteners have paved the way for low-sugar teas, they often have a yucky aftertaste, and even worse side effects. What they don't have in sugar, they make up for in digestive issues, migraines, and cardiovascular risks.

What is the healthiest sugar for sweet tea? ›

9 Sugar Alternatives for Tea
SweetenerNutritional Profile
SteviaCalorie-free Doesn't contain carbohydrates or added sugars
ErythritolLow-calorie 70% sweetness of refined sugar
Maple SyrupRich in minerals like zinc and manganese
Coconut SugarContains nutrients like zinc, iron, calcium, and potassium
5 more rows
Mar 12, 2024

What's the difference between iced tea and sweet tea? ›

Iced tea has a long history in the U.S. You'll find iced tea in two traditional variations: iced tea and sweet tea. The big difference? Sugar. Sweet tea, which originates in the South, has added sugar.

Is it okay to drink a gallon of sweet tea a day? ›

Though moderate intake is healthy for most people, drinking too much could lead to negative side effects, such as anxiety, headaches, digestive issues, and disrupted sleep patterns. Most people can drink 3–4 cups (710–950 ml) of tea daily without adverse effects, but some may experience side effects at lower doses.

Is Mcdonald's sweet tea made with real sugar? ›

Ingredients: Medium Invert Sugar, Water.

What tea does Chick Fil A use for their sweet tea? ›

Chick-fil-A sweet tea recipe consists of three main ingredients of black tea, water and sugar.

What tea is McDonald's? ›

McDonald's Iced Tea recipe features a brisk blend of orange pekoe black tea, freshly brewed and served ice cold. Wondering if there are any calories in Unsweet Tea from McDonald's? Unsweetened Iced Tea is a zero-calorie, sugar-free iced tea that pairs perfectly with your menu favorites. *At participating McDonald's.

What brand of sweet tea does KFC use? ›

from KFC. * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Is pekoe a type of tea? ›

Orange Pekoe is a very familiar kind of tea because it's the type used in a lot of black teas from supermarket tea suppliers. Orange Pekoe is not orange-flavoured tea or a specific kind of blend. It is actually a tea classification.

What tea is orange pekoe? ›

It's not a specific blend of tea, either. Instead, orange pekoe is part of a classification system for black tea, based on the origin, quality and size of the leaves. Orange pekoe, then, is a particular grade of black tea.

What kind of tea is sleepytime? ›

This most beloved of herbal teas gets its comforting aroma and perfectly balanced flavor from a blend of soothing herbs, including delicate chamomile, cool spearmint and fresh lemongrass. Wind down your day with Sleepytime® tea! Sleepytime is the original bedtime tea.

What type of tea is Billy tea? ›

Billy Tea is named after the billy tins used in the outback to make tea. The billy was filled with hot water, tea and eucalyptus leaves and swung around several times to infuse the water. Quantity: A blend of mostly Australian Daintree tea with some added chinese black tea and a sprinkling of eucalyptus leaves.

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