This classic Orange Julius Recipe is made in just 5 minutes and is such a refreshing treat on a hot summer day!
When I was little, I thought my mom invented the original Orange Julius. I had no idea there was a chain of stores with the same name or multiple cookbooks featuring an Orange Julius recipe, trying to copy the taste and texture of the original. For all I knew, mom had come up with this dreamy orange concoction all on her own, and for that, she was a genius.
I remember sipping on Orange Julius as a special after school snack or weekend treat. Occasionally I would get a craving for it and beg mom to make me one. She usually obliged.
Eventually, I started making them, and because they are so simple (5 ingredients and a quick whir of the blender), this was the first recipe I managed to master all by myself.
It wasn’t until I was an adult that I first saw an Orange Julius store in person. At first, I thought that some ne’er-do-well had stolen Mom’s Orange Julius recipe and turned it into a popular franchise serving counterfeit creamy drinks. Treachery!
Eventually, clearer thinking prevailed, and I realized Mom’s Orange Julius recipe was one of hundreds just like it out there in the world. (Though I still raise an eyebrow every time I see one of those corporate lie factories. You’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing Orange Julius, I just know it!)
Anyways, despite the realization that mom doesn’t hold the patent to the first Orange Julius recipe, I still think she is a genius and that her homemade Orange Julius is the best around.
Table of Contents
Orange Julius Ingredients
This Orange Julius recipe is just 5 simple ingredients:
- Ice cubes
- Orange juice concentrate
- Sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla
The Best Orange Julius Recipe
No Water in Orange Julius
You can find countless Orange Julius recipes that use water as an ingredient, but my advice is to skip the H2O and just use more milk. After all, you’ve already got ice cubes in there, and going exclusively with milk keeps your Orange Julius nice and creamy.
Milk (as an Orange Julius ingredient) also just does a better job of suspending the flurry of little ice chunks and orange-y bits than water. More water makes for a thinner mix that will settle and separate the longer it sits in your glass (or in the pitcher). No thanks.
Just The Right Texture
This comes down to personal preference, but I like my Orange Julius to be the texture of a thick smoothie. Still sippable through a straw, but slushy enough that if you try to gulp too much at once, it will brain-freeze the living daylights out of your head.
When you think about it, the icy-cold texture of Orange Julius is like a built-in traffic cop that regulates how fast you drink it. If you’re feeling some relaxed summer vibes, then slowly sipping on some Orange Julius is like a wonderful stroll along the beach. Try to shotgun the stuff though, and it’s gonna make you feel like Princess Elsa is blasting her ice castle freeze ray inside your noggin.
Use my Orange Julius Recipe below as a starting point, and adjust the amount of ice cubes depending on your preferred texture, and how big your ice cubes are. You can even add enough ice to make your homemade Orange Julius thick enough to eat with a spoon (think the texture of Italian ice) if you’re into that sort of thing.
Also, note that I use double the vanilla extract of other similar Orange Julius recipes (*and yes, that’s on purpose). I am a self-admitted vanilla addict, going as far as making my own vanilla syrup for vanilla iced coffee and putting it in everything from waffles to buttermilk biscuits to pear bundt cake. I’ve even gifted vanilla bean syrup to friends. I may not be as committed as these folks from Hawaiian Vanilla Co., but at least when it comes to eating vanilla, you can totally trust me.
How To Make Orange Julius
Making a homemade Orange Julius is super easy and quick.
- Blend up all of the ingredients in the blender until the mixture is smooth.
- That’s it. Pour yourself a glass and sit back and enjoy!
See? I told you it was easy! I’ll bet it took even longer to search the phrase “How to make Orange Julius,” than it actually takes to make a pitcher.
The Orange Julius recipe below makes a creamy, frothy, refreshing drink that’s perfectly balanced, and difficult to resist. It’s like drinking a glass of orange creamsicle.
Serve this icy summer favorite to your family and friends with as much love as my mom used to, and they’ll be so impressed they might even think you invented the recipe.
Orange Julius Recipe
This Creamy Orange Julius Recipe is a quick, refreshing beverage that's perfect for summer time!
Ingredients
- 6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 12 ice cubes
Instructions
- Combine the first four ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Add ice cubes (depending on the size of your ice cubes, you may want more or less. I suggest starting with 8-10). Blend again until ice cubes are crushed and the drink is smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 233Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 6g
Please note nutritional information for my recipes is calculated by a third party service and provided as a courtesy to my readers. For the most accurate calculation, I always recommend running the numbers yourself with the specific products you use.
Full credit for this recipe goes to my amazing mom.
