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!)? ›

To make this sweet tea, begin by boiling two cups of water. Once the water comes to a boil add the tea bags, turn the heat off, and then move it to an empty burner to cool. Gently stir in ¾ cup of white sugar and ¼ teaspoon baking soda (be careful not to add more than ¼ teaspoon or it will be too much).

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

Does Mcalister's do free tea refills? ›

How many times can I redeem my Tea Pass in a day? You can redeem one (1) eligible beverage every day and can get unlimited refills of that same beverage each day while in-store. Rewards do not carry-over to the following day.

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

Made fresh with Orange Pekoe Black Tea leaves. Sweetened and poured over ice. Cut calories in half by making part of a Choose Two combination!

What is the healthiest sugar for sweet tea? ›

9 Sugar Alternatives for Tea
SweetenerNutritional Profile
Coconut SugarContains nutrients like zinc, iron, calcium, and potassium
HoneyHigh in vitamins and minerals
XylitolLow-calorie Same sweetness as refined sugar
Liquorice RootContains glycyrrhizin, which is sweeter than processed sugar
5 more rows
Mar 12, 2024

Why is McAlister's so good? ›

From our local produce vendors, and genuine Idaho Russet Potatoes to our Rainforest Alliance Certified black tea sweetened with pure cane sugar, we're committed to serving food that is not only craveable but created with the finest and freshest ingredients.

Why did McDonald's get rid of free refills? ›

According to QSR Web, the change is meant to create a “consistent experience for both customers and crew.” Delivery customers, app customers, kiosk customers, in-restaurant customers, and drive-thru customers will all get the same experience—someone else filling their soft drink cups for them.

Do you leave tips at McAlister's? ›

But its history and classic staples are not all McAlister's offers its customers. Some customers who are unfamiliar with McAlister's may be in for a pleasant surprise when paying at the counter and they are told not to tip.

Is sweet tea full of sugar? ›

Sweet tea is one tradition we aren't quite ready to give up completely. But with the amount of sugar it has, it's time to consider switching to unsweetened iced tea. A gallon of homemade sweet tea often has at least 1 cup of sugar: That means 25 grams of sugar per 16-ounce glass.

How much sugar is in a 12 oz sweetened tea? ›

Staggeringly, there are 26 grams of added sugars in just a 12-ounce serving of Milo's sweet tea. That means for 32 oz (the same as a large McDonald's tea), there are 69 grams of added sugar. Just let that sink in for a second - it's more than double the daily recommended amount for men, and almost triple for women!

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? ›

(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.

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