Does anyone not love an ice cold lemonade to quench your thirst on a hot summer’s day? What about a frozen lemonade? Even better: What about Chick-fil-A's frosted lemonade? If, for some reason, you’ve never had this glass of deliciousness, it’s a creamy combo of the food chain’s lemonade and “signature Icedream dessert.”
This addictive concoction has 330 calories, though — not exactly a low calorie thirst quencher (the diet lemonade option is 250 calories). It also has 65 grams of carbohydrates and approximately 55 grams of sugar. Plus it costs around $3, which can certainly add up. So, could we do it better? Can you actually have your frozen lemonade and drink it too, so to speak?
There’s no shortage of Chick-fil-A frosted lemonade recipe dupes online, but many of them contain ice cream, extra sugar, or some combination of the two. I was in search of a frosted lemonade copycat that would satisfy my sweet tooth without being a sugar bomb.
I decided to try the protein powder version on TikTok. It’s touted as a “healthier” way to enjoy Chick-fil-A’s treat at home.
@amandawantofficial @chickfila frozen lemonade DUPE 🍋 Now I need more @1upnutrition protein powder! #frozenlemonade #chickfiladupe #chickfilarecipe #proteinshake #proteinpowder #proteinrecipe #proteinrecipes ♬ Boy's a liar Pt. 2 - PinkPantheress & Ice Spice
The Process
I used a simple vanilla protein powder that only has four ingredients: pea protein, organic cane sugar, coconut cream powder, and natural flavor. I added two scoops. For a $12 container, I could make a lot of frosted lemonades if I wanted to.
I added enough ice for texture, covered it all with lemonade, and blended it up.
Photo credit: Jennifer Magid / CheapismThe Verdict
I’m sorry to say that it wasn’t anything like an ice creamy, frosted lemonade a la Chick-fil-A. It just tasted like a protein drink with some lemonade flavor. Could it be the protein powder I used? Possibly. You may need to find a more sugary recipe to get a better taste, but would that defeat the purpose of making a healthier version?
But even a different protein powder or extra sugar doesn’t solve the major issue: It’s really hard to get an ice cream texture without ice cream. I threw a lot of ice in, and it still just didn’t seem like the real thing.
In the end, I wasn't fooled into thinking I visited Chick-fil-A at home. Sure, I could try twenty more protein powders — or I could just throw some vanilla ice cream and frozen lemonade together and call it a day. You win some, you lose some.
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