Table of Contents
Who here has had an Orange Julius before? We’ve been long-time fans and LOVE to make this copycat Orange Julius recipe!
You really only need 5 ingredients (plus ice), the most important being the orange juice concentrate. This isn’t something we always have on hand, so there may be some planning involved. Everything else is always available at our house.
Then, you simply blend – it’s literally ready in minutes! This is one the girls love to whip up because it really is crazy easy. Best of all, this drink tastes just like the REAL version, which means we can make this at home whenever we want (and it’s WAY cheaper)!!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Few ingredients. It’s made up of ice, orange juice, sweetener, milk, and vanilla – so simple to make at home!
- Quick + easy. Our kids love to make this orange julius recipe – simply blend! It’s literally ready in minutes!
- Just like the original. 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.
Orange Julius Ingredients
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate – If you do not have frozen orange concentrate, omit the added water and use 1 cup of fresh orange juice along with orange zest (start with 2 tablespoons of zest and add more to taste).
- 1 cup milk – We prefer whole milk for a creamier drink. You can make it dairy-free and use coconut or almond milk.
- 1 cup water – added to get the right texture
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract – balances out the flavor of the drink
- ¼ cup granulated sugar – use more or less depending on the desired level of sweetness
- 1 cup ice cubes – keeps the drink cool, thick, and frothy
- optional ingredients – add frozen bananas, strawberries, or pineapple concentrate for a flavor twist
How to Make Orange Julius
- BLEND. Combine frozen orange juice concentrate, milk, water, vanilla, sugar, and ice cubes in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- For the best flavor, use orange juice concentrate because it is 6x more potent than orange juice.
- We prefer to use whole milk for the creamiest drink!
- For extra frothiness, blend in ¼-½ teaspoon of egg white powder.
- Add the 1 cup of ice gradually to reach your desired thickness.
Orange Julius Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 cup milk, (or almond milk for a dairy-free option)
- 1 cup water
- 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup ice cubes
Instructions
- Combine orange juice concentrate, milk, water, vanilla, sugar, and ice in a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- For the best flavor use orange juice concentrate because it is 6x more potent than orange juice.
- To use 1 cup of orange juice, omit the orange concentrate and water, and add in 2 tablespoons of orange zest.
- Whole milk helps produce a creamier drink.
- For extra frothiness, blend in ¼-½ teaspoon of egg white powder.
- Add the 1 cup of ice gradually to reach your desired thickness
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store leftover Orange Julius in the fridge for up to 24 hours in an airtight container. Our favorite thing to do with leftovers is to pour them into a popsicle mold as a refreshing treat.
More Like This
Non-alcoholic Drinks
Smoothies
Orange Juice Smoothie
5 mins
Aloha Tropical Smoothie
5 mins
Peach Mango Smoothie
5 mins
Watermelon Smoothie
6 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published August 2015.
Made this for a very special Christmas Eve breakfast 2020. Even the leftovers the next morning were good! Will definitely make again 🙂
Happy to hear that! We love this drink! Thank you!
It taste different than the orange Julius I grew up on. Just not as orangey. Next time I will use orange juice instead of water maybe that will work
Try my orange smoothie
Six ounces orange juice
Two tablespoons plain yogurt
Quarter cup of sugar
One cup of ice
Blend well
Enjoy
Try my creamsicle shake
Six ounces orange juice
One half cup ice
Blend
Add four scoops vanilla ice cream
Blend
Pour in a tall glass
Add one scoop vanilla ice cream
Enjoy with a spoon and a straw
Amazin’. We make ’em every night.
So happy to hear that! Thank you!!
i’M GLAD IT’S SHORT TO MAKE, YOU CAN’T FING AN ORANGE JULIUS STORE THAT OFTEN ANYMORE!
I used fresh Orange juice thst i froze ahead of time. After mixing tge ingredients i felt it Needed twice as much frozen juice, sugar and vAnilLa, but tasted great!
Thank you for giving it a try 🙂 We love this all summer long!
also fantastic with vanilla ice cream / milk combo for a real milkshake taste
Great idea!! Thanks!!
sixty years ago i remember the original Orange julius stands offered to add a banana for an extra 10 cents. it’s the real deal!
I used a couple extra ice cubes, unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of the milk, and 1 Tbs. truVIa in place of the sugar and thought it was pErfect!
That does sound perfect!! Thanks for sharing!
Definitely needed sLightly more vanilla and a touch more milk but pretty good overall.
Thank you for trying this recipe!
It was really good. I used to work in one of those little cafe’s in a mall, 1957 I was 15 lol and we made them different, we used fresh orange juice, ice, orange sherbet, vanilla and no sugar. I’d make your recipe again for sure, we enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing it is definitely a 5 star (should be a 10)
Awe, thank you for saying that! That sounds delicious, the way you used to make it!