Do you remember those halcyon days of hanging out at the mall rockin’ your stirrup pants and sipping on an Orange Julius? I’m not sure what happened to those orange filled plexiglass walls, but you’d have to search long and hard for a creamy orange drink these days. Which is why this next generation of kiddos has no idea what they’re missing. None!

When I took home the CSA box from my daughter’s school and it was filled with cara cara Oranges, tangerines and mango oranges, I thought it was time to intro those kids to the world of the OJ. Of course, getting organic citrus from local farms in a variety of ways is very different from using an orange juice concentrate from the Piggly Wiggly, which is how you can make an easy Orange Julius up in your own blender. So I improvised.

I juiced all the citrus up in my box, and added in two more navel oranges for good measure. It was about 8 citrus fruits in total, and then I froze the juices overnight. This way, when you’re making your frosty treat you’ve got extra ice content and it will remain slushy longer. Which is really the goal here, is it not?

Honestly, I always thought the idea of combining orange juice and milk was a little yuck, so I was already planning on substituting almond milk for the regular kind. You guys, I had a zillion kids and teachers asking me for this recipe after serving it up at school, so yeah, use almond milk (or the kind you enjoy the most).

All righty now, put on some Tears For Fears, rewind that John Hughes movie, and mix up a dairy-free Citrus Julius, my friends. It’s 1988 again, and you’re thirsty.

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Orange Julius

Prep time: 5 minutes Blend time: 3 minutes

Ingredients:

6 oz. orange juice concentrate (or the juice of 8-9 citrus fruits, frozen)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup milk of choice (almond was a real crowd pleaser)
1 cup sugar
15 ice cubes

1. Combine your milk, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture into blender and add frozen juice. Add ice cubes and blend until smooth.

Makes: 5 servings