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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 was super yummy! I hadn’t tried it before, but it will be on my favs list 🙂
Yummy. So creamy and delicious loving the mix of the citrus with almond milk.
Delicious! I added some crushed ice to make it cold.
I really like this one! The only issue that I had with the recipe was that there was not enough liquid, so I did add in more almond milk. Any suggestions on this?
1/4 cup almond milk isn’t much, but the 2 oranges should provide plenty of liquid. Maybe you had small oranges.
You did exactly the right thing, Laura! Great instinct! Any time your smoothie seems too thick and bogged down in the blender, just add a bit more liquid and blend.
Another great tasting smoothie! None of my ingredients were frozen so I added some ice. So creamy and refreshing. I love all the healthy benefits from this smoothie, especially the vitamin c that helps my body absorb the iron better. Being pregnant and needing that extra iron boost really makes a difference in my energy level and I know my baby is getting great nutrients as well!
This one is such a fan fave, Alannah. We’re glad you and your growing little one agree. Safe and healthy wishes for your days ahead! 🙂
Another blast of goodness and nourishment. Added a tsp of grounded flax-chia-hemp seeds.
Super tasty and added some chocolate homemade protein powder cubes!
The smoothie boost cubes are such a fun way to mix up your smoothie game, Laura! Love the idea of the chocolate with this recipe! Chocolate Fiber Smoothie Cubes
What a sweet treat for brunch, added my blood oranges for a twist and a lil honey for the immune boost.
That honey is such a great way to boost immunity or help with seasonal allergies. Rawkstar move, Churice!
The texture of this is velvety smooth! So very good. I can’t believe how amazing all of your recipes are so far. I’m obsessed now.
And we’re obsessed with helping people fall in love with blending healthy ingredients! So glad you loved it Rachelle!
Even my non-foodie sister loves this smoothie. I love this smoothie. My sister was scraping the blender to get more of it. You should definitely try this smoothie. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for the 5 stars and sweet words Charity! We agree!
So yummy and fresh tasting. Had to blend the oranges for a long time and still have some little pieces but delicious none the less.
Just love the oranges in this one and this 10 day challenge.
We’re so glad you’re lovin this challenge with us Debbie!
Very tasty and yummy!!
I have to say this is one of my favorites. I love the freshness of it and the smoothness and the taste is awesome I added protein powder and Chia seeds
Probably one of my favs so far! I did the prep ahead method (used both jars and bags) and this one was hard to get out of a jar! Also, because EVERYTHING but almond milk was frozen, it was REALLY hard to blend….and I have a heavy duty blender! I ended up adding a little water, too, and it STILL came out really creamy….YUM! Next time I’ll either leave out much longer to thaw or use a mix of frozen and fresh ingredients. This one is a winner!! 🙂
Good…but not a wow! Added a splash of vanilla extract to mimic the Julius of youth Wanted more orange flavor. Maybe a splash of on juice next time too!
Def try a bit of orange juice or orange juice to increase that yummy orange flavor Jenn. We bet you’ll love it!
Very yummy!
Very yummy!
Loved the Orange Julius Smoothie! Very creamy and smooth from the banana. Used a large Cara Cara orange in season which was nice and sweet. I will definitely be making this again!
Yes,yes yes! This one is a winner! Soooo goood soooo creamy! Only thing I’d do different next time is freeze my oranges so that it may be extra cold, after blending it, it became a bit warm, none the less I think it’s my favorite smoothie thus far!
This is one of our faves too Valeria! Great thought about the oranges. If you forget, you can always drop an ice cube or two in the glass as well.