Orange Julius

Ok, so this may really show my age, but the infamous Orange Julius, y’all! Wasn’t it the best? I still remember walking down the mall corridors in the ’80’s, Orange Julius in hand.

If you’re a little younger, you may not know or have heard of an Orange Julius. Quite simply put, it’s an orangey, frothy, sweet, smoothie type drink consisting of orange juice concentrate, milk, sugar, vanilla, and a secret ingredient.

This delicious and refreshing concoction’s parent company was bought out by Dairy Queen many years ago. One may still find an original Orange Julius on the DQ menu, though not every location has it. Check out their almost 100 year history here.

The recipe has been floating around the internet for years, so it’s definitely no secret, except for maybe one thing.

It may come as a surprise that the secret ingredient used in the recipe is a raw egg white. Folks, don’t let this alarm you. I have been using raw egg in various recipes for three decades, pasteurized eggs, of course. I’ve never had an issue, and quite frankly, professional chefs scoff at the hesitation. So, while we all know the word salmonella, the chance of contracting it from raw egg is exceedingly rare. As always, though, the choice is yours. This recipe will not be the same without it. The egg white brings a level of frothiness not otherwise obtained.

An immersion blender works fabulously for this recipe. I don’t keep my regular blender on the counter, so it’s more convenient to just use the hand or immersion blender, but use what you have. Honestly, even a food processor would work.

I love making an Orange Julius in the wintertime as well as summertime. Nothing helps beat back the winter blues like this fresh, orange, deliciously sweet smoothie. Try it and let me know what you think!