The Discontinued Chick-fil-A Menu Item I’m Embarrassed To Say I Was Obsessed With

We all have embarrassing elements of our childhoods we’d rather not revisit. Sometimes though, we’re forced to do just that. 

Whether it’s your brother texting you an AI version of your imaginary friend (true story), your mom sharing photos with your boyfriend at the time from when you “modeled” for a local boutique (also true, but he did go on to marry me, so that’s on him), or your coworkers wondering who in their right mind would order Carrot & Raisin Salad at the fan-favorite fast food establishment Chick-fil-A, and you have to slowly raise your hand as that right-minded person. Yes, I was the strange child who was in love with Chick-fil-A’s Carrot & Raisin Salad. Like I said, that guy did marry me, so all I have to lose at this point by announcing this publicly is some respect from my food editor friends. Sorry, y’all. 

When I Learned To Love Carrot & Raisin Salad

I adored carrots so much as a child that my mom would often joke I was going to turn orange. That didn’t happen until I later became acquainted with the wonders of bronzer as a young teen, but the carrot obsession was real. I don’t know how I started ordering Carrot & Raisin Salad at a fast food restaurant where waffle fries were an option as a side. No, my mother was not one to push healthy choices on us: We were at Chick-fil-A, after all. This was all my doing, and I was hooked. My sweet mom even made it at home for several of my birthday meals growing up. Happy birthday to the weirdest kid on the block! 

Why Carrot & Raisin Salad Is So Good

Southerners are no strangers to mayonnaise ending up in recipes where it doesn’t seem to belong (we’re looking at you, Pear Salad), so Carrot & Raisin Salad should really come as no surprise. There’s something about the sweetness, the crunch, the tang, the creaminess—I don’t know why it works, y’all. It just does. And it’s one of those recipes that tastes better if it chills for a little or a long while to let everything meld together. 

It was Chick-fil-A’s pleasure to share the secrets behind the beloved-by-me dish online, and the six-ingredient, one-step recipe is so simple, I just might have to make a batch for old times’ sake. My husband will be horrified, but like I said, he married me, so he has to live with his choices. I’ll admit: The fact that it makes 13-14 servings is slightly concerning. Maybe I’ll start working on turning orange again! 

The Recipe

Ingredients: 
4 ½ cups shredded carrots 
1 (8 oz) can or 2/3 cup crushed, unstrained pineapple 
¾ cup raisins  
½ cup mayonnaise 
½ cup and 2 tablespoons sugar 
1 ¼ tablespoons fresh, unstrained lemon juice (no seeds) 

Directions: 
Mix all ingredients together. Makes 13-14 servings. 

If the original recipe and its volume are at all frightening to you, Southern Living has a gussied-up, photo-worthy version that has a much more manageable yield of six servings. 

I have to know, y’all: Am I the only person who misses Chick-fil-A’s Carrot & Raisin Salad? Was a little girl in Mobile, Alabama, the only person on earth who actually ordered it? Did my local Chick-fil-A employees hate to see me coming because they knew they’d have to whip some up? If the answers are all “yes,” please be kind in the comments. I’m just a former model trying to be honest with the world!