This Healthy Orange Freeze recipe is sponsored by Florida Orange Juice, The Original Wellness Drink!
Help stay hydrated this summer with a refreshing Orange Freeze shake that is delicious and easy-to-make. No dairy, no ice cream, no processed or added sugar, and I promise you won’t miss that stuff at all. Made with refreshing Florida Orange Juice which is 90% water, contributes electrolytes, and bursting with vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Only the good stuff!
It’s summertime and I recently moved back home to Atlanta, GA where the daily humidity is 100%, and the daytime temperature rarely drops below 80°. Needless to say, I am hot! But my mama taught me well, heat and humidity require hydration. I never leave the house without my 32-ounce water bottle, and I snack on juicy fruit all day long. I also love staying hydrated with a cold glass of sweet and tangy Florida Orange Juice. Florida OJ can also be used as a liquid smoothie base. Or freeze it and make this yummy Orange Freeze. You’ll get all the hydrating and immune supportive nutrients found in OJ, in a fun frozen drink.
What’s an Orange Freeze?
Because I’m back in Atlanta, I started craving an Orange Freeze from The Varsity, a local drive-in burger restaurant. Their Orange Freeze is full of added sugar, food coloring, and additives, so I decided to make a healthy vegan version that I can enjoy all season. An Orange Freeze is basically an orange and vanilla flavored milkshake. My clean version is so much more refreshing and delicious. To make it, I use Florida Orange Juice, which I freeze before blending. To make it creamy, I use frozen bananas and non-dairy milk. The artificial vanilla flavoring is replaced by real vanilla extract––you can use fresh vanilla bean if you’re in the mood to splurge. The result is a hydrating and delicious frozen drink that is sure to satisfy any thirsty soul.
Why Florida Orange Juice
Did you know that 100% orange juice is almost 90% water? Florida OJ also contains electrolytes, like potassium, calcium (in fortified juices) and magnesium which help support hydration naturally. Even I struggle to stay hydrated in the summer when it’s really hot. Juicy fresh fruit, smoothies––like this Orange Freeze, and a glass of Florida Orange Juice are delicious options for helping stay hydrated.
I love Florida OJ because it tastes delicious, supports hydration and immunity, and it’s versatile. The recipe possibilities with Florida OJ are endless; ranging from smoothies and shakes, to savory entrees and sides. You must try my Miso Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes recipe too. Florida Orange Juice is available all year round, so it’s easy to incorporate into vegan recipes no matter the season. What’s your favorite way to enjoy Florida OJ?
Tips for making an Orange Freeze with Florida OJ
- I freeze Florida Orange Juice in ice cube trays, then store them in a reusable freezer bag for convenient frozen OJ, perfect for blending. Any freezer trays will work, but I especially love these silicon trays.
- Cut the bananas into 1” medallions before freezing them. You can leave the skin on! It blends seamlessly into the shake. Just be sure to wash the banana well before using it with the skin still on.
- Use very cold non-dairy milk to blend it. Unsweetened plain is best. I usually use oat or soy milk.
- Florida Orange Juice with the pulp is my favorite. Pulp adds a small amount of fiber, and it blends right into the shake.
- This shake can be stored for about 24 hours. So, feel free to double the recipe.
- For a thinner shake, add more Florida OJ as it blends, or allow it to thaw a little before drinking.
Try these other sweet summer recipes!
Orange Freeze with Florida OJ
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen Florida Orange Juice cubes
- 1 cup frozen banana
- 1 cup unsweetened plain non-dairy milk
- 3 dates pitted. soak for 10 minutes before blending if they are very dry
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a food processor, and blend until creamy.
Ethan Steven / May 30, 2023 at 6:13 am /
This is so a fantastic article. Thanks for sharing this informative blog. I have become a fan of your blogs, and this blog is so exciting and informative.
Tomi / July 18, 2022 at 2:11 pm /
For anyone who doesn’t like bananas (raising my hand), you can use frozen peaches instead. I also use vanilla paste. This is similar to our Orange Julius when I was growing up in CA. I will also use homemake oj. As a CA girl, I do favor our oranges.
This is an amazing drink when it is hot, or as a dessert replacement! My husband loves this with Sunday brunch.
CBD Chocolate / October 1, 2021 at 11:24 am /
The recipe is fantastic, and I’m grateful to you for sharing it with us. After a long day at work, my husband and I like having this dish for dinner. Thanks to its simplicity and the lack of physical exertion required, cooking is a pleasure. My children adore it and insist on having it every weekend if I can help it.
Giftbasketworldwide / September 17, 2021 at 3:24 am /
Oh interesting! I love this, and it looks so great.
James / September 8, 2021 at 11:22 am /
Hello! Thank you for this article, I think it’s really useful nowadays to make such freeze orange juice. I came here to make sure I was doing this right. Except for different containers, this is exactly how I did it. I got 2 cups of orange juice from 14 California Mandarins. Of course, I always date and label everything I freeze.
Lisa / July 1, 2021 at 5:10 pm /
O.J. is in the freezer. 🙂 I’ve been making something similar that reminds me of the delicious Orange Julius’s I used to have as a kid in L.A.