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This refreshing nostalgic drink tastes just like the original and whips up in 5 minutes!
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 orange julius recipe tastes just like the real version, which means we can make this at home whenever we want.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate – If you do not have the frozen orange concentrate you can 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 – use whole milk for a creamier drink. Make it dairy-free and use coconut milk 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
How to Make Orange Julius
- BLEND. Combine 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, 1-2 teaspoons vanilla, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 cup ice cubes in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
FLAVOR VARIATIONS
Frozen bananas or strawberries are particularly delicious. Add in some pineapple concentrate for a bit of extra flavor. Keep in mind that additions can cause a thicker or thinner texture.
Complete the Meal
- MAIN DISHES: Easy Pancakes, French Toast Sticks, Breakfast Casserole
- SIDE DISHES: Bacon in the Oven, Scrambled Eggs, How to Make Hashbrowns
- More DRINK RECIPES: Orange Juice Smoothie, Aloha Tropical Smoothie,
MORE COLLECTIONS: Summer Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Drink Recipes, Frozen Drink Recipes
Orange Julius Recipe
Refreshing & simple Orange Julius takes a minute to make and tastes just like the real thing. It is a favorite family treat!
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 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, 1 cup milk, 1 cup water, 1-2 teaspoons vanilla, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 cup ice cubes 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.
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Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!
Recipe FAQ
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)
No Eggs?
- Many traditional orange Julius recipes call for egg whites, or egg white powder to help get a nice foamy texture, but I managed to get just the right amount of foam without using raw eggs.
How to Store Orange Julius?
- Store leftovers in the fridge for a day or so in an airtight container
How to Freeze?
- My favorite thing to do with leftovers is to pour them into a popsicle mold as a refreshing treat.
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!