After all, she’s the one who sang Jesus Love Me, sat down on the floor to play Barbies with me, made clothes for my baby dolls and stitched together my first prom dress. She’s the one who made dinner each night and drove me to musical practice and made sure I looked presentable when I headed off to school (although some of those early 90s puffy sleeve dresses were questionable, Mom). She’s the one who read me stories at bedtime and kissed my scraped knees and showed me how to care–really care–for other people.
That’s the magic of moms, isn’t it? They are our super women, the daily heroes grinding out laundry and juggling a job and putting food on our dinner tables and still finding time to bring a smile to our face by playing a game of hide and go seek, or by serving up a special homemade treat. And through it all they manage to teach us some of life’s most important lessons.
I don’t care how old I get, my mom (the inventor of the original Orange Julius) will always be super woman.
My mother blended orange juice and buttermilk. I was amazed. OJ is sweet, buttermilk is the creaminess and both are cold, they froth when mixed together.
I had to use more milk than the recipe calls to get them to be okay. Not very good overall compared to the real thing.
This is the favorite of all my beverage recipes. Perfect refreshment for a blazing hot summer day in Texas. So glad you shared it with us. I am always tickled to read your comments! “Try to shotgun the stuff though, and it’s gonna make you feel like Princess Elsa is blasting her ice castle freeze ray inside your noggin.” That one made me laugh so hard!
I remember the little walk-up shop in NYC near the corner of 3rd Ave and St. Mark’s Place in the mid-1960s where I had quite a few of these. Back then we watched the man break an egg into the blender and squeeze fresh oranges into it. There was a white powder as well, perhaps the vanilla. If memory serves, NYC ordered the chain to stop using fresh eggs, and the flavor went downhill from there along with the business. I make my own now with eggs, OJ and vanilla yogurt as a base, adding a banana and/or spinach for health and variety. Sometimes fresh strawberries as well.
Love Orange Juliuses!!! The only thing I’d change is using POWDERED SUGAR vs just granulated sugar (which I really only assume from how the recipe is written). I’m not sure why but there’s definitely a taste difference there. Made these back in grade school home ec and I can just never remember the ratios of ingredients. Thanks for sharing 🙂
The Place by me that was making them stopped making them and I have to tell you I’m extremely upset and have been craving an orange Julias for a month! I don’t know why I haven’t googled a recipe before now but thank you so much I’m going to make it when we get home from grocery shopping
I added a frozen banana and spinach! SO GOOD!
Was doing a small mind trip down memory lane, about Orange Julius roadside stands when I was young and, just happened upon this site when searching.
Love your story (and site) and will look no further to make something from my past. I’m 82 years old now and have many wonderful memories of old fashioned road side eateries. :O)
I just made some using your recipe. Fresh oranges that I peeled a few days ago and placed in the refrigerator. It came out great!!! Will make some more this week as a treat.
There are several Orange Julius recipes on the internet, but I chose yours, because I love the story you shared with it!! LOL it was a good read.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
If you blend it long enough, this definitely creates plenty of froth. Very yummy. I did use bottled orange juice, and found it less sweet, but some fresh squeezed oranges juice would probably be just the ticket for those not wanting to use concentrate, but wanting it plenty sweet. 😉
I’ve had as many Julius as anyone and every time the concoction was made it was made with a powered substance. I happened to ask the proprietor what the mysterious substance was. He said it was powered egg whites. BTW…the oranges were all fresh squeezed.
You are absolutely right this is the one to join us I tasted when I was 12 or 13 at Crossroads mall and I’m now fixing to be 58 so that tells you how long it’s been since I’ve had a real one thank you so much for your mom’s recipe and thank her too .Aren’t mom’s GREAT!!!!!!
I just made this and added a handful of frozen pineapple chi CJ’s and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and it is delicious, thank you for the recipe.❤️❤️❤️❤️
Ohhhhh this MUST be the original. It tastes so much better than the Corporate version! I’m sure that is why there aren’t many or even any Orange Julius stands left! Thanks for sharing!
I just made these and subbed in half a cup of milk for half a cup of strawberries and cream Baileys. Amazing
Trying this immediately. Thanks for sharing!
I used Vanilla Extract and it was still delicious. 😁 Remember those hot summer days. The perfect summer drink.
My father used to make his version when I was much younger. He used regular orange juice, some vanilla egg whites and some ice in the blender. Probably a little sugar too. He would blend it and always said it was the egg whites that made them frothy. Now that pasteurized egg whites are available, I make them this way. Some friends add vodka too. My father would never have added vodka as it was for the family.
