15 Unexpected Uses for Orange Juice Concentrate

If you take a stroll through your local grocery store, chances are that you’ll find there is no shortage of orange juice brands to choose from. Not only do you have the juices in the refrigerated aisle, but you also have options in the freezer aisle too — in the form of frozen orange juice concentrate. As its name suggests, this product, which was initially popularized following World War II, is a concentrated version of all the punchy, citrusy, and sweet flavors you love in classic orange juice, just packed into a paper or plastic can and frozen. Its manufacturers intended that it would be reconstituted with water and used anywhere you’d typically use refrigerated orange juice. 

But that’s far from the only use of this canned good. Since it’s essentially a very flavorful and relatively low-moisture product, it can be added to a whole host of recipes where you want that tangy and sweet punch without the extra liquid. We’ve curated a list of some of the most creative ways to use frozen orange juice concentrate to give you some inspiration for the freezer staple. 

There’s nothing like a refreshing or fruity smoothie after a workout. Making the perfect one is both an art and a science. While you have to have enough flavorful components in your smoothie to make it worth sipping on, you also have to make sure that you have enough liquid and/or stuff other than frozen fruit to ensure that it comes out smooth and creamy. While some folks will opt for yogurt or milk for this, the next time you whip out a smoothie, consider adding some frozen orange juice concentrate to it instead (or in addition to) these other enhancements. The concentrate is chilled, so it will make your smoothie all the more refreshing. Plus, its slightly acidic undertones will help cut through the sweetness of your fruit of choice. 

The amount of concentrate you’ll want to add will depend on your smoothie recipe. If you’re making a fruity one, like our strawberry banana oatmeal smoothie, you may only want to add a couple of tablespoons of concentrate. But, if you’re after something more orange-flavored, like an Orange Julius, then you might need to use an entire can of concentrate. 

Lemonade is undeniably the drink of the summer — though iced tea is also pretty high up there, too. The next time you want to give either of these beverages a citrusy twist, consider stirring some frozen orange juice concentrate into your pitcher. 

The frozen concentrate is, well, a concentrate, so you don’t have to use a whole lot of it to alter the flavor of your lemonade and/or iced tea. If you like a balance between the two flavors, you may want to use equal parts frozen orange juice concentrate and frozen lemonade concentrate. Once the two are combined, you can dilute it with plain water — or for something fizzy, opt for a couple of cans of seltzer. You can also turn it into a slushy by blending the concentrate together with your liquid of choice and a bit of ice to chill things down. 

No brunch table is complete without mimosas — preferably bottomless ones. This refreshing cocktail is an easy one to sip on before 11 a.m., and you can make a big batch of them to serve at your event. The only thing better than a crisp mimosa is a frozen one. 

You’ll want to first remove your concentrate from the can and transfer it to a bowl so that you can break it up with a fork or a spoon. From there, transfer it to your serving glasses and top it with your sparkling beverage of choice. It’s important to remember that you’re working with a concentrate here, so the orange flavor will be stronger than if you used a normal juice. 

That being said, you can also make a room-temperature mimosa using concentrate as well. Ideally, you’ll want to mix about two cans (12 ounces total) of the frozen concentrate with a bottle of sparkling wine, prosecco, or Champagne. You can also mix in your favorite other fruit juices, like cranberry, to give it a unique twist.

Salad dressing is one thing that you may not think to make at home. After all, the brands at the grocery store seem to have it pretty much figured out, considering there’s every kind of vinaigrette and creamy ranch under the sun lining the shelves. But if you’re willing to put a little extra work in, you too can make a flavorful homemade salad dressing that will jazz up your salads or whatever roasted veggies you want to drizzle it on. 

Frozen orange concentrate is a great ingredient because it packs in the sweetness and acidity that you want in a good salad dressing yet does not have a high enough water content to dilute its flavor. Mix together some of your concentrate with a little vinegar, oil, and punchy additions like garlic, honey, and Dijon mustard. If your pantry is looking a little sparse, you may also want to just combine the concentrate with a little bit of lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper for a simple dressing perfect for everything from a simple mixed green salad to one topped with dried cranberries and clementine slices. 

Adding frozen orange concentrate to your baked goods is an elite move. Baking is all about chemistry and balancing moisture, which is precisely what makes frozen orange juice concentrate such a great fit for an array of recipes. It has all the flavor you could want, but without a ton of extra moisture that would otherwise make your bakes too watery. 

