Ninja Creami Orange Julius Ice Cream
It’s quick and easy to make this easy Ninja Creami Orange Julius Ice Cream at home with just 4 ingredients and minimal prep.
Suitable for gluten free and vegetarian diets.
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This homemade Orange Julius copycat ice cream is one of my all-time favorite things to make in the awesome Ninja Creami. I love this light and creamy frothy drink ice cream that screams sunny days, mall trips, and hanging with friends.
Bonus is that it is a great breakfast treat, everyday dessert, and a light after-school snack for the whole family. This version is super quick, healthier, and made with minimal ingredients, which means anyone can make Ninja Creami Orange Julius ice cream at home.
And like my Ninja Creami mango sorbet and tropical Ninja Creami coconut ice cream I can easily whip up this frozen treat with ingredients I have in my cupboard or fridge.
PS, if you like this, then feel free to check out my collection of easy healthy Ninja Creami recipes!🍦🍦
Table of Contents
Why Make This Recipe?
- Super easy – Simply combine all the ingredients, freeze them, and process. Yeap, easy homemade ice cream in a few steps!
- Budget friendly – Whip up this easy dessert with just a handful of pantry and refrigerator staples.
- Customizable – Change the ingredients to make this recipe dairy free, or add some mix-ins and experiment with different flavors to create your perfect ice cream.
- Healthier alternative – I love knowing everything that is in this ice cream, aka no artificial flavors, no preservatives, just pure goodness.
- You can also check out the equally delicious Ninja Creami strawberry ice cream.
Ingredient Notes
Before you start whipping up your ice cream, let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need:
- Fresh orange juice: For the best result, use freshly squeezed pulp-free orange juice for a smoother texture. Just be sure to check there are no added sugars. Leftover juice can be used in this sheet pan orange chicken.
- Whole milk: This adds a delicious creaminess to your dessert. Feel free to use low-fat milk for a lighter option.
- Protein powder: Please use whatever sugar free protein powder you already love. I tend to use a plain one so I can add whichever flavor I want. Vanilla is a good one to try.
- Vanilla extract: This boosts the flavor, and you can add more or less to suit your taste.
Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!
For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.
Step by Step Instructions
Get complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
Step 1. Blend It: Add the ingredients – aka fresh orange juice, milk, protein powder and vanilla extract to your blender and blend until fully combined and smooth.
Step 2. Freeze It: Pour the blended base mix into an empty Ninja Creami container pint, cover, and freeze it on a level surface for 24 hours. Yeap, you do have to wait that long (trust me, it’s worth it!).
Step 3. Cream In The Ninja Creami: Remove the container from the freezer and take off the lid. Pop it into your Ninja Creami according to the manufacturer’s instructions and process using the Lite Ice Cream setting.
Step 4. Check and Re-Spin: When done, open it up and check with a quick stir. If needed, add a little splash of milk or orange juice and re-spin 1-2 times till you get your desired consistency.
Recipe Tips and Variations
This Ninja Creami Orange Julius Protein Ice Cream is as good as is, but here are some handy tips and delicious variations to help you make the most of this awesome treat:
- Order matters – When adding ingredients to the blender, start with the liquids first, followed by the protein powder. This helps you get a smooth blend.
- Blend well – Make sure everything is well-blended for that creamy ice cream consistency.
- Freeze for long enough – Be sure to allow the mixture to freeze for the full 24 hours. It must be fully frozen in order to process correctly.
- Re-spin – Add a splash of orange juice or milk and use the re-spin function if your ice cream isn’t creamy enough.
- Make it sweet – Depending on your taste, feel free to add in 2-3 tablespoons of sweetener to keep it sugar free. Or you can add maple syrup if you prefer.
- Vary the fruit – Experiment with other juices like mango, pineapple, or strawberry for different fruity ice creams.
- Add zest – I love adding in orange zest or even lemon zest, for that extra citrus flavor.
- Tropical treat – Replace some of the milk with coconut milk for a more tropical twist.
- Prep ahead – Prep and freeze several recipes at once so you’ll always have a frozen pint ready to process!
- Freeze without the lid – Freezing without the lid seems to prevent a peak from forming on the frozen base. However, my freezer is typically packed full, so this is not always possible. If a peak does form, I simply shave it off to level it before processing.
