This Ninja Creami Orange Julius copycat recipe uses only 4 simple ingredients and the results are thick, refreshing, and with the same orange flavor as the mall favorite - Orange Julius!
The Ninja Creami appliance lets you make ice-creams, sorbets, and soft serve with unconventional ingredients! With a traditional ice cream maker you add the ice cream base for a frozen canister that churns the ice cream while mixing. But with a Ninja Creami, you freeze the entire base and then it chops and blends it up (similar to a blender, but gives a much creamier texture). This is the Ninja Creami machine that I have!
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⭐️Why I Love It:
- Orange Julius Copycat- This is such a fun way to make the favorite easily at home! For other fun Ninja Creami copycat recipes try this Ninja Creami Oreo Blizzard or Ninja Creami Wendy's Frosty.
- Only 4 Ingredients - You only need 4 simple ingredients to make this Ninja Creami recipe.
- Light and Refreshing - This is such a cool and refreshing treat!
🥘Ingredients
- Milk - I like to whole milk for better flavor and texture, but you can swap in a low fat milk.
- Orange Juice - You can use a juice that has pulp or no pulp. If you have extra orange juice, also try making this Healthy Orange Chicken or Mango Orange Smoothie.
- Vanilla Extract
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix - This is a common ingredient used in Ninja Creami recipes because it helps give the end result a creamier texture. You can use regular or sugar-free.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
📖Variations
- Softer Texture - If you want a softer texture, just add more milk before you do the second spin!
- Mix-Ins - I love adding mix-ins to my Ninja Creami recipes! Some favorites are sprinkles, chopped fresh fruit, and more!
- Other Juices - You can follow this same recipe using other juices like cranberry.
🔪Step by step instructions
Making a Copycat Orange Julius in your Ninja Creami is easy! Just mix the ingredients together, freeze, and blend.
Photo 1 - Add the orange juice, milk, pudding mix, and vanilla to your Ninja Creami pint and mix to combine. You can use a fork to mix or a milk brother.
Photo 2 - Place the pint in the freezer and freeze for 24 hours so it is fully solid. Make sure you place it on a level surface in your freezer.
Photo 3 - Blend. Insert into the outer bowl, add the lid, and lock into position. Blend on 'Lite Ice-Cream'. It will be crumbly.
Photo 4 - Make a little well in the center, add a little extra milk, and re-spin. After the second spin, it should be thick, creamy and ready to enjoy! You can have it as-is or add mix-ins at this point.
🍽Leftovers and Storage
If you can't eat the entire Ninja Creami pint in one sitting, you have two options for storing:
- Save for Re-Blending: Use a spoon to smooth out and level the top in the Ninja Creami pint container and put back in the freezer. Freezing with the level top will let you re-spin it in the Ninja Creami when you want to eat it again. This method will give you that same creamy texture.
- Store and Thaw Slightly Before Enjoying: If you want to free up your Ninja Creami pint container, you can transfer the leftovers to another container and freeze. For this method, you won't be able to re-spin it but I find that letting it thaw on the container for a bit or zapping it in the microwave for just 5-10 seconds softens it and the texture is almost as good as the freshly spun blizzard.
💭Recipe Tips
- Powdery after the First Spin is Normal - It's normal and expected for the mixture to be crumbly after the first spin. The second spin (especially when you add a little more liquid) is when the magic happens!
- The Machine is Loud - If this is your first time using your Ninja Creami, be aware that it is loud when it is spinning. I find the noise level to be similar to a blender. Might not be the best option during nap time or in the middle of the night, if you have shared walls with neighbors.
- Freeze without the lid - I've found that freezing the pint without the lid helps prevent the large peak from forming in the middle. If yours does have a peak, it's okay. You'll just want to shave off some of it with a metal spoon so the top is more level.
- This Recipe is Made Using a Regular Ninja Creami not Deluxe - The standard Ninja Creami pint is 16oz which is what I'm using. The Deluxe Ninja Creami pints are 24oz so be aware that you will need to adjust up if you're trying to make a full pint.
👩🍳Recipe FAQs
The instructions say to freeze your base for 24 hours before blending because it insures that it is frozen completely solid. The exact freeze time will vary based on your freezer - your base likely can be frozen completely solid in less time. The Ninja Creami will not work properly if it isn't completely frozen.
It is normal for things to be powdery or crumbly after just one spin because the base is frozen so solid. After one more spin (and especially a splash of liquid), it should be creamy and ready to enjoy.
🍨Related Ninja Creami Recipes
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PrintRecipe
Ninja Creami Orange Julius (Copycat Recipe)
This Ninja Creami Orange Julius copycat recipe uses only 4 simple ingredients and the results are thick, refreshing, and with the same orange flavor as the mall favorite - Orange Julius!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 24 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Ninja Creami
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon vanilla instant pudding mix
Instructions
- Stir Mixture - Add the orange juice, milk, pudding mix, and vanilla to your Ninja Creami pint and mix to combine. You can use a fork to mix or a milk brother.
- Freeze - Place the pint in the freezer and freeze for 24 hours so it is fully solid. Make sure you place it on a level surface in your freezer.
- First Spin - Blend. Insert into the outer bowl, add the lid, and lock into position. Blend on 'Lite Ice-Cream'. It will be crumbly.
- Re-Spin - Make a little well in the center, add a little extra milk, and re-spin. After the second spin, it should be thick, creamy and ready to enjoy! You can have it as-is or add mix-ins at this point.
- Enjoy or Add Mix-Ins - At this point you can eat it as-is or you can add mix-ins.
Notes
Milk - Whole fat gives the best flavor and texture, but a lower fat milk may be used
Sugar - I do not add sugar, but you can add a little sugar depending on how sweet your OJ is and your preference. You can taste the mixture before freezing to determine if it is sweet enough for you.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ pint
- Calories: 122
- Sugar: 18.8 g
- Sodium: 104.1 mg
- Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.1 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 3.2 g
- Cholesterol: 7.3 mg
Katie says
Loved the orange flavor in this!