You can try adding it to a muffin or a quick bread recipe to introduce a fun orange flavor. Some recipes that incorporate this unique ingredient will call for you to reduce it down on the stovetop even more. This will help enhance the natural sweetness of the muffins and really bring out that orange flavor. You can also try to find complementary flavors in other bakes, like chocolate brownies, for a pop of acidity and a bit of a reprieve from the richness. 

The last thing you’re probably thinking about when you see that container of orange juice concentrate is meat. But, when you combine it with complementary flavors, like savory soy sauce, you can whip up a tasty marinade or sauce for an array of proteins. For example, you may want to try marinating your carne asada in it, with the help of other ingredients like lime and lemon juice, soy sauce, and Mexican spices. 

Orange juice concentrate is also a great, albeit unexpected, pairing for seafood. For one, it will maximize the flavor of your sauteed salmon. You can glaze the fish as it’s cooking by making a mixture of butter and orange juice. Use equal parts of each and watch as it forms a sweet, citrusy, caramelized coating on the outside of your filet. It’s a great way to switch up your usual salmon preparation, and it will help you make use of that can of orange juice concentrate in your freezer. 

A simple but legitimate way to make anything better? Blend it with ice cream. When you mix together frozen orange juice concentrate and vanilla ice cream, you’ll get a sweet, flavorful, and refreshing concoction. 

If you want to take a spoonful of nostalgia, you can mix together vanilla ice cream and the frozen concentrate. It tastes like a creamsicle ice cream pop. Though, chocolate — or some derivative of chocolate, like a fudge brownie ice cream — would also be an excellent pairing for a couple of tablespoons of concentrate. You can also give your frozen treat more of a milkshake-like consistency by adding in a steady pour of milk as your ice cream is blending. 

There is no exact ratio for how much concentrate and ice cream you should use. If you want a strong orange profile, you may want to blend a pint of ice cream with a 6-ounce tube of concentrate. Or, for a more subtle flavor, stick to a couple tablespoons and taste as you go. 

Sangria: Wine, but make it fun. This fruity, summery beverage brings together your favorite wine and chopped fruit, though you can always add a unique fruity twist by reaching for a container of frozen orange juice concentrate. 

The frozen aspect will help chill your beverage down without diluting the flavors, while the orange will add a fruity, sweet taste to your beverage. Some recipes will call for both frozen lemonade and frozen orange juice concentrate; you can always tweak this depending on what kind of wine you’re using and the fruits that will be floating around it. The orange juice concentrate works with a variety of wines, including rioja, as well as liquors like brandy and triple sec. Slice up some fresh citrus, namely oranges, lemons, and limes, and add them to your sangria as well. The concentrate will make this sangria lean more towards the sweeter side, but you can balance this out with a drier wine or even a splash of bubbly seltzer water. 

One of the easiest ways to upgrade your baked goods, whether you’re making a Bundt cake or a batch of shortbread cookies, is to add a flavorful glaze. Not only will this offer a stunning visual contrast, but it will also bring out the flavors that may have gotten a bit lost or muddled when other ingredients were introduced. 

While vanilla glazes are a classic, adding in a little bit of orange juice concentrate instead is sure to perk up your taste buds and drive home that orange flavor. You’ll want to start with a cup of powdered sugar and a tablespoon of the concentrate. If you want your glaze to drip more, you could always add a little bit of milk to it. Or, if you want to make more of a stiff frosting, spoon in more powdered sugar. 

An orange-flavored frosting would be a great pairing for a basic vanilla muffin, as the orange glaze would provide just enough of a citrusy contrast to make each bite memorable. Though, chocolate or cranberry could also be excellent starting points. 

You aren’t just relegated to using orange juice concentrate in a milkshake. In fact, you can whip up a simple and tasty homemade sherbet or sorbet with a can of it. Start with a simple syrup, stir in some of the thawed orange juice concentrate, water, and more sugar, and freeze until set — though not totally rock-solid. From there, you can whip the semi-frozen compound in a stand mixer with cream and/or milk to give it a creamy and more sherbet-adjacent consistency before freezing the entire thing yet again until it’s set. You can also make the entire thing in an ice cream maker instead, which will reduce the time spent freezing and mixing the concoction until it reaches just the right consistency. But, if you don’t own an ice cream maker, the former method will work just fine. 

