I love Orange Julius. It has always been a favorite treat of mine.
However, I do not have an Orange Julius near me. That is the problem with living in the country. Treats like Orange Julius are not on every corner.
Not only that, I do not love the price. I often pass up an Orange Julius simply because I can not see spending three or four dollars on a drink that will be gone in minutes.
I have always wanted to be able to make them at home, so that I can have my treat anytime I want, without spending a fortune on it.
Over the years I have tried many copycat versions. Some have been good, but none have been, “it”. None were just like the real thing. None were good enough to substitute for the real thing.
They were all missing something and I could not quite get it right, so I gave up on making an at home version of it.
However, I recently saw a copycat version of Orange Julius from Food Network. This recipe was a little different than any other that I had tried. The main difference was that this recipe contain powdered sugar.
I had never thought about using that instead of regular sugar before, but I thought that it might help the texture and taste that was lacking in the versions that I had tried before. I decided to once again try making an at home version.
I gave this version a try. This recipe was perfect. I did not adjust a thing. I could not believe how close to the real thing this is. It makes a great recipe for my cooking through my collection series.
This is a new favorite treat in our house. I can not count how many times I have made this in the last few weeks.
I love making this for a fun lunch or snack.
We love these. These are a perfect summertime treat, but the reality is that it is delicious anytime of year.
Copycat Orange Julius Recipe
An easy make at home version of a favorite treat!
- 2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup ice
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Place ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
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Pour into glasses and enjoy!
thank you, thank you, thank you!! We only have one Orange Julius here and it was in Opry Mills mall which flooded. 🙁 There are three things I have to get whenever I’m in OK – an Orange Julius is one of them (followed by Brahm’s ice cream and real BEEF barbeque). Now I can have my Orange Julius at home! 🙂
.-= Kirsten´s last blog ..I’m back =-.
@Kirsten, Thanks for your comment. I am so glad that you like the recipe. I hope your family enjoys it. It is so sad about all the flooding in your area. The pictures that I saw were terrible. Yes Brahms ice cream is a must have Oklahoma treat. My family always requests it when they visit. Too bad we can’t figure out how to make that at home. 🙂
I haven’t had an Orange Julius in years…Your recipe sounds great and a nice summer treat!
.-= Kendra´s last blog ..Twice-baked Potatoes =-.
This is too funny…I was thinking about making an orange julius today! I love them, but wasn’t sure how to get it right at home without a mix packet. Thank you so much for sharing!!
.-= Amy Lynne´s last blog ..Menu PLan for the Week 6-6-10 =-.
I love Orange Julius and haven’t seen one in ages. Thanks!
I used to love to get an Orange Julius a the mall! Now, even if I drive 2 hours to the mall, they don’t have an OJ. 🙁 I can’t wait to make these for the kids. Thanks!
.-= Linda´s last blog ..Twitter Hop Thursday =-.
I AM SO EXCITED! I also love Orange Julius and we live 1 1/2 hours away from the nearest one! (And, like you, when I AM near one I rarely plunk down the money to buy one). I can’t wait to try these at lunch today!
@Kristen, I would love to hear what you think of them.
@Lynn, I thought the flavor was great, but I did add more ice to make them a bit thicker. My family likes a more smoothie-like texture. I did like this recipe better than my previous one though, so it will be a keeper at our house! (I have already added it to a new recipe card.) 🙂
im so making this! like, tomorrow!
This looks great! Any idea what a good juice ratio would be for the strawberry one? I used to get strawberry banana OJ until I found out I’m allergic to bananas! I would love to make a strawberry OJ for a nice summer treat!! Thanks for sharing!!!
@Amy, I had the same idea and am going to experiment with using other juices. I am planning on just trying to use the same amount of other juices. You might be able to adjust the sugar a little if the juice is more or less sour.
I make this too and it’s always a hit!!
We loved making these when I was in HS – there hasn’t been an Orange Julius place near me in a hundred years or so. I am going to make some for my kids this afternoon. Yum! and you are right the secret is the powdered sugar.
This was really good…the only thing different I did was throw in a banana! Thanks for the recipe!
After scouring the internet for recipes, I found your version.
SPOT ON, first try!!!
Thank you
my 2 year old just helped me make this and it was awesome! ive never had the real deal before but this is going to be a must-have summer treat in our house from now on. thanks!
