Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice

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Grapefruit, mandarin oranges, and pineapple make for a thirst-quenching juice that is ready to go in about 10 minutes! Sweet, tart, and slightly bitter, Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice is a pick-me-up for busy mornings! Add your sweetener of choice, and you’re set to go! {Paleo or Vegan}

How was this Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice born? Years ago, while in the middle of a recipe rut, I decided to shake up our family’s back-to-school meal routines. To be fair, though, my journey began long before. 

When I was young, I had a grandmother who ate grapefruit. Picky eater that I was, I didn’t love it, even after she sprinkled sugar on mine. Then I became a teenager, discovered Bath & Body Works, and decided grapefruit-scented lotion WAS my bag. Fast-forward several years, have children, and experience firsthand what it’s like to feed a picky eater. So, I guess turnabout IS fair play. 

Now an adult in a recipe rut, I high-tailed it to the grocery store, thought of my grandmother, and grabbed a grapefruit. Not nearly as brave as her, I paired my grapefruit with several mandarin oranges and a blender.

So, if I describe Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice as delightfully surprising and citrus with a kick (which I DO), then you know it’s worth a try. The grapefruit’s bitter undertones elevate the drink, while the pineapple keeps the flavor light. 

If you’re bored with your recipes, then do what I did and grab a grapefruit and blender. Unlike me, though, you won’t have to wait 30 years to discover this deliciousness! It’ll be ready in 10 minutes. Oh, and if you don’t want to use that many mandarin oranges, well, you’re braver than me, and you don’t have to. 🙂

Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice is

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Tart and sweet
• Thirst-quenching and slightly bitter
• Citrusy

Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice ingredients

• Mandarin oranges. I start with four, and then add more if the grapefruit flavor is too strong.
• Grapefruit. Peeled with as much of the rind removed as possible.
• Pineapple. Frozen pineapple chunks work great because they act as ice cubes while you blend the ingredients and should prevent the beverage from becoming too warm in the blender.
• Liquid sweetener. Agave nectar (vegan) or 100% pure honey (paleo) are ideal. If you want to use a few drops of liquid stevia or sprinkles of granulated stevia, then go for it. You may need to increase the amount of water used so everything blends together.   

Side note: I add 1 cup of water to blend everything together, and if the pineapple chunks get warm during the blending process, especially if ingredients get stuck underneath the blender blades, then I’ll add a few ice cubes to the mix and finish blending.

How to make Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice

1. In a high-speed blender, combine all ingredients in the order listed. Begin blending on a LOW setting, gradually increasing to HIGH. Blend until smooth. Pulse a few times to dislodge any fruit that may have gotten stuck under the blades. Then blend again on HIGH. If the drink becomes warm during the blending process, then add a handful of ice cubes to the blender and mix on HIGH again until the ice cubes have dissolved.
2. Serve immediately or transfer to glass containers and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Recipes tips

• If the grapefruit dominates the flavor too much, then increase the amount of sweetener used or add an additional mandarin orange. Liquid sweetener is ideal because it adds just enough liquid to blend everything together. However, if you want to use a few drops liquid stevia or a sprinkle of granulate stevia, then you can do that, too.
• Remove as much of the grapefruit rind as you can. But don’t overthink it. If some of the rind makes its way into the drink, then that’s okay. It even gives this drink a frothy texture, which is enjoyable.

More thirst-quenching beverages!

We love our beverages, and if you do, too, then you’ll love these! They are all, each in their won way, quite refreshing. So you have a variety of flavors to choose from, none of which will steer you wrong!

• Homemade Pineapple Lemonade
• Cucumber Mint Cooler
• Green Apple Ginger Juice
• Blueberry Sparkling Water

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Ump into the fun when you can. And always know I’m glad you’re here. 🩷

Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice

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Grapefruit, mandarin oranges, and pineapple make for a thirst-quenching juice that is ready to go in about 10 minutes! Sweet, tart, and slightly bitter, Back-to-School Orange Grapefruit Juice is a pick-me-up for busy mornings! Add your sweetener of choice, and you’re set to go! {Paleo or Vegan}

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 10 mins
• Yield: 2.5 cups 1x
• Category: Beverages (Non-Alcoholic)
• Method: Blender
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup water
• 4 mandarin oranges, peeled
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/4 cup liquid sweetener (See Notes)

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Instructions

1. Pour all ingredients into blender in the order listed.
2. Blend on high speed until smooth.
3. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Notes

• Agave nectar (vegan) and 100% pure honey (paleo) work well in this recipe. You can also use a few drops liquid stevia or sprinkles of granulated stevia.
• If the juice is too tart, then add more sweetener or another mandarin orange.