You can also make a dairy-free sorbet with frozen orange juice concentrate, though there are very few recipes out there that call for using concentrate directly from the can. Instead, you may need to prepare the orange juice as instructed and then use that to make your sorbet. Making homemade sorbet (and ice cream) is all about managing water content and sugar, so it’s not one that you want to experiment too much with. 

The Wiggles were right; fruit salad is indeed “yummy yummy.” But you know what’s not yummy yummy? When the fruity components start to brown, soften, and look a little worse for wear. 

You can use your frozen orange juice concentrate to help stave off browning and ensure that your salad remains as flavorful as possible. Fruit will brown as it oxidizes, though the acidic compounds in something like orange juice can help counteract this. The key is not to be too heavy-handed with the concentrate, as you don’t want your entire fruit salad to only taste orangey. Add a couple of tablespoons of concentrate, give the salad a stir, and serve at your leisure. 

There is a lot of flavor packed into frozen orange juice concentrate, which makes it a powerful addition to a dipping sauce. The last thing you want in a dipping sauce is for it to taste watered down; since the frozen concentrate has very little water in it, it’s not something that you have to worry about. 

You can use orange juice concentrate for both sweet and savory dips. The next time you make a batch of pancakes or waffles, for example, you may want to consider stirring together some concentrate, sugar, starch, and a little bit of water on the stovetop until you get a thick and decadent sauce. You can also turn the concentrate into a dip to enjoy with freshly sliced fruit by whipping it with cream cheese and whipped topping (or marshmallow creme).

If you’re craving takeout orange chicken, you could always try using the concentrate to whip up a flavorful dipping sauce, too. Play with the ratios of soy sauce, aromatics, and vinegar until you find the perfect blend to dip your fried chicken morsels into. 

Oatmeal is one of the best breakfast foods out there, but it’s easy to see how it’s far from the tastiest option. But once you add a little bit of orange juice concentrate to the mix, you might think a little differently about this fiber-packed staple. 

The frozen orange juice concentrate will add a touch of sweet and citrusy flavor without dominating the entire dish. And, it works just as well for stovetop oatmeal as it does for overnight oats. Adorn your bowl with freshly sliced peaches or summer berries, or consider adding a scoop of your favorite chocolate protein powder to make it extra filling and complement the orange undertones. 

Besides oatmeal, you can also use this simple breakfast hack for chia seed pudding. The chia seeds will soak up whatever liquid you pair them with, so you can stir in a little concentrate with your milk of choice to impart a subtle acidic and sweet flavor to your dish. 

There is a lot of potential for using frozen orange juice concentrate to craft visually stunning and tasty cocktails. While utilizing the concentrate as a flavoring for your cocktail is one way to do it, you could also use the concentrate to create a flavorful rim. To do so, you’ll want to add a bit of the thawed orange juice concentrate to a small plate or saucer. Then, you can gently roll the rim of your glass of choice in the concentrate before rolling it again in salt or sugar. 

You have to be smart about how you find flavors to pair with your rimmed glass. For one, there should be some sort of orange or citrus element in your drink, as you want the flavor of the concentrate to jive with the rest of the cocktail. One good (and classic) option would be a margarita — frozen or on the rocks — as the orange liqueur would fit in well with the concentrate. 

Deglazing is one of the easiest ways to harness every morsel of flavor. This process involves adding liquid to a pan after you’ve removed whatever you’re cooking — often meat, but it can include veggies, too — to unstick those caramelized bits on the bottom of the pan. While it’s typically done with wine, almost any liquid can be used to deglaze a pan — including frozen orange juice concentrate. 

Once you’ve extracted your meat from the pan, add some of the concentrate along with a little bit of water. Depending on the angle you want to take things, and the flavor you want to build, you also might consider adding a spoonful of Dijon mustard, butter, and maybe even herbs like thyme. This would be an excellent base for a pan sauce, which could be used for seared chicken breasts or thighs. You could also use the concentrate to deglaze your salmon pan after you finish cooking it; add a splash of soy sauce, garlic, and ginger to build a flavorful sauce for a side of veggies or to serve your fish with.