Cool Off with a Frosty Homemade Orange Julius

This Orange Julius recipe is made with frozen orange juice concentrate, vanilla ice cream, milk, sugar, ice, and vanilla extract for a sweet and frosty treat.

From gooey cinnamon rolls to soft pretzels, you can satisfy almost any craving at a mall food court. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a treat as sweet or refreshing than an iconic, frothy Orange Julius. This drink dates back to the 1920s and was first sold by a man with an orange juice stand named Julius Freed. The story goes that Julius’ real estate broker, Bill Hamlin, created the creamy, frozen drink in an attempt to dial down the acidic punch of orange juice. As an independent company, Orange Julius had stores in shopping malls across America, ready to fuel the masses as they wandered through department stores. Now you can easily bring that magical nostalgia home with this famous frozen dessert!

What does Orange Julius have in it?

The original concoction was a mixture of ice, orange juice, sugar, milk, powdered egg whites, and vanilla. This modernized recipe uses convenient frozen orange juice concentrate, vanilla ice cream, milk, sugar, ice, and vanilla extract. The resulting drink is every bit as refreshing and creamy as the original. Plus, it uses extra-cold ingredients for a satisfying smoothie texture.

What is frozen orange juice concentrate?

Originally developed as a way of sending the freshest tasting orange juice to World War II soldiers, this convenient product stays fresh for more than a year in the freezer. It is pasteurized orange juice that has had most of its water removed. The result is a product that is mostly sugar with an extremely concentrated orange flavor. In this recipe, instead of diluting it with water, you blend up the orangey product with milk and ice cream.

Yields: 2-4 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 6 oz.

  frozen orange juice concentrate (half a (12-ounce) can)

• 1 c.

  vanilla ice cream

• 1 c.

  milk (any kind)

• 1 c.

  ice

• 1/2 c.

  sugar

• 1 tsp.

  vanilla extract

Orange wedges, for serving

Directions

1. In a blender, combine the orange juice concentrate, ice cream, milk, ice, sugar, and vanilla. Blend on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined.
2. Pour the Orange Julius into glasses and serve with orange wedges.