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This Orange Julius copycat has the chilled sweet and sour flavors we have all come to love in an Orange Julius. Only now you don’t have to find a store selling them, because it is easy to make them in the comfort of your home!

A similar frozen drink that is packed with fresh, fruity, and tart flavors you will love is the Chic-fil-a Frosted Lemonade Copycat.

Orange Julius drink in a glass mason jar garnished with an orange and striped straw.

Orange Julius Copycat

It is really starting to heat up around here and we are loving it! It is so nice to come out of winter hibernation and enjoy some sunshine. We had a lot of fun this afternoon just running in the sprinklers with our friends and splashing in the kiddie pool. I made everyone some of this amazing homemade Orange Julius and it is about as close to the real thing as you will get!

Orange Julius are one of my favorite things and I love that I know how to make this copycat recipe! It is so refreshing on a hot day and amazingly easy!ย  Now, what used to be a store bought treat can be enjoyed at home any day of the week!ย  I can tell we will be having this a lot this summer!

Orange Julius Ingredients:

In the warmer months I make sure I keep orange juice concentrate on hand.ย  Mostly because in the same amount of time it would take me to open a box of popsicles, we can all be enjoying a fresh homemade Orange Julius!

  • Frozen orange juice concentrate: Adjust the sugar depending on what concentrate you get.
  • Milk:ย Adds sweetness and thins out the concentrate.
  • Cold water:ย Adjust to your preference of thickness.
  • Sugar:ย Adjust according to how sweet your orange juice is.
  • Vanilla:ย To me this is the secret ingredient to an Orange Julius that gives it the recognizable rich flavor.
  • Ice cubes:ย Makes it cold and frosty!

How to Make a Copycat Orange Julius:

It really does not get any simpler than this recipe! First, throw everything in your blender and hit blend.ย  Then, in 2 minutes you are done! That’s it! I can’t believe I have not made this delicious drink sooner!

  1. Combine Ingredients: Put ingredients into a blender.
  2. Blend: Blend for about 2 minutes until desired consistency. You may not need the entire 1/2 cup of sugar depending on how sweet your orange juice is.

Ingredients for orange julius in a bender.

Variations of an Orange Julius:

As much as I love a classic Orange Julius, I also love playing around with the flavor and texture to make it my own.ย  There are an endless number of ways to make this a huge hit.ย  So, don’t be afraid to mix up the ingredients with your favorite creative ideas too!

  • Ice cream:ย Let me just tell you, adding vanilla ice cream to this recipe takes this frosted drink to an out of this world amazing level!
  • Juice Concentrate:ย Use any flavor juice concentrate you love!
  • Fruit:ย Add either fresh or frozen fruit to the concentrate for more depth of flavor and color.
  • Make your own concentrate:ย ย If you are craving one of these delicious frosty drinks but you don’t have any juice concentrate on hand you can make your own! Combine orange juice (or any juice you have) with water and freeze in an ice tray to use in place of the concentrate.

Storing Orange Julius:

I don’t recommend storing this drink.ย  It is best served fresh out of the blender to keep the frothy texture and fresh flavors true to the classic Orange Julius we love.

More Refreshing Drink Recipes:

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Orange Julius Copycat

By: Alyssa Rivers
This Orange Julius copycat has the chilled sweet and sour flavors we have all come to love in an Orange Julius. Only now you don't have to find a store selling them, because it is easy to make them in the comfort of your home!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 Drinks

Ingredients 

  • 1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup cold water
  • ยฝ cup sugar, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 7-9 ice cubes

Instructions 

  • In the body of a blender add the juice concentrate, milk, water, sugar, vanilla, and ice cubes. You may not need the entire 1/2 cup of sugar depending on how sweet your orange juice is.
  • Blend for about 2 minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Pour the Julius into 4 glasses and serve.

Video

Notes

Updated on June 4, 2020
Originally Posted on May 23, 2013

Nutrition

Serving: 8ouncesCalories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 29mgPotassium: 367mgFiber: 1gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 260IUVitamin C: 59mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Drinks, Snack
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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33 Comments

  1. I put in an edys outshine frozen strawberry bar too. Could use any flavor. Delish!! It’s a great idea if u want different glaciers of orange Julius or any smoothie.

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  3. I made this over the weekend – YUMMY!!!!! So perfect for the warm Texas weather – and when I say “warm” I mean dripping sweat hot. LOL

    Love it! So yummy! Thanks for posting!!

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  6. We used to make this all the time when we were little. And that was when we had an Orange Julius nearby. Now I cannot find one anywhere. Craving that creamy orangeness now.

  7. This is really good. I’ve even made it with Splenda and it’s terrific. FYI, the original Orange Julius recipe had a raw egg blended in it. It’s what made the drink so creamy. People have shied away because they’re afraid of consuming raw eggs, but since almost every egg is now pasteurized, there’s nothing wrong with adding one. In fact, it gives adds nutrients like DHA, folate, and the essential vitamins like A, D, E, K-2, B-6, & B-12. Thanks for sharing!

  8. Mmm, yes! I have an Orange Pushup Smoothie recipe that I call it on my site (pretty close to the ingredients you used) and I just love that thing. Yours looks creamy & wonderful!

  9. Yum yum yum!!!! We love orange julius! Thanks for sharing this…I think we’ll be trying it this weekend. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Kelly

  10. Boy you gave me a craving as soon as I saw this so I had to make it immediately! I only had 2 ounces of frozen orange juice concentrate so I 1/3 the recipe. The sweetness was so strong that I had to add a lot more milk and water so it ended up being a huge serving despite cutting the recipe down, and really hit the spot! Thanks! Was I supposed to make 6 oz orange juice from the concentrate b/c I just used it straight.