This was yummy! I haven’t had an Orange Julius in ages. Thanks for the recipe.
I just made this and polished off my cup. Yum! Thank you for sharing. It hit the spot. I’ll make it again for sure.
This was great! The whole family loved it.
I tried one a couple of years ago that was not nearly as good. We will definitely be having this again. Thanks!
This is so good! I’ve made it 3 times now! I used 2 cups strawberries and no juice! So good! I’ve frozen the left overs in small twist freezer containers great to take to work for breakfast! By the time I’m ready to have it its defrosted enough!!! Thanks so much for this great recipe!!!
@Amy, I am so glad that you liked it. I have been making them about 3 times a week. 🙂 We love them. I have tried different flavors, but the orange is still our favorite. I will have to try the strawberry version like you did. That sounds like a great variation.
Oh yummy. I can’t wait to try this – I just bought orange juice recently too.
This sounds great. I haven’t been able to have one since the flood last year, and I don’t make it back to Colorado very often. My family loves these drinks and hates that there is not one close by. Thanks so much for the recipe can’t wait to try it.
this was good! i might add a banana next time i try it as well…thicken it up a bit..or some strawberries..but, quite yummy!
@chris, I am glad that you liked it. My daughter loves banana added to hers. I have also tried a strawberry version, but have not perfected it quite yet. Really you could do a lot with the basic recipe. Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed it.
Ooooooh! I love Orange Julius and the closest one is 5hrs away! I can’t wait to try this! Thank you! 🙂
I make one almost identical but it doesn’t use powdered sugar…everyone loves it and raves about it!!
Oh my goodness!!! This is sooooo good. I just made it and gave each of my kids a big glass full and they really like it and didn’t know what it was. When I told them it was orange julius they didn’t know what I was talking about. That being said I guess it has been a very long time since I have splurged on one of these at the mall while shopping. Thank you very much for this wonderful and easy delight.
@Heather Young, Thanks! It is so much fun to be able to make our favorite treats at home! And it is so much less expensive. I am glad that your family enjoyed them so much.
I made this today for my 4 children and it was a hit. Super-yummy treat. Thanks for the great recipes!! 🙂
These are also delicious with buttermilk in place of the regular milk. A little thicker and tangier… a dollop of yogurt added to the original might work too. I was out of plain milk and *really* wanted one the other day. Thank you so much for sharing this, we make them all the time.
@Jenny, Thanks for the idea! My husband loves buttermilk and I think he would really enjoy them with more of a tangy taste. And I am so glad that you enjoy them! We love them in our house.
Thanks so much, this recipe was spot-on! I just made one for my sick three year old boy who LOVES Orange Julius but has been dehydrated and refusing liquids. Along with popsicles, this is saving us right now! A delicious treat for mom too.
Does it matter if you use 1 % milk? and have you found a particular kind of OJ better? Pulp or light pulp.
Thanks for the recipe.
I use whatever milk I have, which is usually 1%. On the orange juice, most in my family prefer no or light pulp, so that is what I usually have hand to use. But really any works, because it goes in the blender. I hope that helps and that you enjoy them.
I made this recipe for my family this afternoon and it was absolutely delicious! It really hit the spot considering it was about 110 degrees in the desert today. I will definitely be whipping this up again sometime soon.
I am so glad you enjoyed it. We love this for a summertime treat.
can this be made with milk substitutes, and if so, what kind should I use.
I think coconut milk might work good for this because the flavor would go well with orange. I have not tried it, but I think it would work fine.
You’re right about the powdered sugar. However, I do believe the original Orange Julius did have 1 whole egg in there as well. At least I remember them putting in the egg back in the 70’s at the mall. Of course most people would be scared to do that today!
I’m not sure what the purpose of the egg would be though… to thicken maybe?
Amazing! Tastes just like the real thing 🙂
Just made this and my boys LOVED it! Thank you!!
I am so glad that they enjoyed it!
I use to love these juice treats growing up and I too am in the country and there is no orange Julius at the mall anywhere around here in VA that I know of. What I am surprised is though is that there is milk and orange juice together. I never really thought about it . Is the powdered sugar the same as confectioners sugar? I look forward to trying this soon .
Yes, powdered sugar is the same as confectioners sugar. The milk helps make it creamy and gives it a nice texture. I hope you enjoy it.
