A Fresh Spin on the Classic Orange Julius

This recipe is packed with nostalgia for me. I was a child of the 80s right when Orange Julius stands were popping up in every mall food court, but we made it at home. Mom or Dad would blend them from scratch in our giant stainless steel Vitamix. It was a frugal and rare treat for a household that was typically mindful about limiting sugar and eating healthy, whole foods.

In that spirit, I’ve experimented with a spin on the classic make-at-home Orange Julius recipe to further reduce the addition of cane sugar and make it plant-based. Enjoy this tasty cool drink this summer!

Before we get into the how-to, which is super simple, and the modifications, let’s take a quick look at the history of this bright, refreshing beverage.

A Quick Sip of History

The story begins even long before my parents were born, back in 1926. The exact origin story is a little fuzzy, including who really deserves credit for developing the recipe. Most references agree that it was two men in Los Angeles, Julius Freed and Bill Hamlin. There is also some fierce debate about what ingredients the classic recipe must contain, from powdered egg whites to vanilla pudding. The idea is the same: something to add the creamy texture and cut through the orange juice’s acidity.

The Greenhouse Twist: Juice Your Homegrown Mandarins

For this greenhouse-inspired version, we’re going to use fresh-squeezed mandarin juice. Mandarins are naturally sweeter and less acidic than standard oranges, so that will help when we leave out the sugar.

To get closer to the consistency of orange juice concentrate, we froze the fresh-squeezed juice in ice cube trays. Approximately 10 mandarins yielded the 6 oz, or ¾ cup, we were looking for, which equaled about 10 ice cubes. After testing the recipe, I added another 5 mandarin juice cubes for more citrus flavor, since fresh juice isn’t as concentrated as the cans you get from the store. You could use a juicer or reamer to juice your oranges. I read that you can even use a blender and then strain off the pulp, but that sounded like too much work. I happen to have a handy lime juicer, which worked perfectly. You’ll have to plan ahead to let the juice freeze overnight, or at least 6 to 8 hours.

The Sweet Stuff

If you’re like me, whenever your bananas start to over-ripen, you toss them into the freezer for some other use. Usually that’s banana bread, but today we’re going to use them in place of the sugar in our Orange Julius recipe. Bananas contain natural pectin and starches. When blended frozen, they create a smooth, soft-serve ice cream texture that perfectly replaces both the sugar and the thickening properties of the original egg-white powder.

Vanilla isn’t really a sweetener, but don’t skimp here and go for the real stuff. It can be hard to find pure vanilla extract when so much of what you see on the shelf is imitation vanilla made with vanillin, a manufactured vanilla flavoring. You will definitely pay for pure vanilla. It’s the second-most expensive spice in the world, behind saffron. Has anyone tried to grow vanilla orchids in their dome yet? Let us know in the comments below.

Vegan Mandarin-Coconut "Julius" Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes (plus freezing time) | Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 15 frozen mandarin juice cubes (or 6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate)
• 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
• 4–5 coconut milk ice cubes
• Half of a frozen banana (broken into chunks)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup crushed ice or ice chips

Instructions:

1. Layer the blender: Add the almond milk and vanilla extract first, followed by the frozen banana, coconut milk cubes, and frozen mandarin juice.
2. Blend: Start your blender on low for 5 seconds to break up the frozen cubes, then ramp it up to high.
3. Perfect the froth: Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds until completely smooth, whipped, and frothy.
4. Add the ice chips last: Toss in ice chips or crushed ice at the very end. Pulse 5 to 8 times to avoid melting the ice.
5. Serve: Pour into two chilled glasses, find a sunny spot in the garden, and enjoy immediately!

If you remember the original drink, at least how my folks made it, it wasn’t completely smooth. It had a little crunchy, slushy texture from the blended ice cubes.

Tips from Behind the Julius Counter

Whole ice cubes can bog down your blender, although they aren’t a problem at all for a Vitamix. If your fridge doesn’t readily make chips or crushed ice, you can put your cubes in a bag and whack them with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer mallet to break them up before blending.

Every blender is different. Use the timing and number of pulses as a starting point and adjust as necessary.

Thick smoothies often form an air pocket right over the blades, causing the motor to whir loudly while nothing moves. Turn the blender completely off, and unplug it if you want to be extra safe. Use a long wooden spoon or spatula to stir the mixture, pushing the frozen chunks down toward the blades before blending again. Never insert a spoon or tool while the motor is actually running.

If the mixture is spinning but looks like a chunky slush rather than a whipped drink, it needs a tiny bit of help. Add a little extra almond milk, one tablespoon at a time, through the lid cap while pulsing until the drink starts moving smoothly. Note that the coconut milk cubes may stay a little chunky. If you don’t like the texture and want a creamier, smoother beverage, don’t freeze the coconut milk. Add about ¼ cup to the liquid ingredients in the bottom of the blender instead.

Dreaming of growing your own citrus?

A Growing Dome greenhouse creates a protected space where gardeners can grow fresh ingredients, experiment with fruit trees, and enjoy the garden through more of the year. Contact us to ask a question, request a quote, or schedule a tour.

This frothy mandarin-coconut Julius is a refreshing way to bring back a sweet memory, especially if you’re lucky enough to be growing your own citrus. It keeps the creamy, slushy texture of the original while leaning on naturally sweet mandarins and frozen bananas instead of added cane sugar. Whether you sip it after a morning working in the garden, serve it as an afternoon treat, or share it with someone who remembers the mall food court classic, this homemade version is bright, simple, and full of summer sunshine.