Labor Day weekend – it seemed long this year! Number 2 was home with his “gf” and I pulled out a few old favorites to teach them. I don’t think I’ve made Orange Julias since he was in grade school – but it sure impressed his friends when he had sleep overs.
This recipe is so simple, so cheap, and so easy it will blow you away. It tastes a LOT like the Orange Julius you get at the mall, although admittedly I haven’t gotten one at the mall for ages.
I’m not much of a “mall” person – I can easily go years without stepping inside one. When Saturday rolls around, you’ll find me almost any place but a mall likely trouncing around somewhere with Gibbie! Kraig tells me Orange Julius has now paired up with Dairy Queen, but I’ll still make my Orange Julius at home. In my PJ’s.
By the way, don’t think you’ll health this up and make it with fresh orange juice – while you can freeze the juice and use it instead of ice and still get some slushiness, and it will still taste good, it will never have that intensity of flavor or creaminess as one from the frozen concentrate!
Now I’m wondering about an “adult” version – less sugar, a little tequila, a touch of grenadine…hmmm. That’s another post, but in the meantime, enjoy these!
Orange Julius Copycat
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 6 ounces of frozen orange juice concentrate
- 14 ice cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Add all ingredients to blender, process until smooth and creamy. (hint – start with the ice crusher button and move on to the frappe.) You may need to stop after a minute or two and stir.
Notes:
- I made the above using the concentrate while still frozen – it gives the best results. If you’d like yours slushier, put the concentrate in the fridge the night before so it is melted when you use it.
- Notice the servings of these are fairly small by many of today’s standards! Slightly under a cup. Even that has quite a bit of sugar and is a much more “reasonable” size than the giant servings you may be used to at fast food places.
Let’s talk about how to save money/time on this recipe:
- Use a coupon matching site! Do not discount the savings! I check sites every week, even if I don’t “need” to go to the store and often find bargains I can’t pass up.
- Follow my 12 Strategies – You’ll see them on the upper drop down menu of every page and how I apply them, below.
- Don’t get discouraged if your prices don’t match mine! Keep shopping at the best prices and your fridge/freezer and pantry will be stocked with sales priced ingredients.
- Read {Strategies Applied} for additional tips as well as throughout the recipe, for saving time and managing food.
Nutrition:
185 Calories, 1g fat, 2g protein; 43g carbohydrate; dietary fiber 4g; 4mg cholesterol; 20mg sodium; exchange: 1 fruit, 0 nonfat milk, 0 fat, 1 1/2 other carbohydrates.
Put Your own Spin on It:
- Variations of this recipe are really endless, made as above, any concentrate could be used.
- While the OJ and milk makes it taste like a creamsicle, of course you’re not limited to using milk as your liquid. Try any juice you’d like.
4 thoughts on “Orange “Julias””