Jell-O Shot Recipes to Get the Party Started

Jell-O shots make a party’s alcohol offerings aesthetically interesting and fun without all the work of a barkeeper mixing all sorts of drinks the entire time. Plus, they can be made days ahead, making party planning and setup that much easier.

There are plenty of options for making Jell-O shots besides mixing a pack of gelatin with some vodka. The only limit to these tasty creations is your own imagination!

What are some great recipes?

Need some ideas to get started? No problem. Coming up are some of the best Jell-O shot recipes you can find online. Feel free to try them out and adjust them as you see fit.

1. Cuba Libre Jell-O Shots
2. All Fired Up Jell-O Shots
3. Liquid Gold Jell-O Shots
4. MarGoRita Jell-O Shots
5. Fizzed Peach Jell-O Shots
6. Piña Colada Jell-O Shots
7. Strawberry Daiquiri Jell-O Edibles
8. Rainbow Delight Jell-O Shots
9. Ocean Water Jell-O Shots
10. Lemon Wedge Jell-O Shots
11. Jell-O Sucker Shots
12. Espresso Martini Jell-O Shooters
13. Cosmo Jell-O Shots
14. Mimosa and Mojito Jell-O Shot Skewers

See them now!…

1. Cuba Libre Jell-O Shot

A traditional highball Cuba libre is cola, rum, and lime over plentiful ice. Turn this gentleman’s classic into a suave Jell-O shot with just four ingredients!

What You’ll Need

• 1 package unflavored gelatin
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 cup of cold cola and 3/4 cup of hot cola
• 1/3 cup of light rum

How to Make Them

1. Boil 3/4 cup of cola just until it bubbles.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top.
3. Allow it to sit undisturbed for 60 seconds.
4. Stir vigorously until gelatin is fully dissolved.
5. Mix in the rum, chilled cola, and lime juice.
6. Pour the mixture into plastic shot glasses, filing only three-fourth of the way to the top.

After two or three hours in the fridge, you have your Cube libre Jell-O shots.

Give it a kick!

If you’d like to spice up the texture of your shots, you can add a few tablespoons of fresh lemon zest or curls during the first step.

Helpful Trick

As you make Jell-O shots, keep in mind that anything more than a three to one ratio of alcohol to other liquids isn’t likely to set. Furthermore, it will take longer (up to a day) for higher alcohol ratios to set. Keep this in mind when you’re planning parties!

2. All Fired Up Jell-O Shot

This hot Jell-O shot drops the bomb on your cocktail game. Its base is that cinnamon heat that Fireball drinkers love, but with a strategic Jell-O flavor that adds a cool flavor dimension. You’ll need just three ingredients to craft these shots.

What You’ll Need

• 1 orange or cherry-flavored Jell-O packet
• 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup of Fireball

How to Make Them

1. In a medium bowl, stir hot water and Jell-O together until fully dissolved.
2. Mix in the cold water and fireball.
3. Pour the concoction into plastic shooters.
4. Chill for about two hours or until fully set.

These shots will last awhile.

Did you know that Jell-O shots last about 10 days in the fridge? Just be sure to cover them, though.

3. Liquid Gold Jell-O Shots

This recipe is like the fast and furious version of your favorite island drink, but you get to nix all the hassle of blenders.

What You’ll Need

• 1/2 cup chilled pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 cup Malibu rum
• 1 packet (1 ounce) mango or pineapple Jell-O
• (Optional) Coconut milk or whipped topping

How to Make Them

1. In a medium bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the hot water.
2. Add the rum and pineapple juice.
3. Mix thoroughly.
4. After pouring into your shot glasses, allow to set in the fridge for at least two hours.

Helpful Trick

Leave about a third of the shot glass empty if you want to do a dollop of whipped cream or drizzle with ice-cold coconut milk just before serving.

4. MarGoRita Jell-O Shots

Margaritas are the signature drink at many restaurants, and they’re a go-to drink for many alcohol novices too fearful of branching out into the unknown of the thousands of potential cocktail offerings. This Jell-O shot is ready to go anywhere, anytime, and you can dress it up or keep it simple.

