This creamy Orange Smoothie tastes like the Orange Julius smoothies I used to love growing up! It’s made with whole, real food ingredients, and there’s no added sugar either, which makes it a treat healthy enough for breakfast.
Do you remember those creamsicle popsicles, or orange sherbet… or Orange Julius smoothies? You name it, all those creamy – dreamy orange concoctions from childhood are the best! Today I have a simple, 3-ingredient smoothie that’s good enough to keep me away from coffee in the morning – at least for a couple of hours anyways.
And… speaking of coffee, it’s probably the most entrenched habit that I have no will whatsoever to break! But even though coffee in the morning is firmly entrenched, I love a good smoothie too. In fact, there are over 30 smoothie recipes you can check out in our recipe index!
This one tastes even better than the Orange Julius smoothies I remember getting from the mall. It’s super creamy and just packed with orange flavor. Combine that with a touch of vanilla, and it almost feels like drinking a milkshake
The success of this smoothie really depends on the quality of the oranges. Whenever you have a simple recipe, the quality of the ingredients becomes more important since there isn’t any way to cover up a lack of flavor! If cara cara oranges are available, be sure to try them because they usually have a lot of zip to them.
That leads me to the ingredients for this Orange Creamsicle Smoothie
- Oranges – Any orange like Navel or Cara Cara works here as well as tangerines and mandarins as well. Just make sure whatever you choose for this smoothie is full of flavor. Bland citrus makes for a bland smoothie because there are only a few ingredients here.
- Orange Zest – For a really deep orange flavor, I used a microplane zester to zest one of the oranges. The orange zest really brings out the orange flavor that would otherwise get masked by the coconut milk.
- Coconut Milk – This is what makes this smoothie so creamy and adds the creamsicle factor. I like to pour canned coconut milk into an ice cube tray and freeze it to add to this smoothie to make it frostier. It’s important to use canned coconut milk for the best creaminess.
- Vanilla – This is optional, but I love adding a touch of vanilla for that creamsicle flavor!
Tips for how to make this smoothie
- A high-powered blender with give you the smoothest results!
- Freeze either the oranges or the coconut milk into cubes as pictured for a frosty almost milkshake-like effect.
Finally, enjoy right away for the best flavor! But this smoothie will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge fairly well since there’s no banana.
Looking for more smoothie recipes with no banana
- Mango Madness Smoothie
- Protein Mandarin Green Smoothie
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie
- Cranberry Orange Smoothie
- Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie
I hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as we have! If you do make it, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below, I always love hearing from you here.
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Orange Smoothie
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This creamy Orange Smoothie is a healthy version of the classic Orange Julius smoothies!
Ingredients
6 medium sized oranges, peeled
1 can (13.5 oz) refrigerated coconut milk
2 Tablespoons orange zest, (from 1–2 oranges)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
water, orange, or apple juice as needed if it’s too thick
Instructions
Add all the ingredients for the smoothie in the order listed to the blender.
Blend, starting on low and working your way up to high speed, until the mixture is completely smooth.
Serve immediately for the best flavor, or refrigerate up to 2 days in a sealed container.
To make 2 servings of this smoothie, use 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup canned coconut milk and halve the rest of the ingredients.
Notes
Be sure to zest your oranges before you juice them.
I call for refrigerated coconut milk so that the smoothie stays nice and cold. Even better is to freeze the coconut milk in ice cube trays for a frostier smoothie!
If your oranges are really lackluster, try adding a bit of orange juice concentrate to amp up the flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: Smoothie
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Creamsicle Smoothie, Creamsicle Milkshake, Creamsicle Smoothie Vegan, Orange Creamsicle Smoothie without Banana
This post was originally published in 2014, but has been updated in 2021 to include more information, tips, and new photos!
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I say there’s really nothing wrong with black coffee! Yes, there’s a lot of caffeine but it’s packed with antioxidants and overall pretty good for you.
Loving this coconut milk + orange smoothie btw, full of goodness and delicious!
Of course, I forgot about the essential antioxidents, (better have another cup)!