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Make a delicious Orange Smoothie with only 5 ingredients in just 5 minutes. This healthy Orange Julius is a refreshing spin on an orange vanilla smoothie that's lighter and better for you! Everyone's going to love it and it's great for a Whole30, Gluten-Free, Low-Calorie, Vegan, and Paleo diet!
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This Orange Smoothie Recipe is lower in sugar, lower in calories, and higher in nutrients, vitamin c and taste than the classic mall beverage! It's such a refreshing way to cool off when it's hot out!
Now I may or may not be telling you this, but you may or may not be able to add a little vodka to turn your orange smoothie into an adult version. Just giving you all your options here because it is summer and it would be a healthier way to enjoy an adult beverage!
If you love fruit smoothies, you've got to try my strawberry Greek yogurt smoothie or this cantaloupe and citrus smoothie next!
Why You Will Love This Healthy Orange Julius Smoothie
- So Quick to Make: Only FIVE minutes and FIVE ingredients are all you need!
- Healthy Snack or Breakfast Addition: This orange smoothie is perfect any time of day and a great way to get a boost of vitamin C.
- Fresh Flavors: Made with 100% fresh ingredients this all natural smoothie tastes fresh too! If you love freshly squeezed orange juice then you will love this healthy Orange Julius! I promise.
Ingredients
- Orange: One large fresh orange makes one smoothie. Using the whole orange rather than orange juice makes the smoothie thicker but also retains all the fiber and goodness found in whole fruit.
- Vanilla Extract: Lends its natural sweetness and warming flavors enhacing the orange essence of the smoothie.
- Almond Milk: My go-to non-dairy milk but you can use any type of milk you enjoy.
- Stevia: Just a bit to make it a little sweeter. I personally avoid added sugar but when I do want to add a touch of sweetness, stevia gives it just the right amount of what it needs! I recommend avoiding artificial sweeteners due to their negative impact on health. If you're following Whole30, the stevia is not complaint and you will need to omit it. You can use more or less to your own taste preference.
Variations
- Add Some Protein: If you're wanting to boost the protein you can add a scoop of your favorite neutral flavored protein powder or a scoop of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt to the blender.
- Other Mix-Ins: Chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds will add more protein as well as some healthy fats to the smoothie.
- Other Fruit Combinations: Oranges pair well with other citrus flavors such as lime or lemon or you can add in some berries, cantaloupe, or pineapple to create different flavors of orange smoothies.
How to Make an Orange Smoothie
Step 1: Add Ingredients. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. You can add more or less ice to adjust the consistency of the smoothie.
Step 2: Sip and enjoy! Transfer the smoothie to a glass and sprinkle orange zest over the top. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Orange smoothies make a great addition to a quick breakfast or light lunch. You can also sip on one before or after your workout or as a mid-afternoon or evening snack.
For meals, the smoothie doesn't have a lot of protein, so it's best to pair it with other dishes that will make your meal more balanced. When you're running out the door grab a homemade protein breakfast bar or jar of protein overnight oats.
Serve them up with a splash of champagne or vodka for a brunch. They make a great sipper while enjoying this Mexican breakfast hash, a breakfast strata with sausage with your favorite people, or by yourself with a breakfast quesadilla.
As a pre or post workout snack I like to pair them with these protein granola bars, a hemp seed energy ball or yummy slice of my baked yogurt recipe.
Expert Tips
- Freeze the Oranges. Freezing the orange ahead of time when it's ripe makes it SO much better. Trust me! It's not necessary, as you can still make this smoothie with an orange at room temperature or from the refrigerator.
- Enjoy Right Away. Smoothies are best enjoyed freshly made. You can save any leftovers and try to blend it up with more ice later on, but it likely won't taste as great as it does the first time around.
- Zest the Orange. Be sure to zest the orange BEFORE you peel it. It's much easier to zest it when the peel is intact.
- Adjusting the Consistency. Add more milk if you want a thinner smoothie and more ice if you want it thicker. I suggest making the adjustments in small increments after you've blended the recipe ingredients and then keeping adding and blending again to get it just right.
Recipe FAQs
No, I don't recommend it. You won't get the full benefits of all the nutrients in the whole orange and it will change the texture as well.
Yes, I'd recommend removing most of the seeds as a regular blender may not be able to blend them completely. If you are using a high-speed blender this isn't quite as important.
More Healthy Smoothies To Enjoy!
If you tried this healthy orange julius or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Orange Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 orange peeled
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or milk or choice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 handfuls ice
- Stevia to taste
- ½ tablespoon orange zest optional for topping
Instructions
- Blend the milk, orange, ice, vanilla and stevia together in a blender.
- Transfer to a glass, top with orange zest and enjoy!
Notes
- Freezing the orange ahead of time when it ripe makes it SO much better. Trust me! It's not necessary, as you can still make this smoothie with an orange at room temperature or from the refrigerator.
- Smoothies are best enjoyed freshly made. You can save any leftovers and try to blend it up with more ice later on, but it likely won't taste as great as it does the first time around.
- Be sure to zest the orange BEFORE you peel it. It's much easier to zest it when the peel is intact.
- Add more milk if you want a thinner smoothie and more ice if you want it thicker. I suggest making the adjustments in small increments after you've blended the recipe ingredients and then keeping adding and blending again to get it just right.
Nutrition
Is it only one orange or more?
Yep - just one orange.
A large orange, medium orange, or a small or orange?
Any size orange works with this recipe.
This looks tasty but FYI it is NOT Whole 30 compliant as it contains stevia.
Yep and that is mentioned in the blog post itself.
Looks great! But can I swap the almond milk for a normal fresh milk instead?
Thanks for sharing!
I'm sure you can!
Hi there, this recipe says, 1 orange, do you mean 1 orange juiced or do we throw in the whole orange? Thanks
Ps. You can still get an Orange Julius, they are at Dairy Queen.
The entire orange goes in with the peel removed.
I've never had an Orange Julius. I don't even know what I am missing! But I'm sure that I would like your version better anyway!
I cannot believe you never have. You must not have hung out at malls or maybe they're not on the east coast?
I know man. I'm so tired still. That could also be bc I ingested copious amounts of crap this weekend though. 🙂
That does tend to make you feel icky girl! I'm feeling better today. I think I just needed a few days of sleep in my own bed.
yum that looks so refreshing!! My husband and I went to the Caymen Islands with friends a few weeks ago then to his parents' lakehouse last week!! Both trips were so relaxing!
I bet! That's my kind of vacation!
Sounds delicious! Orange Julius is such a throw-back to my childhood when we used to get them at the mall. I make a similar protein smoothie and I just love how refreshing this drink is!
Oh protein is a great idea to toss in here. I'll have to try that next time.
I used to LOVE Orange Julius as a kid until I realized there was a raw egg in it I want to try this out!
No way! I had no idea. There's no egg in mine.