Orange Julius

Refreshing & simple Orange Julius takes a minute to make and tastes just like the real thing. It is a favorite family treat!

Homemade Orange Julius is one of our go to breakfast drinks!! To complete the meal, just add one of our favorite breakfast casseroles or a big stack of pancakes.

What is an Orange Julius?

Who here has had an Orange Julius before? We’ve been long-time fans and recently decided to try making our own copycat Orange Julius recipe at home. But, what is an Orange Julius?

In the 1920’s, Julius Freed opened an orange juice stand in Los Angeles, but sales weren’t so great. His friend, Bill, made a less acidic, more frothy version of orange juice which Julius adopted and began serving at his OJ stand.

People loved it and began ordering Orange Julius’ left and right. In 1987 Dairy Queen bought the Orange Julius Company. (Source)

Today, that famous orange drink made up of ice, orange juice, sweetener, milk and vanilla is still found in mall food courts. It’s kind of like an orange juice smoothie, except it’s more creamy and frothy. We think it tastes like a melted orange creamsicle.

This homemade orange julius recipe is so quick and easy that even a kid can put it together. Best of all, it tastes just like the real version, which means we can make this at home whenever we want.

just blend!!

The orange julius ingredients include:

• frozen orange juice
• milk
• water
• sugar
• vanilla
• ice cubes

Luckily, we had pretty much all of these ingredients at our house already!

BLEND. To make this yummy recipe, just throw everything in the blender and blend until nice and smooth. It’s that easy!

Orange julius FAQ

Use fresh orange juice. Using Orange Juice and adding more ice will just change the texture and flavor, which isn’t what you want!

Create your own concentrate. If you don’t have orange juice concentrate, freeze an equal amount of fresh orange juice in an ice cube tray (or a glass pan, and then break it into pieces) and put that in the blender with the other ingredients.

Texture. Adjusting the texture to your liking is quite easy. Reduce the amount of added water/milk for a thicker texture or increase it if you prefer a thinner texture

No eggs. Many traditional orange Julius recipes call for egg whites, or egg white powder to help get a nice foamy texture, but I think I was able to manage just the right amount of foam without using raw eggs. Another way that can help add fluffiness to the foam is to substitute powdered sugar for the granulated sugar. 

variations + Storing

Julius with a twist. Add other flavors to the Orange Julius. Frozen Bananas or strawberries are particularly delicious. Add in some pineapple concentrate for a bit of extra flavor. Just keep in mind that it will cause a thicker or thinner texture.

Dairy-free. Make this dairy-free by using coconut milk or almond milk.

STORE leftovers (if you have any) in the fridge for a day or so in an airtight container, but it’s much better to have it fresh!

FREEZE. My favorite thing to do with leftovers it to pour it into a popsicle mold as a refreshing treat.

For more refreshing drinks, check out:

• Dole Whips
• Orange Juice Smoothie
• Aloha Tropical Smoothie
• Pink Drink
• Homemade Slurpees