Orange Julius Recipe (2024)

Serve up a fresh glass of vitamin C, protein, and real fruit with this healthy Orange Julius recipe made from simple whole food ingredients.

Just what is it about an Orange Julius? That sweet, cold, and frothy treat famous at malls and state fairs across America has a way of staying in your mind, even if you’ve only ever ordered one or two.

In this cold classic treat, we saw an opportunity to create a healthy dessert (or breakfast!) for kids that delivers two servings of fresh fruit, a boost of vitamin C, and even a few grams of protein for their growing bodies.

Got frozen bananas and a few other basics on hand? Then you can be sipping on this burst-of-sunshine Orange Julius recipe in five minutes. You have to try it!

What is this Orange Julius Recipe Made Of?

Unlike the original Orange Julius (made no doubt of mystical, sugar-laden, and also highly-processed ingredients,) this Orange Julius recipe contains just six simple, whole food ingredients, including whole fruit. Here’s a full list of the ingredients in our freshened-up Julius:

Orange zest

Banana

Greek yogurt

OJ

Honey

Vanilla

Toss these goodies into a blender and you’ll create something like an old-fashioned Orange Julius, only better: a cool and ultra-refreshing citrus drink that tastes a lot like a Creamsicle. And take heart: this recipe makes enough for you and your kids, both.

The Secret Ingredient for a Kicky Orange Taste

Other copycat Orange Julius recipes on the web use frozen orange juice concentrate to get that intense citrus flavor. We chose to get that kicky orange taste another way: with zest!

Orange zest is rich in natural oils that have an incredibly fresh, strong taste of oranges. (If you’re concerned about pesticide residue on your oranges, just grab an organic orange at the store.)

A microplane zester like this one works perfectly for the job, but you can also use the fine holes on a box grater to get orange zest, too.

By using a combination of zest and orange juice, we’ve been able to create a deliciously potent orange flavor that will keep your kids sipping… without the sugar rush that can come out of using canned concentrate.

More Sweet Sippables

This is not our first Julius rodeo! For a cool twist on this Orange Julius Recipe, try our Green Julius Recipe. (Hint: the ingredient that makes it green is one you want your kids eating more of!)

And if you love smoothies with an orange juice base, you’ll also love our Cherry Pineapple Smoothie. Happy sipping!