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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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

What kind of sweet tea does McAlister's use? ›

Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM. Specially filtered. Made fresh with Orange Pekoe Black Tea leaves.

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

Nutrition Facts
Calories 150(628 kJ)
Sodium15 mg1%
Total Carbohydrate39 g13%
Dietary Fiber0 g0%
Sugars39 g
7 more rows

What is the best sweetener for ice tea? ›

Sweeteners like honey and sugar blend more easily in warm tea, so mix them in just after brewing, before you chill it. If you need to sweeten cold tea, use simple syrup. Simple syrup is just sugar that's been heated and dissolved in water, and it's the best way to add sweetness to cold tea.

How much caffeine is in McAlister's tea? ›

According to the ingredients list they use orange pekoe tea. Generally orange pekoe is listed as having about 45 mg caffiene per 8oz of serving. Your milage may vary.

What is the sweetest tea in the world? ›

Top 12 Naturally Sweet Teas and Tisanes
  1. Rooibos. African red bush or Rooibos is one of the most versatile herbal teas in the world. ...
  2. Licorice root. ...
  3. Chamomile. ...
  4. Bee Pollen. ...
  5. Star Anise. ...
  6. Candyleaf. ...
  7. Osmanthus flower. ...
  8. Pandan Leaf.

What does McDonald's sweeten their sweet tea with? ›

Ingredients: Medium Invert Sugar, Water.

What is the healthiest McAlister's order? ›

Best: Harvest Chicken Salad Sandwich

"The McAlister's Harvest Chicken Salad sandwich is one of the lightest in calories, saturated fat, and sodium sandwich options on the menu," says Sheri Berger, RDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant for Health Insiders.

Does sweet tea have more sugar than co*ke? ›

The organization We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) states that an average 12-ounce serving of soda contains 10 1/4 teaspoons of sugar, amounting to 41 grams and 150 calories. The same amount of sweet tea contains 33 grams of sugar — or 8 1/2 teaspoons — and 120 calories.

Why is sweet tea so sugary? ›

An inviting elixir, sweet tea has its sugar added early on: The sugar crystals dissolve fully when stirred into piping hot tea. And by brewing the tea extra strong, you can push the limits of just how much sugar you use, since that sugar balances the tea's bitterness.

What ice tea is good for diabetics? ›

Try using different tea such as green tea, mint, fruit tea or lapsang souchong. Oranges and limes work as an alternative to lemons.

How do Asians sweeten their tea? ›

While Japanese tea is traditionally prepared and served unsweetened if you enjoy your tea on the sweet side, honey generally pairs well with most varieties.

What tea does McAlister's use? ›

The sweet tea is famous As any fan of McAlister's will tell you, one of the most famous items on its menu is the sweet tea. Inspired by the South's affinity for this refreshing beverage, McAlister's classic sweet tea is made with Rainforest Alliance certified Orange Pekoe black tea leaves (via QSR Magazine).

How many ounces is a McAlister's sweet tea? ›

Mcalisters Deli Sweet Tea (32 oz) Delivery or Pickup Near Me - Instacart.

Which tea brand has most caffeine? ›

#1 Mate & Guayusa

One cup of yerba mate can contain 180mg of caffeine, while Guayusa can contain even more. This has a lot to do with the preparation, as the drink is typically prepared with an extremely high leaf to water ratio.

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.

Who makes brisk sweet tea? ›

Brisk: Iced Tea and Juice Drinks with bold flavor and a bolder attitude. Pepsi Lipton combines the size and scale of two of the largest consumer goods companies in the world: PepsiCo and Unilever. The Pepsi Lipton Tea partnership is a joint venture between PepsiCo and Unilever.

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.

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

Chick Fil A Sweet Tea Ingredients

Tetley Iced Tea Family Size Black Tea Bags. Real Cane Sugar (Granulated White Sugar)

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