Jell-O Shots Are the Jiggly Spiked Treat Your Party Needs (2024)

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Colleen Graham

Freelance writer and co*cktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.

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Updated on 02/19/24

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Tom Macy

Tested byTom Macy

Tom wears many co*cktail hats. He is a professional bartender, bar owner, recipe creator, and drink writer, though he prefers the title "obsessive co*cktail nerd."

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Choosing a Flavored Gelatin for Your Shots

The first order of business when making jelly shots is choosing a gelatin to use. Remember that Jell-O is simply one popular brand of sweetened, flavored gelatin and that this name is often used to identify all flavored gelatins, just like "Band-Aid" has come to describe any sort of adhesive bandage or "Kleenex" generically describes tissues.

Most jelly shots are made with flavored gelatin, but you can also buy unflavored gelatin and add your own flavorings. Our recipe calls for a 3-ounce box of flavored gelatin—the most common size you'll find at the grocery store.

Gelatin is made from animal collagen, but you can find store-bought vegan alternatives to make these jiggly treats, too.

The Best Alcohol for Jell-O Shots

Because of its neutral taste, vodka is widely considered the best liquor for Jell-O shots. It's like a blank canvas for the other flavors. This recipe doesn't require a fine vodka; a good enough budget-friendly bottle will do since, in this case, it's all about the sweet gelatin that balances the vodka.

If you prefer a more flavor-forward shot, rum also works well. Alternatively, use tequila, whiskey, brandy, or gin or experiment with flavored liquors, such as lemon vodka.

For the best results, stick to a liquor that's about 80-proof (40% alcohol by volume). Even if you'd like boozier shots, resist the urge to use a higher-proof liquor such as Everclear.

There are a few reasons for this: First, if you use a higher-proof liquor, you may have some issues getting the shots to set up, asliquor has a different freezing pointthan water. You need to maintain a balance between the alcohol and the other liquids or you might end up with a shot that's more soupy than jiggly. Second, high-proof alcohols tend not to taste as good as other liquors. And finally, packing a high-proof alcohol into a sweet little package makes it all too easy for people to overdo it.

Molding Jello-Shots

To mold the shots, you can use 1-ounce disposable plastic cups, shot glasses, or silicone molds in any shape. If using individual cups, place them on a sheet pan so it's easy to transfer them to to the fridge. For easy pouring into the shots, use a turkey baster or a pitcher with a thin spout.

Although individual shots are easier to serve and involve very little cleanup, you can also make a tray of spiked Jell-O and cut it into cubes to serve. Any baking pan with sides will do, even a glass pie dish. Once it's set, simply cut the gelatin into portions and either lay them out on a serving tray or leave them in the dish for guests to grab as they wish.

Tipsy Tips for Making Fun Jello-Shots

Color me—For more vibrantly colored shots, you can add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture before pouring it into the mold.
Squeeze me—Small plastic shot cups are perfect for serving because a good squeeze pops the shot into your mouth. To make this easier, spray some cooking oil into the cups before pouring the liquid in, or rub them with a tiny drop of vegetable oil. This won't affect the taste.
Cover me—If making the shots a couple days ahead of time and/or taking them to a party, buy shot cups with lids to protect your creations and store in the fridge until serving.
Spoon me—If you serve the shots in small glasses, it's best to provide miniature spoons so guests can dig out the gelatin.
Super-size me—To make a bigger Jell-O creation and easily unmold it, reduce the liquid volume slightly. Try a test batch with all the liquids cut in half or double up on the gelatin.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cold water, plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vodka, or other liquor
1 (3-ounce) package any flavor gelatin
Food coloring, optional

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup cold water and 1/2 cup vodka, or other liquor. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to reach a consistent temperature.
Place 1 (3-ounce) package any flavor gelatin in a separate bowl or glass measuring cup, and slowly add the remaining 1 cup boiling water. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Pour the gelatin mixture into the water and liquor mixture. Stir well. If using food coloring to change or enhance the color, add it now.
Divide the mixture between shot glasses, molds, or a baking pan.Refrigerate until the liquid sets—at least 2 hours, but overnight is recommended. Serve cold and enjoy.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

There are many things you can do to customize your Jell-O shots. Experiment with any of these ideas and be sure to start out with a test batch before scaling up the recipe:

Mix and match flavored gelatin—You can use flavored gelatins to replace or enhance certain flavors in your shots.For example, in this margarita Jell-O shot, the lime-flavored gelatin gives a nice boost to the lime juice, but switching to strawberry gelatin creates an imitation of astrawberry margarita.
Unflavored gelatin—Plain gelatin usually comes in 1/4-ounce envelopes with 2 1/2 teaspoons of gelatin, which should gel the 2 cups of liquid used in this recipe. Use unflavored gelatin when you want other flavors to shine. Some shots that use unflavored gelatin can look dull and boring. While the mixture is still liquid, change or enhance the color by adding small amounts of food coloring until you get the desired hue.
Flavored booze—Useflavored alcohol, such as vodka, rum, or tequila to boost the flavor of your Jell-O shots.
Color by flavor—Distinguish flavoredshots by their color. Use yellow for abanana daiquiri, red for aplanter's punch, and blue for ablue Hawaiian.
Rainbow shot—To make layers, begin by making one flavor of gelatin and fill cups 1/2 or 1/3 of the way full. Chill these until it's almost set—about 1 to 1 1/2 hours—before adding the next flavor. Repeat until you have completed the layers.
Fruit molds—The rinds of citrus fruits are fun molds for shots.Cut lemons, limes, or oranges in half and remove all of the fruit, leaving the peel intact. Fill this "bowl" with the gelatin mixture and allow it to set. Cut each rind into thirds or quarters for single-serve pieces.
Fruity bits—Add small fruit pieces to the gelatin before it sets up. Berries and pitted cherries are the perfect accessories.
Sweeten it up—If the shot is too tart, add simple syrupin lieu of a portion of the cold water—1 ounce or less of syrup should do.
Experiment—You can transform almost any of your favorite co*cktail recipes into a jelly shot. The key is to maintain the original co*cktail's proportions while keeping the volume of cold liquid at 8 ounces.

