Just a few days ago, I shared a recipe for simple zesty pineapple ginger juice and pineapple cucumber salad. Now, I’m back again with this sweet and tangy pineapple orange juice. Freshly squeezed orange juice is one of my favorite drinks. And when combined with sweet and tropical pineapple juice, this juice will be a firm family favorite all summer long! Taking a sip of this fresh pineapple juice with a citrus twist transports me to an island getaway, sipping fresh juice on a beach under an umbrella. Best of all, it’s super fresh with no added sugars or preservatives! This is perfect for adding to your summer rotation alongside other options like pineapple ginger lemonade, easy Brazilian lemonade, or cucumber lemonade. This fresh pineapple juice with orange does more than taste good, too. It’s also packed with several health benefits. Orange juice is not only a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants, but it is also one of the best natural sources of folate. Meanwhile, pineapple juice provides several vitamins and minerals. However, its main health boast is the enzyme bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory, gut health-boosting, immunity-boosting properties! Best of all, in this post, I’ll teach you how to make pineapple juice with and without a juicer; plus, with only minutes of prep! Want to try more refreshing summer-ready juice recipes? You might like watermelon juice, cucumber juice, orange carrot juice, or pomegranate juice!
The Pineapple Orange Juice Ingredients
This orange pineapple juice contains just two main ingredients:
Pineapple: use fresh, ripe pineapple. It should have a firm shell but with a slight give when squeezed. When smelling near the bottom of the fruit, you should be able to smell the fruity pineapple smell. Oranges: there are several types of orange you can use, including common orange, navel orange, tangerine, Valencia, clementine, blood orange, etc. Navel orange juice tastes amazing when freshly squeezed and is one of my favorite varieties.
Optional Add-Ins
Ginger: choose younger ginger for a milder flavor, but either will work. Add about 1 inch of ginger for a zing to this pineapple orange juice. Mango: a little mango added to this juice will further increase the tropical flavor and sweetness. I recommend using ½-1 mango based on personal taste. Carrot: carrot juice pairs wonderfully with orange (in fact, I’ve already shared an orange carrot juice previously), so it will work with this pineapple orange juice too. I recommend using 2-3 carrots in the juicer. However, you can also extract the carrot juice without a juicer. Greens: if you want a more nutritious drink and don’t care about the color too much, then I recommend adding a few (big) handfuls of spinach or kale to the juice. Coconut water: coconut pineapple juice is another favorite of mine and works well with the addition of orange juice too. Simply add coconut water to dilute the juice to your desired flavor. Alcohol: the addition of rum, vodka, or a fruity liquor will transform this sweet juice into a fresh summer cocktail (with or without coconut water). To decorate the glass rims: if you’re serving this pineapple orange juice at a party/gathering, you can optionally rim the glasses with tajin (chili lime salt). You’ll need honey or another syrup to adhere the powder to the rim (I explain more below).
How to Make Pineapple Juice with Orange
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Use a sharp knife to peel the pineapple skin and then chop it into pieces that will fit your juicer chute. Then feed the segments into your juicer, allowing the pineapple juice to flow into a large jug. For a juicer-free method, add the pineapple chunks to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. If your blender needs a little “help,” add around 1/3-1/2 cup water to the machine when blending. You can then either use the juice as-is (pulpy) or strain it through a fine-mesh sieve or nut milk bag (manually squeezing). While you can technically peel and add orange segments to your juicer, I prefer to use a citrus squeezer to extract the orange juice. To do so, slice the oranges in half, then manually extract the juice with the citrus squeezer.
Step 2: Combine the ingredients
Transfer the orange juice to the pitcher with the pineapple juice and mix. If you plan to drink it all immediately, you can add some ice, mint, and basil leaves. Alternatively, I recommend adding these items to individual glasses so the main pitcher with pineapple orange juice doesn’t become watered down or require fishing out herbs later. Optionally you can decorate the rim of each glass with tajin (a chili-lime salt). To do so, place a little honey (or other “sticky” syrup, possibly vegan honey) on a small dish and some tajin in another. Then, dip each glass first into the honey, then the tajin, rolling lightly, so it’s coated well.
How to Store
Store: I recommend drinking the pineapple orange within 2 days for the freshest, best flavor. However, any leftover juice will store in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days. Don’t leave the juice at room temperature for more than two hours. Freeze: If you’ve ended up with too much orange-pineapple juice, I recommend freezing the extra immediately to maintain the nutrients in the freshly squeezed juice. Freeze in one large container (with headspace) or in L/XL ice-cube tray for “individual portions” that will defrost quicker. When you want to use them, you can either add the ice cubes directly to your drink or allow the juice to thaw in the fridge before enjoying it. You could even blend the ice cubes with a little additional juice or coconut water for a quick summer orange-pineapple slushy!
If the juice is a little bitter: this can happen based on the exact oranges/pineapple you’ve used. If it does, feel free to add a little of your unrefined sugar of choice – maple, agave, honey, etc. For a sugar-free option, you could use liquid stevia drops or erythritol. For a pulpy orange pineapple juice: make sure to peel the orange sections and remove any seeds then add the orange and pineapple to a blender with a bit of water – don’t strain. No need to buy organic: when it comes to fruits with a thick peel like pineapple and oranges, there’s no need to buy organic since the peel isn’t used in the recipe. You can then use the orange peel to make an all-purpose cleaner. I recommend buying organic if you want to use the peels. Save the pulp and zest: following on from the above, there’s no need to waste the fruit peels. Instead, zest the oranges before juicing them and save the zest in the freezer for up to 6 months. Likewise, pineapple can be saved in the freezer for several months or used for pineapple skin tea. If you’re making the juice in a blender, you could also save the pulp to add to smoothies and baked goods. Be aware of natural sugars: while this pineapple orange juice doesn’t contain any added sugars, the natural fruit sugars are still there (both pineapple and orange are high in fructose), so drink this fresh juice in moderation. My favorite way to reduce my sugar consumption is to dilute this fresh pineapple juice with coconut water. Alternatively, you can dilute it with water, soda/carbonated water, or ice cubes. For instant “chilled” juice: store the oranges and pineapple in the fridge until just before juicing. Make popsicles: you can also pour this pineapple orange juice into popsicle molds for a 100% natural fruity treat.
Other Refreshing Summer Drink Recipes
Bloody Mary (Classic or Virgin) Refreshing cucumber lemonade Tropical guava smoothie Easy Brazilian Lemonade (Creamy Lemonade) Fresh carrot ginger juice Creamy mango lassi Citrus and mango smoothie bowl Homemade Pineapple Juice Tepache De Piña (Mexican Fermented Pineapple Drink) Or check out my list of 40+ delicious and refreshing summer drinks!
If you try this fresh pineapple orange juice recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
