These red white and blue jello shots are an easy and impressive treat for a patriotic party or BBQ. Make them boozy for adults or alcohol-free for kids.
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These 4th of July jello shots are easy and impressive. Perfect for a 4th of July party, Memorial Day BBQ, election day or any other patriotic celebration. You can make them with alcohol for the adults, but they also look amazing in taller glasses without the alcohol for a treat the whole family can enjoy.
Jello shots are a fun and easy party food but there are a few tips and tricks to get them right.
Tips and tricks for making jello shots
What is the best alcohol for jello shots?
The standard alcohol for jello shots is vodka. It's clear and matches well with any jello flavor. You could mix things up with other clear alcohols such as white rum, tequila or even gin. Or you can match the jello colors with the same colored alcohol for a fun twist. Just remember to use flavor combinations that match, use alcohol you'd be happy to drink straight and be mindful of the alcohol percentage of what you are using.
How to make vodka jello shots
Follow my easy recipe below for how to make easy red white and blue vodka jello shots.
How much alcohol is in a jello shot?
It depends on a number of things:
- how strong the alcohol you use is
- how much alcohol you add &
- how big your shot glasses are
The standard ratio that I have used here is 1 cup boiling water, ½ cup of cold water and ½ cup of 40% vodka.
That means there's 25% vodka per shot, so if you are using a standard shot glass size of 1.5oz (44mls), then four shots will be the equivalent to one standard drink.
This is a good middle-of-the-road ratio. Enough so you can taste it, but not so much to get drunk after only one or two shots.
And of course for a kid-friendly version you can leave out the alcohol altogether and replace it with the same amount of cold water.
What's the most alcohol I can put in jello shots?
According to science, the absolute maximum water-to-vodka ratio is 4 oz (120mls) water to 19 oz (560mls) vodka. This will make an incredibly strong vodka shot and by all accounts tastes awful. If you are increasing the amount of vodka anywhere up to this ratio it is vital to ensure all the jello is dissolved into the hot water. If you are having trouble you can heat the water up a bit more once you've added the jello and stir stir stir until it's all dissolved.
How long does it take jello shots to set?
If you are making single-colored jello shots and use cold water and cold booze, you can set jello shots in as little as ninety minutes.
If you want pretty, well-defined layers you will need to give each layer time to set, ideally at least four hours. Make sure each additional layer is cool before adding, or it will melt and muddle your layers.
Can you put jello shots in the freezer?
No, no you can't. Putting jello shots in the freezer may sound like a great way to speed up the setting process but it's not. Without going into the science too much, freezing the jello has a negative effect on the gelatin in the jello and interferes with its ability to set. The result is a goopy mess that's no fun to eat.
So give yourself a little time, and with cold water and cold booze, you can set your jello shots in the fridge in as little as ninety minutes, or an hour and a half.
Got any more questions on making jello shots? Let me a comment below!
Looking for more great all American desserts? Why not try making my classic Philadelphia no bake cheesecake, peanut butter ice cream or chocolate red velvet cake.
Ingredients
Red jello: is an easy way to get the red layer in these jello shots. I used strawberry jello in this recipe but you could use any kind of bright red jello that you like.
Blue jello: blue is often a hard color to make, there are not many blue foods! Blue jello is a simple way to get the blue layer in these jello shots. I used berry jello in this recipe but you could use any kind of bright blue jello that you like.
Sweetened condensed milk: is a simple and tasty way to get the white layer in these shots. A gelatin helps them set so you get nice distinct layers. For a dairy-free option you could use dairy-free sweetened condensed milk instead.
Gelatin: a little bit of gelatin helps set the white layer in these shots in the absence of jello. Without it the top blue layer will sink into the white layer and you won't get pretty clear lines.
Vodka (optional): for boozy adult shots you can add vodka or any alcohol flavors you like. Some fun clear alcohol options include white rum, tequila or gin. You could also mix things up by matching the jello colors with corresponding colored alcohol such as Campari for the red layer or blue curacao for the blue layer. And of course for a kid-friendly version you can leave out the alcohol altogether.
