I have massive childhood nostalgia for Orange Julius! As a child, it was my favorite treat to get at the mall with my mom. If you’ve never had it, it’s a frothy vanilla and orange juice smoothie that is so delicious.
I love to make this homemade Orange Julius for my children. It tastes just like my childhood memory with a nice orange creamsicle flavor. This copycat orange julius recipe tastes exactly like the original.
Additionally, I figured out a way to make it a bit healthier and I will share that as well.
Related: Wendy’s Frosty Recipe, Date Shake, Chocolate Banana Smoothie, Watermelon Smoothie, Banana Smoothie, Blueberry Smoothie, Dragon Fruit Smoothie, Agua Fresca.
Ingredients in Orange Julius
- Orange Juice Concentrate – This is a the frozen kind—you can find it in the freezer section at the grocery store.
- Milk – I use almond milk. You can use skim milk or a non-dairy milk.
- Vanilla Extract – For that delicious vanilla flavor and scent.
- Sugar – For added sweetness. This is optional and I will explain below how it affects your recipe to leave it out.
- Ice Cubes
How to Make an Orange Julius
In a blender, combine the orange juice concentrate, sugar, milk, vanilla, and ice cubes.
Blend and pulse until completely smooth.
Serve immediately with an orange slice to garnish.
Tips for Making
- I know it can be tempting to skip the orange juice concentrate and replace with orange juice, but I think the concentrate is an essential element in this recipe. It’s worth a run to the store if you are thinking of making this recipe!
- You can add a little extra vanilla if you are like me and you always add extra vanilla.
- If you want to use a whole tube of OJ concentrate, just double this recipe.
Healthier Variation
I tested this recipe by omitting the added sugar completely. It is slightly less sweet and doesn’t taste exactly like the original recipe, but I still thought it was very delicious. If you want to add a little more nutrition, add a handful of frozen bananas.
Serving Suggestions/Goes Great With
Other summer recipes you may like:
- Salad recipes: Tuna Salad, Pea Salad, 7 Layer Salad
- More drink recipes: Green Smoothie Recipe, Shirley Temple, Roy Rogers Drink
- Side dishes: Deviled Eggs Recipe, The Best Fruit Salad
- Cocktails: Screwdriver Drink, Rum Runner, Tequila Sunrise
- 40+ Easy Picnic Food Ideas
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an Orange Julius have in it?
Our recipe is made with orange juice concentrate, milk, sugar, vanilla, and ice cubes.
Did the original Orange Julius have raw eggs in it?
Yes. The original recipe for Orange Julius, developed in the 1920s, contained raw egg whites to create a frothy texture. The recipe was updated in the 1980s for food safety reasons.
Can you make Orange Julius healthy?
To make the Orange Julius more of a smoothie with increased nutrition, I recommend omitting the sugar and replacing it with frozen bananas.
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Ingredients
- 6 ounces orange juice concentrate
- 1 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy )
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup ice cubes
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Instructions
- In a blender, combine orange juice concentrate, sugar, milk, vanilla, and ice cubes.
- Blend and pulse until completely smooth.
- Serve immediately with an orange slice to garnish.
Notes
- I know it can be tempting to skip the orange juice concentrate and replace with orange juice, but I think the concentrate is an essential element in this recipe. It’s worth a run to the store if you are thinking of making this recipe!
- You can add a little extra vanilla if you are like me and you always add extra vanilla.
- If you want to use a whole tube of OJ concentrate, just double this recipe.
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
This recipe sounds good.
Missing egg white for froth
Hi! Just a not that the Orange Julius recipe hasn’t contained raw egg whites since the 1980s.
You can use powdered egg white which works perfectly and is not a health hazard.
made as instructed but it tastes really bitter, inedible. 4tsp vanilla extract I think might be too much (doubled the recipe)
don’t use almond milk or skim, put the real stuff in there whole milk it will be delicious. Otherwise it’s gonna taste like crap.
Way too much vanilla!
Just exactly how many normal size ice cubes is one cup?
Around 8-10
I know you all want to change a recipe add it to make it better than what it was but the original recipe was the original recipe when you start changing it it’s no longer the original recipe that’s what gave us our memories the original recipe
This recipe is very close to the “original” that I enjoyed in my childhood in the 80s and 90s. We tested this recipe to make it taste just like a 1990s mall Orange Julius. I hope that helps.
Wow these are delicious! I recently moved back to my hometown and took my little sister to the mall hoping to get an orange julius, but it was closed down. This made me so happy!
I never really drank a lot of Orange Julius, but this is delicious!
This sounds amazing! I NEED to ry.
I love these!!! Thanks for the recipe!
This reminds me of childhood so much!
Omg Elsie. I, too remember Orange Julius from the mall. Those were the good old days. I haven’t had one in forever and so look forward to making this with my kids this weekend. Thank you for a reminder throwback to a sweet treat and simpler times.