What You’ll Need

• 1 package (1 tbsp) unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup tequila
• 1/4 cup cold water and 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup sweet and sour mix
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• (Optional) lime wedges

How to Make Them

1. Add boiling hot water to a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over the top.
3. Allow everything to sit undisturbed for about a minute.
4. Mix vigorously to dissolve.
5. Whisk in sugar and allow to dissolve.
6. Whisk in sweet and sour mix.
7. Lastly, whisk in your cold water, tequila, and lime juice.
8. Pour into your shot glasses. Leave room at the top to garnish with a thin wedge of lime.
9. Chill for 3 hours.

Get fancy!

Get as fancy as you like by adding a salt rim to the shot or a couple teaspoons of fresh fruit purée when you whisk in your cold water.

5. Fizzed Peach Jell-O Shots

Reminiscent of a fuzzy navel, this gelatin shot just feels like summer in the south.

What You’ll Need

• 1 package of gelatin
• 1/4 cup of cold water and 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup of peach vodka
• 1/3 cup of champagne
• (Optional) peach purée or peach slice

How to Make Them

1. Add boiling hot water to a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over the top.
3. Allow everything to sit undisturbed for about a minute.
4. Mix vigorously to dissolve.
5. Whisk in sugar and allow to dissolve.
6. Add cold water, champagne, and vodka; if you can’t find peach-flavored vodka, then add in a couple teaspoons of peach purée.
7. Allow to set in the fridge for two to three hours.

Helpful Trick

Note that you can lighten the alcohol content here by subbing a peach soda or lemon-lime soda for the champagne. Additionally, a thin slice of peach atop the shot makes the perfect follow-up snack after the fizzed peach Jell-O shot.

6. Piña Colada Jell-O Shots

This is a lot of flavor in a bite-sized package. It’s sweetly tropical and just too cute in appearance.

What You’ll Need

Gather up these ingredients:

• 1/4 cup cold coconut water
• 1 packet of unflavored gelatin (1 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tbsp cream of coconut
• 1/2 cup of pineapple rum
• (Optional) maraschino cherries

How to Make Them

1. Place gelatin in a bowl with boiling hot water.
2. Whisk in sugar until fully dissolved.
3. Add all other ingredients aside from the cherries.
4. Pour into two ounce shot glasses.
5. Add one cherry to each glass before refrigerating for a couple of hours.

Helpful Tricks

Subbing sweet tea for the pineapple juice gives this shot a spiked tea flavor that’ll your guests will love. Also keep in mind that Captain Morgan has a lot of rum flavors, such as grapefruit, that can add layers of bitterness to counter the sweetness of the other ingredients.

7. Strawberry Daiquiri Jell-O Edibles

Who says you can’t have your shot and eat it, too? With these strawberry daiquiri Jell-O edibles and a little work, you can have it all—literally.

What You’ll Need

• 1 box of strawberry Jell-O (3 oz)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup Malibu rum
• 1/4 cup triple sec
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 4 pounds of washed large strawberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar

How to Make Them

1. Begin by prepping your strawberries.
2. Using a paring knife, shave just enough off each strawberry’s bottom for it to sit upright. If you have any issues keeping them steady, you can pack them side by side in a baking dish.
3. Use a hulling tool or your paring knife to carefully hull the center of the strawberry out.
4. Now, it’s time to make the shot filling. Combine Jell-O and hot water in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Once dissolved, add rum, triple sec, and lime juice and whisk until blended.
6. Fill each strawberry and place in fridge overnight; a basting bulb works great to fill strawberries already prepped in a baking sheet.

Add the final touch!

Roll the rim of the strawberries in granulated sugar just before serving. Guests can eat the entire shot.

8. Rainbow Delight Jell-O Shots

These cake-flavored Jell-O shots are all about colorful fun. They’re perfect for festive gatherings and parties as you can easily coordinate the gelatin colors to match your decorations.