How Strong Is a Jello Shot?

If you make the basic Jell-O shot with a single 80-proof liquor, the alcohol content comes out to be about 12 percent ABV (24 proof). That's equivalent to the average wine. While a couple of 1-ounce shots may not get you drunk, overindulging on these shots can happen more quickly than you might expect.

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Shot Recipes
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Recipe Tags:

Shot
jello shot
co*cktail
american

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Jell-O Shots Are the Jiggly Spiked Treat Your Party Needs (2024)

FAQs

Do jello shots actually get you drunk? ›

The sugar in these mixes helps to mask the taste of alcohol, and when you tie alcohol up in solid form, it doesn't dissolve as much on your tongue, which means you can't taste the alcohol as much. That means that you can easily get a little too drunk without realizing it.

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What is the best alcohol to put in jello shots? ›

Vodka and white rum are both great options for your alcohol, although other spirits, like gin, whiskey, tequila and brandy all work.

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How do jello shots affect you? ›

Do Jello Shots Get You Drunk? Jello shots can certainly get you drunk if you eat enough of them. These delicious sweeties may contain a significant amount of alcohol. The amount of alcohol in a jello shot will depend on the recipe used to make it and the strength of the alcohol used.

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How to make jello shots come out easier? ›

Try squeezable cups to get your jello shot out easier. Use a flavored vodka (like vanilla or chocolate) to add another layer of flavor to your shot. Serve with toppings like whipped cream and/or sprinkles that you add right before serving.

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Is 1 cup of vodka too much for jello shots? ›

Jello shots won't set properly if you add too much alcohol. Generally, a basic batch of jello shots is made with one cup of juice or water, one packet of gelatin, 1/2 cup of cold water and 1/2 cup of alcohol. However, jello shots can be made with as much as 2/3 cup alcohol without changing their texture.

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How many jello shots does it take to get buzzed? ›

Can you get drunk off jello shots? Eventually. The truth is while you may get a big alcohol taste, there isn't really that much in each shot. You'd need about 4 jello shots to equal 1 shot of booze.

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Does alcohol burn off in jello shots? ›

While not required, if you're making boozy shots, you can pre-chill your alcohol before adding it to the mix. Since water boils at 212° F and alcohol boils at 173° F, using cold alcohol ensures that none of the alcohol will evaporate when adding it to the boiled water and gelatin.

Tell Me More ›

What percentage of alcohol is in a jello shot? ›

How Strong Is a Jello Shot? If you make the basic Jell-O shot with a single 80-proof liquor, the alcohol content comes out to be about 12 percent ABV (24 proof). That's equivalent to the average wine.

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How far in advance can I make jello shots? ›

Jello shots are their best for 3 – 5 days after making them. So you can definitely make them a bit in advance to save time, but it's best if you can make them only a day or two in advance.

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Why do hospitals give you Jell O? ›

There are a few reasons: Jell-O is easy to swallow and digest, making it suitable for patients who have difficulty eating solid foods or have digestive issues. It's smooth texture and mild flavor make it more tolerable for those with sensitive stomachs or who are recovering from surgery.

Does jello melt in your stomach? ›

For edible gelatins [1] to congeal rapidly they must be heated above body temperature to actually melt them. If you just eat the dry powder it will start being digested and broken down by the acids in your stomach before any congealing can occur.

Why does jello make me feel better? ›

Gelatin is a protein that may promote skin, joint, hair, nail, and gut health. It also provides essential amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, which can provide potent health benefits. The protein and amino acids in gelatin can help the body build more collagen, a vital element in healthy skin.

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Should you flip jello shots upside down? ›

That's where a new trick comes into play that promises to make downing those Jell-O shots at the party so much easier to consume: turn the shot upside down to prevent the Jell-O from sticking to the cup.

Do jello shots get stronger the longer they sit? ›

Jello Shots, like life, are all about balance. That said, if you want a strong one, it is possible if you leave it in the fridge long enough. In a Supercall experiment, we found that the strongest Jello Shot that will set is three-to-one ratio of 80-proof alcohol to water, and it took a full day to become mostly solid.

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How many jello shots does a 6 oz box make? ›

1 small box of jello yields about 15 jello shots (2 cups of liquid). 2 boxes (or 1 large 6 oz. box) yield 30 shots, which will fit nicely on a baking sheet to transport them easily to the refrigerator.

Is a jello shot an actual shot? ›

A jello shot, colloquially, or Jell-O shot, is a gelatin and alcohol mixture consumed as a shot. The shot is commonly made with vodka or other hard liquors. Shots made with non-branded or unflavored gelatin rather than Jell-O are sometimes known as jelly shots or gelatin shots.

Do you chew or swallow jello shots? ›

It is not recommended to swallow a jello shot whole, as it may pose a choking hazard. It's best to take small bites or spoonfuls to enjoy the jello shot safely.

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Does alcohol affect jelly setting? ›

The important thing to be aware of is setting time and the texture of your jelly. As a rule, the more alcohol in your shot, the more varied the texture of the jelly and the more time it will take to set. Make sure all your gelatin leaf/powder and your sugar are fully dissolved, or you'll get a grainy, runny gel.

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