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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. Here’s how you can freeze bananas easily.
- 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.
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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 choose from these almond milk brands, make almond milk, or swap with any non-dairy milk of your choice. You can also choose from these coconut milk brands, or oat milk brands. 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. If you don’t have a high-speed blender getting one of these blenders for smoothies is a game changer.
- Adding ice cubes to the glass when you pour out the smoothie will cool down the beverage if using all fresh ingredients. You can also pre-prep your smoothies in my frozen meal prep smoothie packs to save time.
- For more awesome tips, check out my guide on how to make a smoothie.
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
If you love green smoothies like I do, here are some more recipes with juicy, sweet orange flavor you’ll want on repeat:
If you make this orange julius smooothie, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your feedback helps me and all the readers in this community. And if you’re interested in more plant-based recipes (and exclusive content), sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter.
Orange Julius Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup spinach
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 2 oranges
- ½ banana frozen
Instructions
- Place spinach, oranges and almond milk in blender. Puree until smooth.
- Add banana and blend again.
Helpful Tools
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. Here’s how to cut avocado if you don’t know how.
- Add 1/2 tsp vanilla to make this even more reminiscent of the original Orange Julius.
- Swap spinach for any leafy green vegetables of your choice.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
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.
this smoothie so reminds of growing up and spending time in the mall. Just had to get an orange Julius! Thanks for a trip down memory lane.
pretty good, but I only used part of an orange, so made it smaller-my body doesn’t like massive if citrus boost. Used mixed greens and cashew milk.
I love this recipe and the past 3days I have velt a difference a big one I’m not so tired and I can actually go for a walk and I started back excrising I ant belive in the difference already thanks u soo much
Enjoying the variety of smoothies … definitely gives me ideas to be able to change up my smoothies a bit. Thank you!!!!!
This has been very helpful!!! I have enjoyed this challenge very much!!!!
Orange Julius smoothie: Refreshing but a bit too acidic for me and my son… probably because I can’t do banana. Banana would have cut the acid a bit. I substituted avocado and mango. Fortunately my tongue did not break out this time from the orange… like the previous orange smoothie. Yay!
Ratings:
Daughter 4
Son 4 only due to acidity
Me 3 due to acidity … more mango might have helped?
Very yummy smoothie- did sub coconut milk for almond milk and added a 1/2 tsp of vanilla- so good! I’m always amazed that spinach doesn’t affect the taste of the smoothie but I love that I get the vitamins and fiber from it!
Another favorite that I will eat again. Homegrown spinach with berries and bananas are a great combination.
I used cashew milk instead of almond milk, added protein boost and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Before adding the banana it tasted more like an orange julius. The very ripe banana taste was dominant at the end. Next time I’ll leave out the banana.
This is a great smoothie!! I only had one orange so I substituted some mango for the second one. I was in a hurry when I made it before dashing out the door and didn’t get a picture. I REALLY enjoyed it and will make it again!!
Today’s Orange Julius Smoothie Hit The Spot On A Very Hot Day. I Froze My Oranges A Few Hours Before I Made My Smoothie, With My Frozen Banana This Made A Nice Thick Cold Smoothie, So Good 🙂 I Added Chia Seeds, Vanilla Protein Powder And A Dash Of Vanilla Extract. I Will Make This Smoothie Again With Strawberries Added.
Was okay.
I made this smoothie according to the blog post recipe, including a 1/2 tsp vanilla, a few ice cubes, and homemade protein powder. It was good but not a favorite. It’s an easy way to eat two full oranges and get a healthy dose of Vitamin C!
Knew this would not disappoint! Chia seeds were the best addition also!
Heavenly mixture and so refreshing! You can feel your body say ‘Ahhh’
Orange Julius smoothie! I think the whole point in leaving a review is reviewing the smoothie as is. Adding a few extra things may change the taste and our opinion of it. That being said, I did both… I made the smoothie as is and tasted it, it was fine! OK it was great! lol! But I like it greater-er! So I did add some extra Chia seeds. but that doesn’t alter the flavor as much. Because I’ve made an orange Julius smoothie many times and with many flavor combinations, a little bit of this and a little bit of that added makes it a much more appetizing smoothie. For example, some fresh ginger and mint leaves will definitely add a zing to it. And since it is an orange Julius smoothie, orange and strawberries go together, so a few strawberries and maybe a couple blueberries! I like this smoothie because it’s a great base for many things. When I normally make it I’ll use milk and add some oatmeal, Banana, strawberry, mint, ginger and make it as a breakfast with some protein added. And sometimes it just depends on what fruits I have lying around. I’ll even throw in a few handfuls of Protein/power greens. And when you have a vitamix blender… Well you can make what you want!
One of my faves!
Flavor was good, but I prefer a thicker smoothie.
The Orange Julius Smoothie is one of my favorites. I ❤️ The cool, refreshing taste of the orange, especially on high humidity days.
OJ is a Winner.
I will blend it the way you said the next time.
I’m still not get all the emails about the smoothies.
Very simple and refreshing drink
Could taste the spinach, but overall, pretty good. Next time I will make without spinach