What You’ll Need

• 4 packages of unflavored gelatin
• 1 1/4 cups of flavored vodka — whipped cream, vanilla, cake, etc.
• 3 tbsp of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 3/4 cup of juice of lemonade or limeade
• Liquid/gel food coloring
• (Optional) whipped topping and sprinkles
• Mini muffin pan
• Coconut oil or wax-paper cups

How to Make Them

1. Pour juice and gelatin into a small saucepan.
2. Whisk over medium heat until fully dissolved.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk in vodka and condensed milk.
5. You’ll need six separate bowls (one for each color). Each should get about 1/2 cup of the gelatin mixture.
6. Add four drops of your desired food coloring to each bowl for vibrant colors or just two for pale shades.
7. Very lightly coat the mini muffin pan with coconut oil to prevent sticking if you don’t have a silicone muffin tin or wax paper cups.
8. Evenly distribute the first color into the muffin pan holes, which should account for about 3/4 tsp to 1 tsp of the mixture.
9. Refrigerate about 10 minutes before adding the next layer of gelatin color.
10. Refrigerate 10 minutes between each subsequent addition.
11. Continue until you’ve used all six colors.
12. Allow for the completed product to set overnight in the fridge.
13. The next day, run a butter knife around the edges of each shot to loosen or pop off the wax paper.
14. Pop them on a serving tray and garnish with whipped topping and sprinkles.

Helpful Trick

If you want the layers to be slanted, simply use stacked hand towels to tilt one end of the pan up by 10 to 30 degrees as you let each layer set in the fridge.

9. Ocean Water Jell-O Shots

Even the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean will be jealous of these equally beautiful alcohol treats.

What You’ll Need

• 1 package of clear Jell-O, or you can use unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1/3 cup of lime juice
• 1/3 cup coconut water
• 1/3 cup blue curacao
• 3/4 cup clear tequila
• 2 tbsp or less of agave nectar
• (Optional) crystallized sugar

How to Make Them

1. Mix gelatin and hot water until gelatin is fully dissolved.
2. Add in juice, curaçao, tequila, and agave nectar.
3. Pour into long non-stick pan.
4. You can lightly coat the pan with coconut oil for easy removal.
5. Refrigerate for two to three hours.
6. Cut into 4 x 4 squares and place on serving tray.
7. Reserve the center of the tray for a bowl of crystallized sugar for dipping. You can dip it ahead of time, but you’ll need to keep in mind that this sugar melts very quickly when exposed to room temps.

10. Lemon Wedge Jell-O Shots

Talk about cute… these shots are housed by their own hollowed lemon wedge. Tart and sweet to beat the heat, they’re the perfect treats for pool parties.

What You’ll Need

• 4 whole lemons
• 1 cup of pink or regular lemonade
• 2 packs of pink lemonade Jell-O
• 1 cup of any clear spirit of choice — rum, vodka, tequila, etc.
• 1/2 cup or less of sugar

How to Make Them

1. Begin by halving your lemons and scooping the insides out.
2. Heat lemonade over low heat with gelatin.
3. Whisk until dissolved.
4. Whisk in sugar.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Add your other ingredients.
7. Evenly distribute the mixture between the eight lemon halves.
8. Refrigerate for at least four hours.
9. Once firmly set, use a sharp knife to cut each lemon halve into wedges (thirds.)

Helpful Trick

This recipe is great with blood oranges, orange juice, and red food coloring—a real visual show-stopper.

11. Jell-O Sucker Shots

It’s a sucker. It’s Jell-O. No, wait—it’s both! If you want to give your guests something they’ll remember, offer them a Jell-O sucker shot.

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

• 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
• 2/3 cup of hot water
• 3 packets of unflavored gelatin
• 3/4 cup of your bubblegum or cake flavored vodka
• 1 tbsp of watermelon liqueur
• 1 tbsp sour apple liqueur
• Gel or liquid food coloring
• Lollipop or cake pop sticks
• Sucker molds

How to Make Them

1. Mix gelatin and hot water.
2. Allow gelatin to sit atop the hot water for 60 seconds.
3. Whisk vigorously until dissolved.
4. Mix in vodka.
5. Divide your mixture into two bowls.
6. Add watermelon liqueur to one and sour apple to the other.
7. Add food coloring—such as neon green for the sour apple and red for the watermelon—to achieve any desired look.
8. Pour your mixture into your sucker molds.
9. If you don’t have a mold, you can use a muffin tin and cut your own shapes with a knife after it sets. Pour the mixture into the tin.
10. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Helpful Trick

You can individualize each Jell-O sucker shot in plastic wrap or just place them in mini-cupcake wrappers on a tray.

