Orange Julius Copycat
By Melissa Griffiths of Bless This Mess
One of my favorite recipes in the Blendtec cookbook is banana ice cream. You simply blend frozen bananas until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream and enjoy. We make this all of the time! I was dreaming of an Orange Julius the other day but didn't feel like I wanted to commit to that many calories just for a drink.
Then I had a "light bulb" moment! If I replaced the ice cream in a traditional Orange Julius with banana ice cream, I'd save a whole lot of calories. Using almond milk also helps. So before I knew it, I had a super clean and healthy Orange Julius recipe that is light on calories, big on taste, and pretty darn good for you. And I've made this recipe every other day for the last two weeks; we just can't get enough.
Using fresh, seasonal oranges makes a huge difference in this recipe. They add so much flavor and sweetness! To quickly "peel" oranges, cut off a thin slice of peel from the top and the bottom of the orange. Set the orange on its new flat bottom, and then use your knife to slice down the sides right under the peel following the curve of the orange. It's ok if there is a bit of white pith left—it's nothing the Blendtec won't take care of!
Clean and Healthy Orange Julius Copycat
2 oranges, peeled
4 frozen bananas, broken into chunks
2 cups vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add all of the ingredients to the jar of your Blendtec blender, secure the lid, and blend on the Ice Cream cycle. If the mixture is too thick, add a splash more almond milk and blend again. Pour into 2 large glasses and enjoy right away.
For more recipes that are quick, healthy, and family-friendly, check out my blog, Bless this Mess. You'll also find lots of good eats, the fun we have raising a dozen backyard chickens, and an honest picture of a happy small town life. You can connect on Facebook and Instagram too!
One of my favourite recipes so far. I added 2 cups of spinach to turn this into a green smoothie. Does not change the taste at all. Thanks so much Melissa.
Hi Paula,
You can try decreasing the bananas by one or two and use ice in place of the frozen bananas you don’t use.
I think it came out too sweet. I’ll try it with unsweetened almond milk next time.
While it tasted good, the taste of the bananas did overpower the oranges.
Another Orange Julius (a delightful pastiche…)
2 oranges
5 medjool dates
12-15 soaked almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup liquid of your choice; almond milk, coconut milk or water. (If you use water just add extra soaked almonds for creaminess.)
6-10 ice cubes depending on your desired slushiness.
Blend on Smoothie. Serves 2.
So flipping good!!
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