Homemade Orange Julius

An Orange Julius is a frothy cold orange juice drink that tastes kind of like a creamsicle, except much lighter and much better. The company that makes them – also named Orange Julius – has been making these drinks since 1926. I remember getting so excited when I was a little kid and saw an Orange Julius stand. Absolutely nothing was more refreshing on a hot day. These days, O.J. is owned by Dairy Queen and, for whatever reason, there really aren’t any in my area anymore. So when I want one, I make up a batch at home using fresh orange juice.

The first time I made an Orange Julius at home was four years ago, almost to the day. At the time, I used a recipe from a Top Secret Recipes book, but I ended up tweaking it just a bit over time to get the exact consistency I want. The changes are very minor because the recipe is very simple: orange juice, water, sugar, egg white, vanilla and ice. Fresh orange juice is the key to getting the best flavor possible, so use it if you can. The egg is the key to the drink’s consistency. I still use a whole egg white in mine, but any pasturised egg white product will give you the frothiness that makes the drink unique.

Homemade Orange Julius
1 1/4 cups fresh orange juice
3/4 cup water
1 large egg white (pasturised substitute is fine; 3 tbsp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups ice

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed 45-60 seconds, until mixture is very smooth and frothy. Use slightly less ice for a thinner consistency; use slightly more for a thicker shake-like consistency.
Serves 4, makes about 36oz.