12. Espresso Martini Jell-O Shooters

What’s not to love about James Bond’s favorite drink meeting chocolate and coffee?

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make these delightful bites:

• 1 cup espresso
• 2 1/2 packets of unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup vanilla-flavored vodka
• 1/3 cup coffee-flavored vodka
• 1/3 cup chocolate-flavored liqueur
• 2 tbsp of Irish cream
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• Pyramid silicone mold

How to Make Them

1. Lightly grease your silicone mold with coconut oil.
2. Sprinkle gelatin over hot espresso.
3. Allow it to sit for just a few minutes.
4. Whisk together.
5. Whisk in sugar.
6. Add vodkas and liqueur.
7. Divide mixture evenly into two bowls.
8. Add the Irish cream to only one bowl.
9. Using the mold, alternate the mixture to fill each cavity one-third full.
10. Refrigerate 10 to 30 minutes.
11. Once the bottom layer is partially set, add the second layer.
12. Use the opposite mixture from the bottom on each.
13. Add enough to fill the cavities two-thirds full.
14. Refrigerate overnight to fully set the shots.

13. Cosmo Jell-O Shots

What list of Jell-O shot recipes would be complete without homage to the classic cosmopolitan?

What You’ll Need

• 1 1/4 cranberry juice
• 2 1/2 packets of unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup orange flavored vodka
• 1/4 cup lime zest
• 3/4 cup triple sec or Grand Marnier
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tbsp simple syrup
• (Optional) lime wedges

How to Make Them

1. Pour lime and cranberry juices into a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Sprinkle gelatin atop and whisk to dissolve.
3. Mix in all other ingredients aside from the lime wedges.
4. Very lightly coat mini or full-sized martini glasses with a small amount of coconut oil, making sure to wipe away the excess. (This step is just to prevent the shot from sticking to the glass.)
5. Allow the shots to refrigerate for a couple of hours.
6. Serve with a lime wedge on the rim.

14. Mimosa and Mojito Jell-O Shot Skewers

This is a flavor match made in heaven, and the presentation is causal enough for backyard gatherings or elegant enough for weddings.

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need for both flavors:

Mimosa

• 1 1/2 cups freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 unflavored gelatin packets
• 1 1/2 cups champagne

Mojito

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 packets of unflavored gelatin
• 3/4 cup clear rum
• 20 finely chopped mint leaves

Additional Necessities

• Skewers
• Oblong baking dishes
• Oil to coat your pan/dish
• Cookie cutter or melon ball scoop

How to Make

Mimosa

1. For the mimosa, take the gelatin and dissolve it in the orange and lime juice in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Whisk in sugar after the gelatin has dissolved.
3. Add in the champagne.
4. Pour the mixture into an oblong silicone baking dish that’s been lightly coated with coconut oil.
5. Place in the refrigerator to set for two or more hours.

Mojito

1. For the mojito, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water.
2. Whisk in sugar until dissolved.
3. Add in your other ingredients.
4. Pour into a lightly coated silicone baking dish.
5. Refrigerate at least two hours.

Bring it all together.

1. Once both recipes have set, it’s time to use a cookie cutter or melon ball scoop to form the cutouts for your skewers.
2. Alternate the mimosa and mojito shots along the skewer.

What about presentation?

The choice of skewer and scoop/cutter you use has more to do with the occasion than the recipe. Choose elegant metal skewers and sleek balls for more formal affairs. For more low-key events, you can skewer standard squares on plastic sticks.

What’s next?…

Are You Ready To Make Jell-O Shots?

You see, Jell-O shots don’t have to be the boring jiggly messes you may remember from your college years. Whatever concoction you can think of for a drink, there’s a Jell-O shot recipe just waiting to become the new center of attention.

Which Jell-O shot recipe here are you most excited to try?