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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.
We did not like today’s smoothie. It was to thick and the taste was a bit bland. I will attend to finish the smoothie because of the vitamins from the fruit and spinach. It was not tasty to us.
LOVE Orange Julius – and now I can make it on my own! (Even with the green spinach addition 🙂
I grew up drinking Orange Julius and this smoothie recipe nailed it! If you haven’t tried it – you need to!
Yummy
Tasty smoothie! Never had an orange julius before. This was a great combination of flavors. I added vanilla protein powder to make it more a meal.
Simply delicious! I added the vanilla and was pleasantly surprised at much it tasted like an Orange Julius. This one is a keeper for sure. Added some extra ice cubes though to make it colder as the half frozen banana didn’t quite do the trick.
This was delicious. I followed the idea of substituting mango for one orange. I did add some vanilla extract. I would make it again with these changes.
It was OK…I could tell where it was going but my oranges must not have been very flavorful because I really couldn’t taste the orange! I used avocado instead of banana which was nice…good texture and no banana flavor. Just needed more orange. The vanilla was a nice add.
Day 9
Absolutely delicious! I added a little lemon to cut down on the sweetness. Great smoothie!
Delicious . I added protein powder to make this a recovery Smoothie. But I would serve this with some Spirit and make it a cocktail
Orange julius … oh yessss! Yummmm. One of my all time faves!
Well, I was a little disappointed this morning – very bland – tasteless
A dash of vanilla and some chia seeds…yum!!! This made a delicious dinner after another hot day at work. I loved Orange Julius and have missed them since ours closed. This made for a healthier trip down memory lane.
This was very good. I’ll try it again when oranges are in season to get a stronger orange flavor. I also made it without the vanilla, but I’ll try that next time.
Refreshingly smooth and delicious! My oranges were frozen so I had to add a bit more liquid. Thinking I’ll try it with coconut milk next time.
This was a bit too sweet for me, and that could have been from the banana. Still a fun one to blend!
Disappointed. Couldn’t taste the oranges. I was thinking it would be similar flavor to a real orange Julius.