5 Minute Healthy, Homemade Vegan Orange Julius Recipe

This isn’t just another orange smoothie…this is a homemade Orange Julius recipe! Creamy, frosty and just a wee bit zippy, this healthy vegan Orange Julius is one of my favourite summertime treats. It’s so easy to make, just freeze OJ into cubes and then whenever the craving strikes, you’ve got a nostalgic treat in just 5 minutes! No dairy milk, low in added sugars and gut-friendly!

What mall-roaming kid didn’t want to use their pocket money at Orange Julius? It was either that or New York Fries for me… so I have so much nostalgia around this sweet treat. And since I create healthy plant-based recipes for a living, this dietitian decided I needed a homemade orange julius recipe so I could satisfying my comfort cravings any time I like. I very much believe that you don’t have to sacrifice taste for nutrition, which is why all of the recipes in my Good For Your Gut cookbook are made for people who LOVE to eat.

I can’t honestly tell you how many Orange Julius I drank as a kid, well, until I couldn’t handle how sweet they were any longer. And they are super sweet. A medium has 57 grams of added sugars – about 14 teaspoons – which is more than double the recommended daily limit for women. 

Now, let’s be clear, I’m not a fan of making any foods off limits. Sometimes, you just want what you want…and that’s 100% okay in the context of a healthy, whole foods diet. But if you’re big on sweets, it’s worthwhile getting to know the difference between whole food forms of sugars and added sugars and trying to keep it whole as often as possible.

I’ve packed a lot of info into this post…so use this table of contents to skip ahead if you need!

• What’s the difference between added sugars and sugars?
• What is an added sugar?
• Is Orange Julius vegan?
• Vegan Orange Julius Ingredients
• Homemade orange julius recipe tips + substitutions

What’s the difference between added sugars and sugars?

Sugar is the new fat, as far as internet dietary scourges go. However, it’s super important not to get caught up in nutritionism and start freaking out about eating strawberries. Where the gram of sugar comes from matters. For example, if you eat an apple, the tough cell walls of the apple sequester the sugars and it takes time and digestive effort to get at them. That apple also contains beneficial fibre, vitamins and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals that support healthy gut and optimal metabolism. 

However, if you get that same gram of sugar from actual sugar – or even commercial apple juice – it is rapidly digested and absorbed. This makes a difference for how sharply your blood sugars spike (and crash!) and whether inflammation is stoked post-meal. There isn’t a lot of actual nourishment from that sugar either. It’s pretty much just sugar. So you’re getting calories but not nutrition…and your body doesn’t like to play that game too often. 

What is an added sugar?

Added sugars are as they sound: sugars that are added to foods, and not naturally occurring like in fruit or vegetables. These include natural sweeteners and even concentrated sources of naturally occurring sugars like: 

• All forms of sugar, like date sugar, white sugar, coconut sugar
• Any word ending in -ose, like sucrose (table sugar) or dextrose 
• Honey, Maple Syrup, Corn Syrup, Agave Syrup, Molasses 
• Fruit juice concentrates, Fruit purees

Label reading? In the US, you now see an added sugars category on the nutrition facts panel which makes me SO happy. I wish that Canada had followed suit but instead, you’ll want to peruse the ingredients label to see if added sugars occur in the first 3-5 ingredients, plus how often sugars occur, to get a sense of whether the sugars on the nutrition facts panel come from added sugars or real food (like actual fruit).

Is Orange Julius Vegan?

My homemade Orange Julius definitely has healthier forms of sugar, and less sugar overall (about 18g or 4-ish teaspoons per serving) but it also rectifies another potential issue: Orange Julius isn’t vegan either. The ingredients list is actually kind of weird…like sodium carboxymethylcellulose…but it also contains egg whites and dairy ingredients so if you eat a vegan diet, it won’t work for you.

Using cashew mylk – or oat mylk if you want an even creamier texture – will keep it dairy free and if you really want to go after that froth, consider adding a tablespoon of aquafaba to replace egg white but I don’t bother.

Vegan Orange Julius Ingredients

Once you’ve got some frozen orange juice cubes made, this homemade orange julius recipe takes less than 5 minutes to make! Here is what you’ll need to make your own frosty treat…you probably already have them on hand!

• Navel oranges: Rich in vitamin C for healthy skin and tummy soothing soluble fibre. Look for a thin, smooth skinned orange to minimize bitter pith because I want you to throw it in unpeeled! This adds a zippy, zesty flavour while boosting all the beneficial bioflavonoids and other phytochemicals found only in the peel. If the peel is really thick, zest it and then cut away the pith before throwing in the orange.
  
• Banana: Banana is rich in potassium and fermentable fibres than help boost the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut. If you want, add the whole banana and skip the maple syrup for a no-added sugars version.
  
• Orange juice: Instead of higher sugar orange juice concentrates in other recipes, I use straight OJ and then freeze it so you don’t have to dilute your drink with ice cubes. More flavour!
  
• Unsweetened cashew mylk: any non-dairy milk will do here, but I like cashew for it’s neutral flavour and light texture. Want it creamier? Go for unsweetened oat mylk!
  
• Vanilla: seems odd, but it smooths out the flavour and adds to that creamy sensation. 
  
• Orange flavoured flax oil: absolutely not essential, but it boosts the orange flavour and gives you a hit of omega 3 fatty acids….I like the Omega Nutrition Brand (not sponsored!).
  
• Maple Syrup: I use pure maple syrup a lot because it’s totally plant based and flavourful. Add to taste…and if you like, you can swap pure cane sugar (start with 1-2 teaspoons).

Homemade orange julius recipe tips + substitutions

• Want a no-sugar added version? Use a full banana and omit maple syrup
• Don’t have time to freeze orange juice? Sub 1/3 cup orange juice frozen concentrate and omit maple syrup.
• Make a strawberry julius: substitute frozen orange juice for heaping 1/2 cup frozen strawberries

Looking for more yummy orange drinks?

• Orange Jalepeno Iced Tea
• Turmeric Ginger Smoothie with Greens