Simple Orange Smoothies With Just 3-5 Ingredients

Orange smoothies are energising, super-sweet, and packed with immune-boosting vitamins. But they can be tricky to make at home…

Their acidic nature doesn’t always play well with other ingredients and sometimes they aren’t as silky-smooth as we’d like. But when done right, they’re ridiculously good!

In this article – we summarise everything you need to know about making super-simple orange smoothies that taste amazing (with recipes, nutrition, and storage tips too).

It covers the best type of oranges to use, precise steps to achieving a super-smooth texture, and which recipe combinations are the tastiest.

• Nutrition benefits
• Best types of oranges for smoothies
• Basic smoothie instructions
• Tastiest smoothie recipes
• Preparation & storage tips

Nutritional Benefits of Oranges

Oranges are naturally sweet and juicy, so lend themselves well to making really tasty fruit smoothies. They’re also loaded with vitamin C which provides a host of health benefits too…

• A single orange contains 69 calories and 138% of your recommended daily requirement of vitamin C
• Vitamin C is an immune-boosting superhero that supports the body’s resistance against infections
• It’s also a powerful antioxidant that helps to fight skin damage caused by pollution, the sun, and aging
• An orange provides 12% of your dietary fibre intake and 12% of your folate

So, adding oranges to your smoothies makes good nutritional sense, as well as being tasty.

Tastiest Orange Varieties

The best orange varieties for smoothies are Naval oranges – they’re the tastiest option. But availability and flavour can vary depending on the time of year.

If you prefer sweeter oranges, less acidic ones, are just want an easy-peeling option, then here are a few different ones…

• Naval – available in winter, these oranges are seedless, peel easily, and taste damn good.
• Valencia – available in summer, these are super-juicy but also contain a few annoying pips.
• Blood – available in winter, blood oranges have a tough skin that can be difficult to peel, and have the tartest flavour.
• Mandarin – available throughout the winter in several different varieties…
  • Clementine – available between November and January, these small fruits are easy to peel, almost always seedless, and contain less acid than other varieties.
  • Satsuma – best between October and December, satsumas are seedless, easy to peel, and very sweet.
  • Tangerine – available October to April, tangerines are easy to peel but often have seeds. However, their sweet, distinctive taste can make up for the faff.

For more info on which smoothie ingredients are in season at different times of the year, check out our handy Seasonal Smoothie Ingredients Cheat Sheet.

How To Make An Orange Smoothie

Here’s the basic process for making a perfect, velvety-smooth orange smoothie…

1. Peel 2-3 fresh oranges.
2. Remove as much of the white pith as you can (the more you remove, the smoother it’ll be).
3. Separate the segments, taking care not to let any burst so you retain as much natural juice and flavour as possible.
4. Place the individual segments in a blender and blend for 20-30 seconds until smooth (if you’re adding other ingredients, now is the time to do it).
5. Serve over ice cubes (or chill the oranges in the fridge beforehand).

Now you know how to make the basic smoothie, let’s look at more recipe ideas…

Best Orange Smoothie Recipes

Here’s a rundown of our all-time favourite orange smoothies. Some are homemade recipes from the blog, others are our top picks from the health and foody communities. But all share one thing in common – they’re super-simple.

We’re big fans of simplicity at The Blendery, so all the recipes contain a maximum of 5 everyday ingredients.

Plus there are some serious taste tests that need passing, before they make it onto our smoothie hall of fame. Yes, taste-testing is a tough job but we manage to battle through somehow ;) So, you can be sure that every single recipe on this list is seriously good.

1. Orange Creamsicle 
2. Blueberry & Orange
3. Orange Julius
4. Orange & Carrot
5. Blood Orange
6. Strawberry & Orange
7. Fruitbowl Smoothie

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

This super-simple orange and spinach smoothie contains just 3 ingredients. It’s super-healthy, dairy-free, and suitable for vegans. Blitzing a handful of leafy greens in with your smoothies is a quick and easy way to up your nutrient intake (via Oh My Veggies).

Blueberry Orange Smoothie 

Drinks don’t get any more summery than this. Seriously, this one deserves an umbrella. Not only is it a deliciously appetising colour, it’s practically exploding with vitamin C. It contains over twice your daily needs in one glass!

• 2 oranges
• ½ banana
• 20-30 blueberries (a big handful)

Peel the orange and banana, then blend everything with 120ml (½ cup) of water.

Orange Julius Smoothie 

A quick and easy recipe made using just 5 ingredients, one of which is ice (so totally doesn’t count in our book). It tastes exactly like a classic Orange Julius smoothie thanks to its secret ingredient, a teaspoon of vanilla extract. We think it’s delicious (via Gimme Some Oven).

Orange & Carrot Smoothie

This vibrant orange and carrot smoothie is appetising to look at, full of immune-boosting vitamin C, and beta carotene too. It’s usually a big hit with kids who love all things brightly coloured. This recipe is dairy-free, vegan-friendly, and ideal if you want a tasty smoothie without banana.

• 2 oranges
• 1 carrot
• 120ml (½ cup) chilled water

Peel the orange and remove the top of the carrot, then blend thoroughly with water. If you want to spice it up, then adding a pinch of ground ginger adds extra depth to the flavour.

Blood Orange Smoothie 

This is a tasty twist on the classic orange and banana smoothie. Blood oranges are tarter and less acidic than Navel or Valencia oranges, which makes for an altogether more grown-up flavour. Blending them with frozen banana and greens creates a deliciously creamy and healthy smoothie (via Greatist).

Summer Strawberry & Orange Smoothie

This 3-ingredient citrus and berry smoothie is the perfect refreshment in summer. If fresh strawberries aren’t in season where you are, then frozen ones work just as well. 

• 1 orange
• 1 banana
• 8-10 strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Peel the banana and orange, then add to the blender with the strawberries. Mix with a little cold water until smooth.

Apple, Banana & Orange Smoothie

This smoothie recipe uses all your fruit bowl staples – no exotic ingredients needed! Freezing the banana means you get a creamy texture without needing yogurt or milk. This makes it perfect for fans of dairy-free smoothies or those following a vegan diet.

• 1 orange
• 1 banana (frozen)
• 1 red apple (Pink Lady is our personal fav)

Peel the orange and place the segments in the blender. Remove the core from the apple and slice it to fit into the jug. Add the frozen banana and a little chilled water, then blend until silky smooth.

Preparation, Storage & Freezing Tips

Here are some tips for buying the juiciest oranges and preparing the tastiest smoothies…

• Buying – Choose oranges that seem heavy for their size, as they’re usually the ones that contain the most juice.
• Peeling – Peel the oranges by hand instead of using a knife, as they’ll retain more of their flavoursome juice this way.
• Bitterness – To avoid bitterness, remove as much of the white pith as possible.
• Storage – Oranges will last up to one week at room temperature or up to three weeks in the fridge. This also has the added bonus of ensuring your fresh smoothies are perfectly chilled.
• Freezing – You can freeze oranges for up to a month but be sure to peel and segment them first.

You might also like… Top Tips For Freezing Smoothie Ingredients.

Summary

We’ve covered which recipe combinations are the tastiest, precise steps to achieving a super-smooth texture, the best types of smoothie orange to use, and how to prep and store them.

We’d love to hear how you get on or your ideas for future smoothie guides… Send us a DM via Facebook!