When I was growing up, one of my favorite things to do was ride my bike with my friends to the local gas station’s mini-mart and reach into their freezer case and pull out an Orange Push-Up.
If you like Orange PushUps, Orange Creamsicles, or Orange Julius this is the smoothie for you.
I loved Push-Ups and seeing those brightly colored dots meant that creamy orange goodness was soon going to be mine.
I love it when Push-Ups begin to melt because they taste even sweeter, creamier, and better.
The same was true with this smoothie. As it began to melt, it got even better.
This smoothie is a dead ringer for Orange Push-Ups.
Don’t skimp on the sugar if you want it to taste exactly like an Orange Push-Up and I promise, it does.
Sweet oranges ‘n creamy perfection.
I used this mango-orange from Hawaii’s Own brand for the concentrate. It was on sale for 99 cents for the can at my grocery store and I was being cheap being budget conscious and didn’t want to buy the Minute Maid which was $3.29 for one can.
If you can’t find this concentrate, I’m sure any OJ concentrate or citrus juice concentrate blend should be fine. I really didn’t taste mango per se, just an orangey citrus flavor.
This recipe made three good-sized smoothies and since I wasn’t going to drink them all at once, I popped the leftover smoothie mixture in the freezer and realized after the fact that I should have poured the extra into Popsicle molds for homemade Push-Ups. Next time, I’ll do that.
For now, I’ve been eating it like orange sherbet style with a spoon from the glasses I poured it into and then froze.
The variations of what I’m going to do with this addictive orange mixture is exciting and has my wheels turning:
1. Pour it into molds and freeze like traditional Push-Ups (or frozen into ice cube trays or poured into paper Dixie cups with a makeshift stick inserted and peel off the paper cup after it has frozen)
2. Freeze it and eat in a bowl as orange sherbert
3. Drink it smoothie style
Now if the weather could just warm up a bit so my teeth don’t chatter while I slurp copious amounts of orange sugary liquid.
But I’ll shiver and chatter for this stuff any day.
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Orange Push-Up Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 can orange juice concentrate, slightly thawed
- 1 cup milk, half and half, cream, nut milk, soy milk, vegan milk, etc.
- ½ cup granulated sugar, or to taste (you can reduce the sugar or use an alternate sugar substitute such as stevia
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups ice, or to taste
- 1 to 2 ounces of Rum, Malibu, Vodka, Citron, Marshmallow Vodka, Gran Marnier or similar, per smoothie portion, or to taste, optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except ice and optional alcohol, in a large blender or Vita-Mix and blend until smooth and creamy, taking care the sugar has dissolved and is well incorporated. Keep blending until it dissolves. If desired, add a splash more water or milk.
- Add the ice and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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If you’re a fan of fruity and creamy smoothies, try:
Pineapple Banana & Coconut Cream Smoothie
Peaches & Coconut Cream Smoothie
Or just cut to a dessert smoothie with a Creamy Cookie Butter White Chocolate Banana Smoothie. Use peanut butter or almond butter if that’s what you have available because there’s a cookie butter shortage.
Questions:
Do you like Push-Ups?
Do you like orange drinks?
I also love Orange Julius and Orange Crush soda. I haven’t had either in years, but I am fond enough of Orange Crush to order Orange Crush checks.
I am apparently stuck in a 1982 timewarp where people still write out checks and long to lick melty Push-Up with dots on the paper wrapper from the gas station.
While I’m at it, I’d like to do this all while watching The Brady Bunch and Three’s Company reruns and use my bike as my primary mode of transportation. Ahh, childhood memories. And maybe I’ll pour an Orange Creamsicle soda while I’m at it, too.
Hello Averie,
First, thank you for this excellent smoothie recipe. I can’t wait to try it! I love orange and cream things.
Purely based on *taste* (and maybe texture, too) and just all around pleasure, which do you suggest using, between milk, half and half, cream, yogurt, etc.? Yes, I do realize as with everything, it all comes down to personal taste and preference, but I want to know what you think would taste best. Thanks!
Tim
I usually use a combo of milk and half and half. Definitely not skim; whole milk, half and half, and with a splash of cream is going to be richest, thickest and is going to taste the best. But in an effort to keep it healthier, 2% is fine. Just depends how many empty calories are worth it to you :)
Averie,
Thanks so much for the reply. That sounds like the perfect combo to me — I think you got it just right. And, believe it or not, whole milk is actually healthier than 2%, 1%, or skim, so using whole works out perfect, for me! I’d explain why whole milk is healthier, but I don’t want to bore you … And I don’t count calories, either, so it works out all around.! :)
I totally agree about whole milk, the whole of the milk, drinking the whole thing. Like eating the whole egg is healthier than just cherry-picking the whites out. I digress. I used to hang out on holistic and natural food forums and this recipe is about as far from that as you can get, but I’ve been on all sides of the food spectrum, so to speak and completely know where you’d be going with your ‘don’t want to bore you story’ and I concur!
Pinned! I don’t know how we managed without a Vitamix! Perfect for orange push-ups! :o)
Thanks for the Pin! And Ive had my Vita for about 5 years now and can’t imagine life without it – wait, I can. Was just traveling and using a Magic Bullet, which felt like a toy to be honest!
FYI, the stuff you linked to isn’t juice concentrate; it’s juice drink concentrate (first ingredient high fructose corn syrup). I only point that out because it’s probably why readers have experienced bitterness when they make the recipe with OJ concentrate – there’s a LOT more sugar in yours than in a version made with straight juice concentrate.
I LOOOOOOVED Push ups when i was a kid!! Can’t wait to try this…
I noticed the bitter taste too when I made it exactly as the recipe said, which was because of the orange juice concentrate I had. I added a quarter cup more sugar, about a 1/2 cup of water, and some dannon strawberry and vanilla fruit on the bottom yogurt and it came out absolutely amazing.
The yogurt sounds delicious with it!
This was DELICIOUS. I used soy milk and added a whole fresh mango. It was ridiculously divine. My kids loved it!
Oh I love love mango drinks! Check out this post if you like mangoes – tons of recipes from cookies to smoothies
https://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2011/04/mango-recipes.html