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Craving a real-deal Orange Julius at home? Our copycat recipe is spot on and simply delicious. Creamy and sweet, with plenty of orange and vanilla flavor, you’ll never need to run to an Orange Julius again when the craving strikes – simply break out the blender!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- If you spent any time at the mall when you were younger, then you know exactly what I’m talking about when I say “Orange Julius.” Prepare to be instantly transported back to your childhood… though maybe without the big hair.
- The tangy citrus of the orange juice, the creaminess of the milk, and the sweetness of the sugar and vanilla meld into the. most. perfect. creamsicle drink you could ever want.
- Blended ice gives you a thick smoothie-consistency that stays nice and cold. It’s the ultimate summer treat!
- You only need 6 ingredients for this Orange Julius recipe – and two of those are water and ice! It’s so easy to make, too. Definitely bookmark this one for a fun family activity while the kids are home for the summer!
Key Ingredients
Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – For the best orange flavor, you’ll want to use frozen orange juice concentrate. If you don’t have frozen concentrate, you can squeeze fresh orange juice into ice cube trays and freeze them. The orange flavor won’t be as strong that way, but you’ll get a similar texture in the end.
Milk – Milk gives this Orange Julius recipe its classic creaminess, so don’t skip it! If traditional milk isn’t your thing, you can absolutely use any kind of non-dairy milk you like. Oat milk and almond milk would both work great, and coconut milk would give a little tropical twist to the overall orange flavor.
Chef’s Tips
- This Orange Julius recipe calls for sugar, but the specific type you use is completely up to you! Granulated sugar is super easy, and powdered sugar can give you a slightly smoother texture. If you want to avoid white sugar, you could use coconut sugar, Swerve Sweetener, or even maple syrup. We LOVE this recipe with maple syrup!
- For an even creamier, milkshake-like drink, you could mix in a little heavy cream or even some vanilla ice cream. Want more orange flavor? Try a little orange sherbet. Don’t be afraid to play with the recipe a little to find your perfect Orange Julius!
- For a grown-up Orange Julius recipe, add a little vanilla vodka or vanilla rum to your mixture and blend it all together! Grand Marnier, an orange-flavored liqueur, would also be delicious!
More Frozen Drink Recipes
- Frozen Lemonade
- Magic 2-Minute Fruity Frozen Margaritas
- 3-Ingredient Watermelon Margarita Recipe
- Frozen Golden Milk Turmeric Frappuccino (Paleo, Vegan, Anti Inflammatory)
- Healthy Chick Fil A Frosted Lemonade Recipe (Paleo, Vegan)
Orange Julius Recipe
Equipment
- standard blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 cup milk see Notes
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar see Notes
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add ice cubes to blender and pulse until "snow"-like texture is achieved.
- Add remaining ingredients to blender. Blend on high until just combined. Portion into glasses and serve.
- Make it Dairy-Free: Use a dairy-free milk, like almond milk or coconut milk.
- You can use any sugar or sugar substitute you like for this recipe, including white sugar, Swerve, or maple syrup. You could also use 1/4 cup dates, packed.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Was just as I remember
Exactly what we were going for! Thank you so much!
Our icemaker is broken so I used a cup of frozen mango chunks instead of ice and added three dates instead of sugar.
The only reason I didn’t give this a five is because I think alcohol free vanilla extract should be recommended. I could definitely taste the alcohol from the vanilla extract. I ended up watering the recipe down a lot to get rid of the alcohol flavor. It’s actually delicious with water added.