You forgot the egg! You can’t get the right amount of frothiness without an egg.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love Orange Julius. It also brings back a lot of great memories, which is always a good thing. Do you happen to have a recipe for the strawberry julius. I also remember that if you ask them, Orange Julius would put an egg in the mix. I don’t know what difference it actually made in the drink, I just thought that I was getting something special. Oh, the memories. Thank you so much.
You know what? I’ve actually never had a Strawberry Julius! That sounds delicious though. I might have to see if I can find a recipe. I know some recipes might have used egg whites for extra foaminess, but I think this creamy, foamy version is just perfect. I hope you love it too!
Courtney, thank you for your kind words…I feel very undeserving but I do appreciate them.
I have great memories of those Orange Julius moments too.
You are becoming a super woman. You will make a great mom. Love you, Mom.
I. Have never. Known. Omgosh I don’t know why I never bothered looking up a recipe for Orange Julius, but my mom introduced me to it when I was young and I absolutely fell in love. This is such a perfect Mother’s Day post; you are one lucky pair! Thank you for sharing this <3
I remember Orange Julius too and now having the recipe will make it so easy to try again
It sounds like these orange julius’s are like a comfort food to you! It wraps up everything mom is in one beverage. No wonder OJ stole her idea. 🙂
I’ve never had an Orange Julius, but it looks like such a refreshing summer drink!
Where did you grow up, woman?! You didn’t see your first Orange Julius until you were an adult?! I like to think that your mom would drive you on certain routes to avoid all the OJs just so that you could continue believing she invented it 😉 What a lovely story. Even though she didn’t invent Orange Julius, her version is a thousand times better than the stuff they sell. I haven’t had one in over a decade because of all the artificial sweeteners they put in. I love this wonderful tribute to your amazing mom, Courtney.
That’s a funny story, Courtney. I would have loved to have seen your face when you saw the first Orange Julius shop. 🙂 Your version sure looks refreshing!
Ok, I LOVE that you thought your mom invented Orange Julius! That is totally something I would have thought when I was little. It’s funny how there are certain things that just never taste quite the same when I make them. My mom makes the best egg sandwich and I just can never get it quite right 😉
I have such fond memories of Orange Julius! Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be making them soon! Pinned 😉
Renee – Kudos Kitchen
Wow! Scrumptious Orange Julius packed with memories and deliciousness….Your mom sounds like super-mom…You are truly blessed, Courtney <3
I love Orange Julius and I remember making them in cooking class in 7th grade! Love that you thought someone stole your Mom’s recipe, so sweet!
Moms recipe sounds perfectly wonderful! Happy Mothers Day!!
Mom’s recipes are always so hard to replicate, but it looks like you did a great job!
awh, your mom is amazing and so sweet!!! love this post! Orange Julius brings back so many memories!! 🙂 LOVE this!
What a great recipe and photos, orange julius is one of my favs too!!
I used to make these all the time when I was a kid! I’m so glad you reminded me of them, I can’t wait to make one as an adult!
Moms are definitely magical. This looks absolutely amazing and I can not wait to try it.
I’ve heard about these for years and have never had one. It looks so refreshing and easy to make. Pinning!
It is ridiculously easy! Hope you enjoy them!
I grew up with this stuff! Never knew it was so simple
It’s so simple! and just as tasty as an adult.
Yum! I never knew how easy it was, my mom just took me to the mall *laugh*
Orange julius was my mother’s favorite drink and she occasionally made them at home, but she used o.j. and a pack of vanilla. I like your mom’s recipe better. It doesn’t have as much sugar.
I love your Orange julus story! It sounds like your mom is a great lady!
Haha, her “skillz”, I love it. This looks so easy! I used to love an Orange Julius, back in the day.
LOL, Your story reminded me when I was a kid I thought my mom invented A/C she put ice in front of a fan LOL Great recipe!!!
HAHA! That is GREAT!
okay you convinced me. I actually never tried one because I didn’t think orange and milk worked well together. But hey what about all those orange creamsicles I had every summer as a kid. I am going to give this one a try. Your photos are beckoning me to try it.
I know it sounds really weird, but it does taste a lot like an orange creamsicle!
This looks so good! What a great idea for a Mother’s Day Brunch. Your mom sounds amazing… I hope one day my kids will say the same about me.
I am sure they will Isabel! I hope you have a fabulous Mother’s Day!
Wow! I love your Orange Julius! I used to drink them all of the time at the mall!
Aw, what a sweet mom!!! Your orange Julius looks PERFECT!!!
This looks so so good! Mom’s are always the best though ;).
You just brought me back to my youth!