The Nostalgic Chick-Fil-A Side You Can No Longer Order Has An Official Recipe

Mention Chick-fil-A, and the chain's beloved sandwiches inevitably come up first – the chicken recipe took years to perfect, after all. However, Chick-fil-A's sides also garner a fandom of their own, like the now-discontinued carrot and raisin salad. In the world of fast food, it's a salad largely unique to the Georgia-based chain, par for a brief appearance at Luby's. The menu item was sold at Chick-fil-A for over four decades, drawing a small yet loyal following, until the chain phased out the dish in 2013.

The news came as a disappointment, with the chain's Hapeville, Georgia, Dwarf House location the sole opportunity to still sample the dish. Thankfully, though, Chick-fil-A has offered consumers a chance to replicate the dish at home, releasing an official recipe in 2016. 

Employing only six ingredients — carrots, raisins, canned pineapple, sugar, lemon juice, and mayo — the chain keeps it traditional for the Southern classic. Assembly is straightforward, entailing shredding carrots and then mixing the remaining ingredients together. Simple yet nostalgic, sweet yet light, it's a salad rendition worth crafting in the comfort of your home.

From a spicy Moroccan carrot salad to a Russian rendition mixed with garlic and caramelized onions, carrot salad takes on many forms worldwide. Chick-Fil-A's fruit-forward rendition, though, is an oh-so Southern take on the food. While not as popular as a coleslaw or a potato salad, the dish uses a recipe typical for the region.

Common carrot raisin salad variations are subtle. Some soak the raisins in hot water first, lending them a plump juiciness. Others swap the dried fruit from raisins to dried cranberries, lending a tangy palate. And some cooks might include ingredients like pistachios, peanuts, or shredded coconut for a gentle crunch. A small squeeze of orange juice appears in some recipes, too.

However, the greatest discrepancy among carrot salad iterations is the level of sweetness. Chick-Fil-A's recipe is relatively heavy on the sugar, calling for over half a cup of sweetener per 4½ cups of shredded carrot. Other versions of the dish use just a tablespoon of honey for similar proportions, or even forgo a sweetener entirely. Every rendition has its fans — Chick-Fil-A's included — but if you sample the chain's recipe and find it too sweet, remember it's possible to adjust the sugar content or swap it out for something else entirely: honey, pineapple juice, or even stevia are all good options.