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Refreshing & simple copycat Orange Julius recipe 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.

Orange julius served in a glass with fresh orange slice.


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 version at home.

  • Few Ingredients. It’s made up of ice, orange juice, sweetener, milk and vanilla is still found in mall food courts.
  • Quick + Easy. Even a kid can make it, plus it’s made in minutes!
  • Delicious. 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.

Best of all, this recipe tastes just like the real version, which means we can make this at home whenever we want.

What is 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)

Orange Julius ingredients on a marble countertop.

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!

Ingredients poured into Blendtec.

Orange Julius Tips

  • Use fresh orange juice. Using Orange Juice and adding more ice will just change the texture and flavor, which isn’t what you want!
  • 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. 
  • 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.
Orange Julius recipe ingredients blended in blender.

Storing

  • 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.
Close up of Orange Julius recipe in a glass with a slice of fresh orange.

For more Drink Recipes:

4.97 from 185 votes

Orange Julius Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Refreshing & simple Orange Julius takes a minute to make and tastes just like the real thing. It is a favorite family treat!
Servings: 2
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 1 cup milk or almond milk*
  • 1 cup water
  • 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 cup ice cubes

Instructions 

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Freeze It: My favorite thing to do with leftovers is to pour them into a popsicle mold and freeze for a refreshing treat during the summer.
Julius with a Twist: Add other ingredients to the Orange Julius, like frozen bananas, strawberries or even pineapple juice, for extra flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1glass, Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 65mg, Potassium: 721mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 56g, Vitamin A: 520IU, Vitamin C: 123mg, Calcium: 190mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Making this recipe? Tag us!
Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!


About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




141 Comments

  1. Although I love the original I really wanted to have a thicker parenthesis almost like a shake or insurance. Would it work if I substituted vanilla ice cream for the milk?

  2. 5 stars
    I learned how to make this in 7th grade.that was in 1997. To this day I still make this. My 4 sons have grown up on this drink. I still make this on holidays and my boys(being grown men)still stand by the mixer with glasses. Thank you for bringing back great memories for me!

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  4. 5 stars
    This recipe really took me back to my teenage years and being at the mall. It’s been ages since I’ve had an Orange Julius and it really is as good as I remember! Had it this morning and 2 kids gave it 5 stars and one gave it 4.5, but that is because she remembers her grandpa making her something like this like 6 years ago. You can’t mess with grandparents and nostalgia 🙂 I wasn’t going to add in the sugar initially because I don’t like having unnecessary sugar and usually cut down what recipes call for. Glad I kept it in! The orange juice concentrate had quite a bit of a sour to it so it needed the extra sugar love. Glad we used only half of the can of concentrate so we can make some more. I’m sure the kids will be making this by themselves in no time. To make it even creamier I will probably experiment with some heavy cream this summer as well! Yum!!!

  5. 5 stars
    I made this today for some friends! It was so good and refreshing on a hot Florida summer day. I shared the recipe with everyone too. We are just a group of 50 something ladies who get together 1 Friday every month to catch up.
    We will try a different drink recipe next month and can’t wait. Thanks for sending me such amazing recipes to share with friends.

  6. 5 stars
    As for the adult side, add 1-2 ounce of coconut rum and enjoy while you watch the children play.