Who doesn’t love McDonald’s Sweet Tea? Sweet Iced Tea is refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day. Nothing says summer like a thirst-quenching glass of iced tea. We will walk you through the perfect copycat recipe to give you the best Southern sweet tea. Enjoy the best taste, the smooth taste, of this delicious iced tea when you make it at home. You won’t need to run to your nearest drive-through and grab a large McDonald’s sweet tea when you have this recipe. 

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Making Sweet Tea at Home

I know iced tea can be a very personal drink to make. We all have our favorite ways to make iced tea. I have friends that have unique microwave methods. Other people I know have ways they make their sun tea. Other people like to let their tea steep for about an hour.

Now, McDonald’s doesn’t do anything exotic like this. They make their tea in a giant machine like a coffee maker. So the tea steeps only for the right amount of time. You and I don’t have their devices at home, but we can make a similar type of tea just like they do. There is no secret ingredient required to make this recipe. 

One of the most important things you can do is use the right tea type. McDonald’s uses a proprietary blend. I like using Luzianne or Lipton brand tea when making iced tea. I think both offer a delicious flavor as it tastes like McDonald’s.

One mistake some people make is if they want a stronger tea, they steep it for a longer time over heat. This can make the tea bitter. If you want a stronger tea flavor, add more tea.

One of the benefits of making your sweet iced tea is that you can control the amount of sugar in the recipe. You can make it to your personal preference. Did you know that a large sweet tea at McDonald’s has 280 calories in it? If you want, you could make your tea with less sugar to save on calories or use a sugar substitute.

One thing is sure: you can enjoy this refreshing drink anytime. 

McDonald’s Sweet Tea Ingredients

Here’s what you need for making this copycat McDonald’s sweet tea recipe:

• Sugar
• Black Tea Bags
• Water
• Ice Cubes

How to Make McDonald’s Sweet Tea

Here are the easy steps for making this recipe:

1. Bring a quart of water to a rolling boil in a large pot or saucepan over high heat.
2. Add the tea bags and sugar to the boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Reduce the temperature to a simmer and steep tea for 5 minutes.

4. Remove tea bags and discard them.
5. Fill a glass pitcher with ice.
6. Pour the tea mixture over the ice and add another quart of cold water to the pitcher.
7. Store the tea in the refrigerator.
8. Serve it with lemon slices if desired.

If you want to make a gallon of tea, double the recipe.

Essential Tips and Tricks for Making Iced Tea

• Always use double the amount of tea as compared with hot tea. When making two quarts of iced tea, I like to use either three family-sized bags or twelve regular-sized bags.
• Add the sugar at the same time as the tea bags. This way, the sugar will be absorbed better into the tea.
• As soon as the tea finishes steeping, pour over ice. The sudden cooling preserves the flavor of the tea and keeps its fruity flavors intact.
• One mistake some people make is if they want a stronger tea, they steep it for a longer time over heat. This can cause the tea to become bitter. If you want a more potent brew, add more tea.
• Adding a pinch of baking soda can reduce bitterness. It will also darken the color of the tea.

How to store sweet tea 

You should store this refreshing tea recipe in the refrigerator. Tea stays fresh in the fridge for for two to four days. Do not leave sweet tea for more than 24 hours at room temperature for best flavor. 

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