Prep and Storage
- Prep Ahead – Make your ice cream base and let it freeze for at least 24 hours before adding it to the machine.
- Storage – Keep in a sealed container in the freezer for several weeks, up to 1 month.
FAQS
Yes, and having to wait 24 hours for Ninja Creami is probably the most difficult part of the process. To get the proper texture, it is critical that the ice cream base be a frozen solid. This ensures that smaller ice crystals form, which provides that super creamy texture we all love.
If your Ninja Creami ice cream is icy, it could be caused by a few different things;
(1) The freezer may be too cold. Try letting your frozen ice cream sit on your counter for about 10 minutes to warm up a little bit before processing.
(2) The base does not have enough fat content. Add some extra dairy with a high fat content and re-spin.
(3) The base might not contain enough sugar. Try adding a bit more sugar, honey, or corn syrup and re-spinning.
You can keep it in the freezer for several weeks. Smooth out the processed mixture so it’s flat, place the lid on, and put it in the freezer. When you are ready to enjoy it again, simply run it on the same setting that you used the first time.
More Ninja Creami Recipes
- Ninja Creami coconut ice cream.
- Ninja Creami mango sorbet.
- Ninja Creami apple ice cream.
- Ninja Creami pumpkin ice cream.
- Ninja Creami gingerbread ice cream.
- Ninja Creami strawberry ice cream.
- Ninja Creami chocolate ice cream.
- Ninja Creami banana ice cream.
- Ninja Creami Dole whip.
- Ninja Creami protein ice cream.
- Big old list of all Ninja Creami recipes!
- Big old list of Summer Ninja Creami recipes.
- Big old list of Healthy Ninja Creami recipes.
- Protein Ninja Creami recipes.
- Ninja Creami frozen yogurt.
- Easy mango ice cream.
- Fried ice cream air fryer.
- Ice cream sandwich cake.
Recommended Tools
- The awesome Ninja CREAMi machine!
- Extra Ninja CREAMi Deluxe pints to always have a frozen batch ready to process.
- Measuring cups and spoons for adding just the right amounts.
- A high-powered blender for easily combining your ingredients.
- For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.
Thank you for reading my Ninja Creami orange julius ice cream recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable air fryer recipes, Instant Pot recipes, Southern recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.
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Ninja Creami Orange Julius Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups (473 mL) fresh orange juice pulp free
- ¾ cup (177 mL) whole milk
- 2 scoops protein powder sugar free
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Blend It: Add all the ingredients – aka fresh orange juice, milk, protein powder, and vanilla extract – to your blender and blend until fully combined and smooth.
- Freeze It: Pour the blended base mix into an empty Ninja Creami container pint, cover, and freeze it on a level surface for 24 hours.
- Cream In The Ninja Creami: Remove the container from the freezer and take off the lid. Pop it into your Ninja Creami according to the manufacturer’s instructions and process using the Lite Ice Cream setting.
- Check and Re-Spin: When done, open it up and check it with a quick stir. If needed, add a little splash of milk or orange juice and re-spin 1-2 times, until you get your desired consistency.
Video
Notes
- Order matters – When adding ingredients to the blender, start with the liquids first, followed by the protein powder. This helps you get a smooth blend.
- Blend well – Make sure everything is well-blended for that creamy ice cream consistency.
- Freeze for long enough – Be sure to allow the mixture to freeze for the full 24 hours. It must be fully frozen in order to process correctly.
- Re-spin – Add a splash of orange juice or milk and use the re-spin function if your ice cream isn’t creamy enough.
- Make it sweet – Depending on your taste, feel free to add in 2-3 tablespoons of sweetener to keep it sugar free. Or you can add maple syrup if you prefer.
- Vary the fruit – Experiment with other juices like mango, pineapple, or strawberry for different fruity ice creams.
- Add zest – I love adding in orange zest or even lemon zest, for that extra citrus flavor.
- Tropical treat – Replace some of the milk with coconut milk for a more tropical twist.
- Prep ahead – Prep and freeze several recipes at once so you’ll always have a frozen pint ready to process!
- Freeze without the lid – Freezing without the lid seems to prevent a peak from forming on the frozen base. However, my freezer is typically packed full, so this is not always possible. If a peak does form, I simply shave it off to level it before processing.
- Storage – keep in a sealed container in the freezer for several weeks, up to 1 month.