Just made this, it’s spot on!! Love it, so much easier than using frozen oj, thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed it! We love it this time of year.
This recipe is the greatest!! Loved it! We went to Dairy Queen and I ordered one and i was given the wrong thing:-( I did not feel like going back so I was craving one and found this! It was perfect and easy!!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
So how many does this recipe make? And do you use freshly squeezed orange juice or the Minute Maid concentrate or what? Lots of unanswered stuff here. Plus, that sounds like a lot of sugar, although if this makes several drinks it gets divided up a little and may not be as bad as it sounds. We use raw milk – will that work in these?
It serves three to four smaller glasses or two large servings. I usually use Simply Orange Juice or orange juice concentrate that has been made up. You could also use freshly squeezed orange juice if you prefer to use fresh orange juice. The real orange julius are pretty sweet. You could cut back on the sweetener and I have also used honey when trying to make them healthier, but for the closest to the real thing what I have listed in the recipe is what we like best. I have not tried raw milk in this recipe, but I am sure it would be delicious!
I hate to admit it but I’m 63 years old and have never tasted an orange julius. 8) The funny thing is, in my area of the country, Dairy Queen owns the franchise for Orange Julius (has for many years) and we live exactly 2 blocks from a DQ! I just never go there because we simply don’t eat that kind of food. We used to occasionally get an A & W root beer float (I craved them with my 2nd pregnancy almost 40 years ago) but after being away from most sugar for so long, they are terrifically sweet although I still love the smell of root beer, so I occasionally break down and have a small iced glass of that lovely foamy stuff. With my first pregnancy I craved lime popsicles and with my third pregnancy it was, of all things, chocolate coke phosphates. But that was 30 years ago and now all that sugary stuff just doesn’t appeal to me as much. Gives me stomachaches because I’m not used to it, I guess.
But I’m going to make the orange julius thingys for my 7 grandkids. 😉
That sounds so delicious. I can get one at the DQ 2 miles from me, but I haven’t indulged in years.
I hope you enjoy it!
Our whole family absolutely loves this recipe!! Thank you so much for sharing!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it!!
This was a great way to use orange juice from the over abundance of orange tree harvests in Arizona. We were so glad to find a recipe using fresh orange juice rather than frozen concentrate. The taste is sensational & brings back memories of going to the mall as a teenager. Thank you for a delicious recipe.
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! And I love that you have access to so many fresh orange. What a treat to have fresh from the tree oranges.
Better than the actual real orange julius, thank u
I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
This is perfect, just added vanilla whey protein powder and an egg and yes! Thank you
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! I love adding protein powder to mine too.
The first time I had an Orange Julius, l watched they make it as they would make it right on front of you. My memory remembers them crackling an egg into the drink. When l make it at home, I always add an egg and l use fresh oranges and ice cream, along with the sugar and vanilla. Tastes pretty good 😊
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I have been looking for a perfect copycat recipe for years and found this one last night. My husband loves orange Julius and misses them from his childhood. He said this recipe is spot on and absolutely perfect. Thank you for this recipe.
I am so glad that he enjoyed the homemade Orange Julius.
🥰😁 Yum! This is a delightful treat. Thank you for sharing. With no Orange Julius in our area and the Dairy Queens no longer sell the drinks, we now have a go to recipe to make our own. Thank you!!
When I was in my early 20’s (many years ago) I worked at an Orange Julius stand at our County fair. Today I was craving one for breakfast so began searching for a recipe. Most of the recipes called for concentrated o.j. which I knew wasn’t how they were made. I only ran across two recipes that used fresh orange juice and one was yours. I tried the other one first which was identical except it did not have the powdered sugar added. Big mistake. I tossed it back in the blender, added that ingredient. Put in more ice and once done, PERFECT! Your recipe is spot on and the powdered sugar is what makes it taste exactly like the Orange Julius’s that I love and remembered. Thank you so much.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the Orange Julius recipe! And I am so excited to hear that you used to work there and it tasted just like you remembered. I love it when I can get a copycat recipe as good as the real thing. Thank you so much!
I Tried to leave a P.S. on my original comment but couldn’t since it hadn’t been approved yet. I wanted to add a note saying that I see several others saying an egg was added in the original Orange Julius’s. At the fair we offered our customers the option of adding an egg or not. I never added an egg to mine. I thought it sounded gross! Lol.