How to make homemade Orange Julius
Homemade Orange Julius drinks are really, really easy to make at home. And they are way cheaper than what you can buy at those mall stands too.
We mainly use this recipe when we have breakfast for dinner. It's a quick addition that makes even basic pancakes feel just a little bit more special.
A few homemade Orange Julius notes
- The recipe calls for a 6-ounce can of OJ concentrate. These are a little hard to find, and besides, a bigger can is cheaper. So, I buy a regular can and just use half for a recipe. Store the other half in the freezer for your next batch.
- A good blender definitely makes a difference here. I used to make this with my cheap blender (use what you have!), but the Vitamix does a much better job of pulverizing the ice.
(I wrote a review of my Vitamix along with tips about where to find the cheapest Vitamix.)
- You can adjust the sugar amount as you wish. I often use ¼ or ⅓ cup of sugar instead of the ½ cup called for in the recipe.
- The vanilla is also very flexible; adjust to taste! This is not a good spot to use imitation vanilla, though; that's only tasty in baked goods. Use the good stuff here.
Making Orange Julius is quick! Just dump all the ingredients into the blender.
And then blend for a minute or two, until it's smooth and slushy.
This melts pretty quickly in warm temperatures, so I like to put our glasses in the freezer while I'm making this drink.
That way, they're nice and cold when I'm ready to pour.
Scroll down for the printable recipe!
Homemade Orange Julius
These slushy orange drinks make a great addition to a breakfast for dinner meal!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup sugar (can use ¼ or ⅓ cup)
- ½-1 teaspoon vanilla
- 6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
- 12-15 ice cubes
Instructions
Notes
To save money, buy a 12 ounce can of orange juice concentrate; use half and freeze the other half for a future batch.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 204Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 5mgSodium 39mgCarbohydrates 46gFiber 1gSugar 40gProtein 3g
We like to make a variation on this and use vanilla yogurt to replace the milk, sugar and vanilla!
That sounds good too! I'm going to have to try both, though. Such a sacrifice!
@Ann, my dad used to use vanilla ice cream growing up.
woooow. what a flashback to my childhood and trips to the mall with my mom. she loved these. i am excited to surprise her with a homemade one! 🙂 thank you!!
I want to try this with coconut milk! I had no idea they were so easy.
My mom used to make these at home for me in the 70s. So delicious. Glad to see the recipe again.
My no-smoothies-ever husband really likes this! Definitely a fun treat. Thanks!
Your can of orange concentrate, 12 oz, does not say how much water to add. Please explain.
So, you don't add ANY water for this recipe. The milk and the water specified in the recipe dilute the concentrate perfectly, along with the ice.
Yum! These definitely take me back to when I was younger during trips to the mall with my mom! My brother and I would pester my mom to buy us one. I haven't had one in ages...are the stands even still around lol?? Definitely going to try this recipe for my boys! Thanks!
I haven’t had an Orange Julius in years! Has anyone made it with soy milk? And if so was it any good?
I love the idea of the orange/cream combo but I keep looking at this recipe and getting scared that the orange juice will make the milk curdle. Does it for real not curdle when you blend these up?
Amazingly, it does not!
This recipe is spot on! I love it!
I've made Strawberry Julius by subbing 1-1/2 cups of frozen strawberries for the orange concentrate.