There is just something so nostalgic about Orange Julius – I remember the good ol’ days of shopping at the mall and drinking one of these as I shopped with my friends. Nowadays, I do all my shopping online and haven’t stepped foot inside of a mall for years!
Thankfully you can easily make your own Orange Julius Copycat Drinks at home! This recipe is simple and has some easy swaps and additions that make it a little healthier than the drinks that you got at the mall.
The original copycat Orange Julius recipe:
Before I share the healthy version, I want to share the original copycat recipe that I will make for my family (I am not sure if this is the recipe that was used at Orange Julius – I am pretty sure that they used egg whites in their recipe back in the day . . .)
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 1/2 cups skim milk (or vanilla almond milk works)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 8 ice cubes
Mix all ingredients together in a blender and serve. Makes 4 servings.
How to make orange julius drinks a little more healthy:
As you can see from the recipe above, an Orange Julius is usually made with orange concentrate, sugar, more sugar, milk and ice. It’s creamy, smooth, and tastes like an orange creamsicle in drink form!
There are a few changes that I make to my drink to make it a little more healthy.
- Using 100% Orange Juice Concentrate – when you are purchasing your concentrate, make sure that it’s 100% orange juice and doesn’t have any artificial fillers or sweeteners (such as corn syrup or added sugar). Oranges are plenty sweet and we want to make them the star of the show!
- Adding a banana – bananas add some soluble fiber to this drink that will keep you feeling fuller longer. It also have lots of nutrients that are great for you! Added tip – freeze your banana before adding it to the blender for an extra creamy drink!
- Swap out the sugar for honey or agave – I love using honey as a sweetener in drinks like this. I usually only use 2 Tablespoons, but you can use more or less depending on how sweet you prefer it to be. Remember, the oranges and bananas will add sweetness as well.
Other additions to add to make this healthier:
- add in a handful of spinach to make it a green smoothie – I promise that it won’t change the taste
- peel and segment a whole orange and throw it in – it will add more fiber and more fresh orange taste
- add in some ground flaxseed (1-2 Tablespoons) to add in some healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids
- add in some plain Greek yogurt for protein and to make your drink super creamy
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Other blended drinks to try:
- Pina Colada Slush Drink
- Apple Freeze Drink
- Cherry Limeade (Sonic Copycat)
- Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie
- Peaches and Coconut Cream Smoothie
Healthier Orange Julius Copycat with Banana Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, 1 can
- 1 cup skim milk, or almond milk
- 4 Tablespoons honey, (can also use agave or granulated sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ripe banana, (I prefer to use a frozen one for this recipe)
- 2 cups ice
Equipment
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.
- This is also delicious put into popsicle molds and served as frozen orange popsicles!
Notes
- add in a handful of spinach to make it a green smoothie – I promise that it won’t change the taste
- peel and segment a whole orange and throw it in – it will add more fiber and more fresh orange taste
- add in some ground flaxseed (1-2 Tablespoons) to add in some healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids
- add in some plain Greek yogurt for protein and to make your drink super creamy
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.Be sure to not miss another recipe! Follow Six Sisters’ Stuff on Instagram|Facebook|Pinterest|YouTube
We have been having weather in the 80’s for the past week – unheard of, I LOVE it! This smoothie sounds so yummy. I will have to make some, I know my family would love it! Thanks!
Sounds delicious … I definitely will be making these! 😀
I have those glasses! Target? The recipe looks yummy. Pinning it. 🙂
Erin
takingtimetocreate.blogspot.com
Going to try this, but I will replace the sugar with agave nectar so it will have a lower glycemic index.
Big or little can of OJ?
Little can! Thanks for your question!
What a simple ingredient recipe! I looooove when my daughter (7yrs old) can be hands on in the kitchen. Looking forward to trying it!
Used regular size can because I’ve never even seen a small can. Threw it out before I read the comments. It was horrible. Not sure if I’d try again. Wish the recipe would have specified a small can because a big can is the norm.
Sounds very tasty!
Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/
I think I’m in the same boat as Sara, I used a regular sized can and it has a weird after taste. I added a bit more sugar and some extra banana to make it bearable, but I don’t think I’ll make it again.
Is a half-can the same size can as the small can? Because I’ve got a half-can left in my freezer from where I only used half to make orange chicken in the crock pot. I’ve seen the small cans before, but I’ve never actually noted the size!
I’m sure it’s pretty close.
Big cans? Small cans? Please let us know the weight – then we don’t have to figure it out or throw it out. Are you using a 6-oz. or a 12-oz. can – or another weight?
12 ounce orange juice concentrate.
can you use fresh orange juice and some ice? or even frozen orange juice?
The concentrate is quite thick when thawed. You can use fresh orange juice and ice. It may not be as thick, but should still taste good. The good think about orange julius or a smoothie is you can pretty much throw in any fruit and ice you like! 🙂
Next time I will add only a quarter or half a can of concentrate. A whole can is way too much.
Wow sounds great I think instead of all that sugar I will add 1tablespoon of honey to this instead will let you know how it tastes. Thanks again for so many awesome recipes.
Has anyone tried this recipe using almond milk