Sicilian Blood Orange Almond Juice
A vibrant, naturally sweet juice blend inspired by Sicily's blood orange groves. Fresh blood orange juice combines with creamy almond milk and a touch of honey, creating a silky drink that's equally at home at breakfast or as a refreshing afternoon sipper. No cooking required—just fresh citrus, cold almonds, and simple sweetness.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 10 min
- Makes
- 4 servings (1 cup / 240 ml each)
Steps
Before you start
- Use room-temperature blood oranges (they yield more juice)
- Chill glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes before serving
- Have all ingredients measured and ready before you begin
Juice the blood oranges
- Cut the blood oranges in half.
- Using a citrus juicer or reamer, firmly press and rotate each half to extract as much juice as possible.
- Work over a bowl or measuring cup to catch all the liquid.
- You should yield approximately 1 cup (240 ml) of fresh blood orange juice.
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Ready when: 1 cup (240 ml) fresh juice collected
Tip: Roll the blood oranges on the counter with the heel of your hand before cutting to break down the flesh and release more juice.
Strain the juice
- Pour the blood orange juice through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl or pitcher, pressing gently on any pulp to extract additional juice.
- Discard the seeds and excess pulp.
- The strained juice should be clear and smooth.
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Ready when: Juice is strained and free of seeds and large pulp
Tip: Keep some finely strained pulp if you prefer a fuller texture; remove all seeds, which can taste bitter.
Combine with almond milk and honey
- Pour the strained blood orange juice into a pitcher or blender.
- Add the cold unsweetened almond milk and honey.
- Stir or blend on low speed for 15–20 seconds until the honey is fully dissolved and the juice and milk are evenly mixed.
- The drink will have a warm peachy-pink hue.
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Ready when: Honey is dissolved and drink is smooth and uniform in color
Tip: Do not over-blend or the almond milk can become frothy. A light stir is usually sufficient.
Season and chill
- Add the fine sea salt—just a pinch—and stir gently.
- This enhances the citrus flavor without making the drink taste salty.
- Add the ice cubes to the pitcher to chill the juice further.
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Ready when: Sea salt is dissolved and ice is fully incorporated
Tip: A tiny pinch of salt heightens sweetness and citrus brightness—do not skip this step.
Serve immediately
- Pour the blood orange almond juice into chilled glasses, dividing the juice and any ice cubes evenly.
- Serve at once while the drink is cold and the flavors are at their peak.
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Ready when: Juice is poured and ready to drink
Tip: For a pretty presentation, chill the glasses in the freezer for 5 minutes before serving.
Good to know
Tips
- For maximum juice yield, choose blood oranges that are heavy for their size—they contain more liquid. The skin should yield slightly to gentle pressure.
- Blood orange juice oxidizes and loses brightness over time, so juice the oranges no more than 1 hour before serving for the best flavor.
- If your blood oranges taste very tart, add an extra ½ tablespoon honey, but taste first—bitterness indicates old fruit, not tartness.
- This juice is delicious warm as well. Heat gently in a small saucepan over medium-low heat (do not boil) and serve as a soothing morning or evening drink.
Make ahead
Strain and combine blood orange juice, almond milk, and honey up to 4 hours ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Add ice and sea salt just before serving.
Storage & reheating
Best enjoyed fresh. Refrigerate in an airtight glass bottle or pitcher for up to 2 days. The juice will separate slightly; stir before serving. Do not freeze, as the texture will separate irreversibly.
Substitutions
- unsweetened almond milk, cold → oat milk or cashew milk. Use an unsweetened variety to maintain balance. Oat milk will create a slightly creamier texture.
- honey, raw or liquid → agave syrup or maple syrup. Use the same weight or amount for consistent sweetness. Agave is more neutral; maple adds a subtle woody note.
- blood oranges, medium → Moro or Tarocco blood oranges, or regular navel oranges mixed with pomegranate juice. Different blood orange varieties vary in sweetness and tartness. Navel oranges will taste milder; add 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice for the characteristic deep color.
- sea salt, fine → kosher salt. Use the same weight. Kosher salt is slightly less dense, so you may need a tiny pinch more.
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- Meal
- Breakfast
- Cuisine
- Mediterranean
- Method
- No-Cook