Red, White and Blue Jello Shots
These layered Red, White & Blue Jello Shots offer a fun, patriotic twist on the classic gelatin dessert. Sweet, fruity and creamy flavors abound and both kids and adults will love them at any summer holiday celebration — you can make them with and without alcohol. Makes 40-50 1-ounce jello shots.
Servings 50 shots (1 ounce each)
Calories 67kcal
Ingredients
👇 ALCOHOLIC VERSION
Blue Layer (Bottom)
- 6 ounces blue gelatin dessert mix e.g. berry blue or blue raspberry
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ cup vodka
White Layer (Middle)
- 14 grams unflavored gelatin (2 packets)
- ½ cup cold water for blooming the gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Red Layer (Top)
- 6 ounces red gelatin dessert mix e.g. cherry or strawberry
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ cup vodka
For Garnish
- 1 can whipped cream
- ¼ cup sprinkles red, white and blue
👇 NON-ALCOHOLIC VERSION
Blue Layer (Bottom)
- 6 ounces blue gelatin dessert mix e.g., berry blue
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup cold water
White Layer (Middle)
- 14 grams unflavored gelatin (2 packets)
- ½ cup cold water for blooming the gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
Red Layer (Top)
- 6 ounces red gelatin dessert mix e.g., cherry or strawberry
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup cold water
For Garnish
- 1 can whipped cream
- ¼ cup sprinkles red, white and blue
Instructions
👇 ALCOHOLIC VERSION
- Grease cups: Lightly spritz the cups with cooking spray. Use a paper towel to collect any that concentrates at the bottom, then wipe it around the interior of the cup to help spread the spray around. What you are going for is a very light coating, which will help the jello shots release from the cups better.
- Blue layer (bottom): Dissolve the blue Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water.
- Mix in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water.
- Pour the mixture into your 1 oz shot glasses, filling up to one-third of the way. Place in the refrigerator to set, about 2-3 hours.
- White layer (middle): Sprinkle 2 packets of unflavored gelatin over ½ cup of cold water. Let it sit for a few minutes to "bloom."
- Add 1 cup boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Stir in the sweetened condensed milk until well mixed. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Once the blue layer is set, gently pour the white gelatin mixture over it to fill another third of the glasses. Return to the refrigerator and let set for another 2-3 hours.
- Red layer (top): Dissolve the red Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water.
- Mix in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Once the white layer is set, carefully add the red layer on top, filling up to the top of the shot glasses. Refrigerate until set, about 2-3 hours or overnight for best results.
- Garnish: Just before serving, top each Jell-O shot with a small dollop of whipped cream. Top with red, white and blue sprinkles for a festive finish.
- To eat: Use your finger to loosen the edges of the jello shot, then toss it back. If you greased the containers ahead of time, it should release from the cup much easier.
👇 NON-ALCOHOLIC VERSION
- Grease cups: Lightly spritz the cups with cooking spray. Use a paper towel to collect any that concentrates at the bottom, then wipe it around the interior of the cup to help spread the spray around. What you are going for is a very light coating, which will help the jello shots release from the cups better.
- Blue layer (bottom): Dissolve the blue Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water.
- Mix in 1 cup cold water.
- Pour the mixture into your 1 oz shot glasses, filling up to one-third of the way. Place in the refrigerator to set, about 2-3 hours.
- White layer (middle): Sprinkle 2 packets of unflavored gelatin over ½ cup of cold water. Let it sit for a few minutes to "bloom."
- Add 1 cup boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Stir in the sweetened condensed milk until well mixed. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Once the blue layer is set, gently pour the white gelatin mixture over it to fill another third of the glasses. Return to the refrigerator and let set for another 2-3 hours.
- Red layer (top): Dissolve the red Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water.
- Mix in 1 cup cold water. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Once the white layer is set, carefully add the red layer on top, filling up to the top of the glasses. Refrigerate until set, about 2-3 hours or overnight for best results.
- Garnish: Just before serving, top each Jell-O shot with a small dollop of whipped cream. Top with red, white and blue sprinkles for a festive finish.
- To eat: Use your finger to loosen the edges of the jello shot, then toss it back. If you greased the containers ahead of time, it should release from the cup much easier.
Notes
Prevent sticking: The trick to getting jello shots not to stick is to lightly grease your containers. A light spritz of cooking spray will help them to release faster. Use a paper towel to collect any that concentrates at the bottom, then wipe it around the interior of the cup to help spread the spray around. What you are going for is a very light coating.
Best vodka: An 80-proof vodka is my recommendation for flavorful jello shots that don’t taste overly boozy.
Alcohol content: Roughly 4 jello shots equal about 1 ounce of alcohol. Most cocktails contain 2 ounces of alcohol, so you’d need to enjoy quite a few jello shots to feel the effects of alcohol.
Set time: Typically, 3 to 4 hours in the fridge is enough time for a single-color jello shot. For layered jello shots, you’ll need to plan ahead so that each layer has time to set before adding the next one. They don't need quite as much time between each layer, more like 2 to 3 hours, because the layers are thinner. Be sure to cool the next layer so it doesn't melt the layer below and mix up the colors.
Also, set time can vary depending on the container. Jello shots in small plastic cups will set faster than jiggler-style jello shots. Jello shots can set at room temperature, but they may take a little longer to set.
Storage tips: Jello shots taste best fresh, so make them the day of your event or up to 2 days before. Technically, you can make them more in advance, but they tend to shrivel and shrink after a week in the fridge. Don’t serve them if they are more than a week old. However, jello shots do not freeze well.
This recipe makes approximately 40-50 shots when using 1-ounce shot glasses, so put them on a baking sheet so they are easy to transfer in and out of the fridge.
"Jigglers" style: You can make these layered jello shots in a baking pan to make them like jigglers. Pour the mixture into a lightly-greased baking dish, then cut them into squares or use a star-shaped cookie cutter.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 67kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 1.0E-5g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 43mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1.0E-5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 0.03mg
