Best Jello Shots
How To Make Jello Shots Recipe: Our easy Vodka Jello Shot Recipe can be made with rum or whiskey. Also, make Jello Shot Cups in fun rainbow colors!
It’s Jello Shot Season!
Give your next party a shot of excitement with this easy and delicious Jello Shot Recipe!
Are you planning a 21st birthday party? A holiday party? Maybe even a casual summer party?
- Cue your favorite song.
- Cue disco lights.
- Cue good food.
- Cue the booze.
You can’t plan a party without everyone’s favorite treat, Jello Shots! Rum Jello Shots, Vodka Jello Shots, Tequila Jello Shots, or whatever booze you may have.
Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall…. You can enjoy Jello shots any time of the year for any type of party!
Vodka Jello Shots Ingredients
- Jell-O Gelatin – Any flavor or color you like. Taste the rainbow!
- Boiling Water – To dissolve the gelatin powder.
- Cold Water – Mix with the boiling water to chill the gelatin.
- Vodka – Plain or flavored. You can also use rum, tequila, whiskey, or moonshine.
How To Make Jello Shots
- Boil. Set a kettle of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Pour the powdered jello into a medium mixing bowl.
- Whisk. Once the water is boiling hot, measure out one cup and pour it into the bowl. Then whisk in the cold water to lower the temperature. Finally, whisk in the booze!
- Pour. Ladle or pour the liquid jello shot mix into some sort of container.
- Chill. Move to the refrigerator. Chill until solid.
Wasn’t that easy?
Get The Full (Printable) Best Jello Shots Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Jello Shot Cups
Set a kettle of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
Pour the powdered jello packet out into a medium mixing bowl. Once the water is boiling, measure out one cup of hot water and pour it into the bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Whisk in the cold water to lower the temperature. Then whisk in the liquor.
Pour the liquid jello shot mix into 12 to 16 (1.5-2 ounce) disposable cups. Place the cups on a rimmed baking sheet (or in a baking dish) and move to the refrigerator. Chill for 90 minutes, or until solid.
If making multiple flavors of jello shots, pour the powdered jello packets into separate bowls to keep the colors separated.
We Love Rainbow Shots!
If you’re feeling ambitious, try layering different flavors of Jello to create layers of color within the disposable cups… Like Rainbow Jello Shots or cups with random stripes.
- Pour your first flavor into a thin layer.
- Chill until firm.
- Then repeat with as many colors/flavors as you like.
You can even tilt the plastic cups on their sides in a muffin tin to get the diagonal wave look you see in the photos. It’s so easy!
Just tilt the cups over and press a small piece of foil around each cup so it won’t move. Then layer, layer, layer.
The Best Jello Shots Recipe Variations
The key to making the best jello shots is to get the proportions right. It’s tempting to add extra liquor to the jello shots to make them potent.
However, if you add too much liquor, and not enough water, the jello shots won’t set properly.
We like pairing fruity vodka flavors with fun Jello flavors.
You can’t pass up trying tequila and lime Jello, malibu rum and mango Jello, or lemon vodka with blue raspberry Jello.
Jello Shot Recipe Variations: Try making basic jello shots with intriguing flavor combinations…
- Mango Jello + Coconut Rum
- Black Cherry Jello + Whiskey
- Pineapple Jello + Passion Fruit Vodka
- Watermelon Jello + Tequila
- Peach or Orange Jello + Vanilla Vodka
You can also swap the ½ cup of cold water for something else like coconut milk, lime juice, orange juice, or coffee. Be creative!
Jello Shots Garnishes
Want to make your rainbow jello shots look even more festive? Pipe a dollop of whipped cream on top, then add fresh berries or sprinkles over the cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Can Jello Shots Last In The Refrigerator?
At least one week, but possibly up to two weeks.
How Do I Remove The Jello Shots From The Ice Cube Trays?
Once the Jello is firm, place the bottom of the tray in a baking dish of warm water to release the Jello Shots all at the same time. (Like old-school jello molds.) The tray usually needs to sit in the warm water for 1 to 3 minutes to release.
If you have stubborn jello shots, due to a thick plastic ice tray, you can let the warm water run over the corner of each jello shot. It will quickly turn over, making it easy to dump out.
How Long Do I Leave The Jello Shots In The Refrigerator?
