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I’m trading in the processed sugar and dairy in the traditional Orange Julius for a smoothie version sweetened with fruit. It’s honestly still a super sweet treat, yet my healthy Orange Julius smoothie fuels my body the right way.
Raise your hand if you remember walking by the shopping mall food court and seeing people lined up at Orange Julius? And who remembers recreating the creamy orange smoothie in 7th grade Home Ec?
Table of Contents
How to Make a Healthy Orange Julius
I can’t wait for you to try this sweet treat! It definitely hits the spot for my sweet tooth and has no weird ingredients.
- Blend spinach, oranges and almond milk until smooth (I’m talking no leafy chunks floating around).
- Add the banana and blend again until smooth. It helps to use frozen banana to get a chilled smoothie.
- Add in 1/2 tsp of vanilla to make this taste even more like a traditional Orange Julius.
My healthy smoothie version is loaded with goodness and doesn’t mess around with the sweet factor either. No fake sweeteners are needed! Just make sure you use a ripe banana.
We all know oranges = vitamin C (80% of the recommended daily intake), but did you know that oranges are also full of fiber? Your digestive system will thank you for eating more oranges.
Tips for a Great Smoothie
If the sugar is a little much for you (even though it’s 100% natural!), swap half of the banana for a quarter of an avocado. You’ll still get the dream cream texture, but not as much sugar in this healthy Orange Julius smoothie.
- You can also swap out the almond milk with the plant milk of your choice, coconut milk, cashew milk or oat milk. There are so many great options. Whichever milk you use, make sure it is unsweetened.
- When blending this orange smoothie, blend it twice to help your blender chop up the spinach as much as possible.
- Adding ice cubes to the glass when you pour out the smoothie will cool down the beverage if using all fresh ingredients.
Orange Julius Smoothie FAQs
The original Orange Julius consists of orange juice concentrate, milk, vanilla, sugar and ice. While it is sweeter than my version, I bet mine still tastes deliciously orange-y! My smoothie contains spinach, oranges, almond milk and banana.
It depends! Spinach is typically mild, and the orange and banana in this Orange Julius smoothie are definitely the dominant flavors. You might still get a slightly earthy taste if you’ve got a sensitive palate.
They can be! Make sure yours are loaded with only whole food ingredients (no added sweeteners). Use unsweetened, plant-based milk or water for the base. Boost your smoothies with protein and healthy fats to help your body break down the natural sugars.
When is the perfect time to drink a smoothie?
- For breakfast or even on the go with a Mason jar, cute lid and straw.
- As a nutrition-packed snack that helps you step away from the vending machine!
- Before or after a workout to add that protein after and MCT oil before to fuel your body during your workout.
Anytime you need a refreshing, fruity drink loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals, consider blending up a smoothie. It’s the healthiest fast food out there and can provide energy, fuel and promote health. Some smoothies like the Orange Julius smoothie recipe contain more natural sugar. Boost these smoothies with a plant-based protein powder to help your body process the sugar.
More Orange Smoothie Recipes
- Mango orange smoothie
- Superfood smoothie
- Ultimate orange smoothie
- Island green smoothie
- Orange cabbage smoothie
- Chia smoothie
- Kale smoothie
- Citrus kiwi smoothie
Don’t forget to leave a comment and review after blending the Orange Julius smoothie below. I’d love to know how yours turned out!
Orange Julius Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 2 oranges
- ½ banana frozen
- 1 serving homemade protein powder optional
Instructions
- Place spinach, oranges and almond milk in blender. Puree until smooth.
- Add banana and blend again.
Notes
- Use at least one frozen fruit to make the smoothie cold or serve over ice.
- Another non-dairy milk can be substituted for the almond milk, such as hemp, cashew or coconut milk.
- Swap 1/2 banana with 1/4 an avocado to lower the natural sugar.
- Add 1/2 tsp vanilla to make this even more reminiscent of the original Orange Julius.
I love this one!!!
I love Orange Julius’ so I was excited to see this recipe! The smoothie was nice and creamy but needed a bit more flavour. Maybe need to add an extra orange or some vanilla next time.
This one is just okay. Not a favorite, but I’ll try adding protein to the next one I make and see if I like that better.
It is nice to learn how flexible I can be with ingredients. Very good; one of the best.
Loved this one too. Will miss doing this challenge as it was exciting to try something different each day.
I like it. Straight forward honest ingredients, but extremely flavorful.
KEEPER.
This was very refreshing however I needed blend a little longer so there no pulp. Added vanilla, avocado & protein powder!! Definitely will make again & try different add in.
I thought this smoothie was a little bland. I add a little orange essence and it made a big difference.
Another yummy smoothie. Adding the spinach made it taste even more fresh. Great way to start a day.
Delicious. I added a dash of vanilla and some hemp seeds for protein. I didn’t have frozen banana so I used fresh and added four ice cubes.
This smoothie was delicious!!! Sweet but delicious.
Very refreshing I like it . Why almost all smoothies have banana?
Hi Magdalena! Bananas are a great way to make a smoothie sweet and creamy, plus a boost of potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. If you’re not a fan of bananas, I’d recommend swapping it out with avocado to help keep the creamy consistency. (1 whole banana = 1/2 avocado or 1/2 banana = 1/4 avocado)
That’s smoothie was a big hit with the kids. Definitely a keeper. I had to make so many that I ran out of spinach. So some I made with kale and just added a little extra banana to hide the taste.
Growing up on Long Island, NY Orange Julius drinks were everywhere. Of course they did not have spinach and most likely included sugar, but this recipe brought back my youth. Loved it.
Another good one! I did forget to buy oranges this past weekend for the second week of the challenge so I tossed in some trusted and dependable strawberries — just a perfect basic recipe.
I do add protein powder!
And when I do my grocery shopping Friday for this next week, I definitely want to remember the oranges so I can try them for real in this recipe!
This is a refreshing and healthy version of this fabulous citrus drink! Perfect for a hot summer day!
Super delicious is this Orange Julius Green Smoothie !
Added Smoothie Protein Powder for meal replacement. Thank you!