Some copycat recipes ask you to turn lunch into a chemistry project. This one is two drinks in a pitcher.
The quick answer: Mix equal parts chilled black tea and lemonade. That is the entire idea behind a homemade Sunjoy. The useful part is choosing how sweet you want each half before you pour.
Chick-fil-A describes the classic Sunjoy as regular lemonade mixed with freshly brewed sweetened iced tea. The chain also offers combinations made with unsweetened tea or diet lemonade, so there is no single sweetness level you have to copy at home.
Use a 50/50 ratio, not a fussy recipe
For a half-gallon pitcher, start with:
- 4 cups chilled brewed black tea
- 4 cups lemonade
- Ice for serving
Brew the tea according to the package directions, let it cool, then combine it with the lemonade. Pour the drink over ice instead of packing the pitcher with ice, unless you plan to serve the whole batch right away. That keeps the last glass from turning into vaguely lemon-flavored water.
Making a full gallon? Use 8 cups of tea and 8 cups of lemonade. The ratio stays the same no matter what size container you grab.
Pick your sweetness before you mix
The classic restaurant combination uses sweet tea and regular lemonade. At home, these three versions cover most moods:
- Classic: Sweet tea plus regular lemonade.
- Less sweet: Unsweet tea plus regular lemonade.
- Lowest-sugar shortcut: Unsweet tea plus diet lemonade.
Taste both parts before combining them. If the lemonade is already very sweet, unsweet tea may give the pitcher better balance. If both parts are tart or unsweetened, add sweetener to the tea while it is warm, a little at a time. There is no prize for forcing two cups of sugar into a drink that already tastes good.
What this homemade version does not promise
This is an easy Sunjoy-inspired mix, not Chick-fil-A’s proprietary restaurant formula. A particular bottled lemonade is not guaranteed to taste exactly like the version made in a restaurant, and prices vary too much by store and location to promise a fixed savings number.
That is also why the best recipe is a ratio instead of a brand list. Use a black tea and lemonade you already like, keep them equal, and adjust the sweetness from there.
If copycat drinks are your current rabbit hole, this roundup of homemade Starbucks-style drinks has plenty more ideas to try.
Equal parts. Cold pitcher. Done. Finally, a copycat drink that knows when to stop explaining itself.