That depends on how cold your fridge is… It usually takes 60-90 minutes until firm.
Can I Use Any Liquor For The Jello Shot Recipe?
Of course! Use whatever booze you like best! Vodka is traditional, but tequila, rum, and whiskey are good options.
Also, consider using fruit-flavored liquor.
How Much Alcohol Do I Put In My Jell-o Shot Recipe?
Technically, you should put 1/2 cup of liquor into your Jello Shots. However, you can use as much as 2/3 cup without changing the texture of the Jello Shots.
If you add too much alcohol, it will cause the Jello Shots not to set properly.
Can Jello Shots Go Bad If Not Refrigerated?
Yes, but it would take a few days. If you plan to leave them out for one day, the Jello Shots will be fine.
Just ensure the air temperature is not too warm, or they might melt.
How Do I Make Jello Shot Cubes?
If you’d like to make jell-o shots without the disposable shot glass cups, you can use an ice cube tray as a mold. Or you can pour the jello mixture into a small baking dish, then cut it into squares once it has set.
In ice cube trays, let the jello shots set in the refrigerator, then place the trays in a pan of warm water for 1-3 minutes to loosen the shots, so they slide out. (Think old-school jello molds.) If your ice cube trays are thick and the jello shots won’t come out, run warm the water over the top of each jello shot until it flips in the tray.
More Fun Chilled Treats
- Vodka Gummy Bear Pops
- Frozen Lemonade With Pineapple
- Frose Recipe (Instant Frozen Rosé)
- Grapefruit Basil Sorbet
- Frozen Coconut Mojito Cocktail
- Frozen Strawberry Margarita
- Homemade Pineapple Orange Creamsicle Recipe
- Chocolate Dipped Ice Cream Cones Recipe
- Buster Bar Ice Cream Cake Recipe
- Paletas Mexicanas (Mexican Popsicles) Recipe
- Check out all our Frozen Treats!
Best Jello Shots Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Ingredients Per Batch:
- 3.25 ounce box of Jell-O Gelatin, any flavor
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ cup vodka rum, or tequila (plain or flavored)
Instructions
Jello Shot Cups:
- Set a kettle of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Pour the powdered jello packet out into a medium mixing bowl. Once the water is boiling, measure out one cup of hot water and pour into the bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in the cold water to lower the temperature. Then whisk in the liquor.
- Pour the liquid jello shot mix into 12 to 16 (1.5-2 ounce) disposable cups. Place the cups on a rimmed baking sheet (or in a baking dish) and move to the refrigerator. Chill for 90 minutes, or until solid.
- If making multiple flavors of jello shots, pour the powdered jello packets into separate bowls to keep the colors separated.
Jello Shot Cubes:
- If you’d like to make jello shots without the disposable cups, you can use an ice cube tray as a mold. Or you can pour the jello mixture into a small baking dish, then cut it into squares once it has set.
- In ice cube trays, let the jello shots set in the refrigerator, then place the trays in a pan of warm water for 1-3 minutes to loosen the shots, so they slide out. (Think old-school jello molds.) If your ice cube trays are thick and the jello shots won't come out, run warm the water over the top of each jello shot until it flips in the tray.
Rainbow Jello Shots:
- You can also make rainbow jello shots by making 5-6 flavors and layering them all in each cup. Each batch must be made and chilled separately to keep the layers/lines crisp.
- Wait at least 30-60 minutes before adding the next layer. Every time you add a flavor you multiply the batch by at least 12. Therefore, making jello shots with 5 colors would create 60+ jello shots!
almost a colorful long island lol
perfect for the fourth of july festivities I have planned!
This is so awesome! Those rainbow ones are so cute!
We aren’t drinkers, but I know how popular these are! The colors are fun! I need to make a non-alcoholic version.
I loved how easy this is to make! So fun and festive!
Five stars all the way, these are so fun and every one oohed and awed over them!
These are going to be the best for future gatherings now that the covid restrictions are lifting! Cant wait to hang with my friends and have some jello shots!
Just made this today, and it is awesome. My house smells heavenly, and my mouth is extremely happy. I made it exactly as instructed except for omitting the powdered sugar topping. This recipe is a definite keeper. Thank you SO much
Made these on Sunday to serve our friends who came over to watch the game. Everyone loved it.
This was so fun!! My guests loved it!