How to make red white and blue jello shots
First make sure you have room in your fridge to set the jello shots. I like to fit them into a container so I can stack them up in the fridge, especially if making lots for a party.
Boil some water. Add the red jello to a heatproof jug. Add one cup of boiling water and stir well, making sure all the jello is dissolved. Add half a cup of cold water and half a cup of vodka. For kid-friendly jello shots you can replace the vodka with the same amount of cold water at this point.
Stir well, then pour into the glasses until it comes one-third of the way up the glasses. Put into a covered container and put in the fridge to set.
Hot tip: in order to get clean, well defined layers its important to give the jello plenty of time to set properly in the fridge. If your second layer is cool you could try after only one and a half hours, but you run the risk of your layers muddling together. I strongly reccomend you let the first layer set for four hours in the fridge. Longer is fine to, I've actaully made these over two days, letting the previous layer set over several hours before adding the next .
Once the red layer has been set properly make the white layer. Put half a cup of boiling water into a microwave, heat-proof jug. Add the gelatin and mix well. It's important to make sure the gelatin is dissolved and well mixed in. If it's not dissolving properly try microwaving it for ten to twenty seconds and mixing more.
Add the sweetened condensed milk and half a cup of vodka and mix well. For kid-friendly jello shots you can replace the vodka with the same amount of water. Make sure the mix is cool to room temperature and not too hot or it will dissolve the first layer. You can put it in the fridge for a few minutes if you need to.
Carefully pour the white layer on top of the red layer of jello until the glasses are two-thirds full. Try to make sure there are no bubbles on top of the mix or they will dissolve into the last layer.
Again it's really important to give the white layer plenty of time to set properly in the fridge. You could try after one and a half hours but I strongly recommend leaving them for four hours. Longer is fine too.
For the final layer add the blue jello to a heatproof jug. Add one cup of boiling water and stir well, making sure all the jello is dissolved. Add half a cup of cold water and half a cup of vodka. For kid-friendly jello shots you can replace the vodka with the same amount of water.
Fill the remaining third of the glasses with the blue jello and chill in the fridge for at least four hours until set.
For some fun decorations whip some cream to pipe on top and add red white and blue sprinkles. Finally top them with a cocktail American flag and you're done!
How to serve
To serve you can put them onto a platter and get the party started! Unless you have added a lot of vodka you will need to run a toothpick around the edges in order to 'shoot' them or eat them with a spoon.
How long do jello shots last?
Without the cream decoration these pretty jelly shots will store covered in the fridge for up to a week, so they are a great option to make ahead. You can not freeze these jello shots. They will turn to mush and be awful to eat.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
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📋 Recipe
Red white and blue jello shots
Equipment
- Clear shot glasses or cups
Ingredients
- 1 packet (3oz/85gms) red jello
- 1 tin (14oz or 395 gms) sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons (10gms) gelatin
- 1 packet (3oz/85gms) blue jello
- 2 & ½ cups boiling water, divided
- 1 cup cold water, divided
- 1 & ½ cups vodka, divided *replace with extra cold water for kid friendly version
Optional decorations
- ½ cup whipped cream
- red, white and blue sprinkles
- cocktail stick American flags
Instructions
- Make sure there is room in your fridge and line up your cups.
- Add the red jello to a heat proof jug with one cup of boiling water,
- Stir very well until all the jello is dissolved. If the jello isn't dissolving you can microwave it for a few seconds, provided your mix is in a microwave proof container.
- Add half a cup of cold water and half a cup of vodka and stir well. For a kid friendly version replace the vodka with cold water.
- Fill your cups one third full with jello and chill in fridge until well set. The absolute minimum I recommend is one and a half hours, but four hours is better and up to overnight is fine.
- Boil the water. Add the gelatin to a heatproof jug. Add half a cup of boiling water and mix well until all the gelatin is dissolved. If the gelatin isn't dissolving you can microwave it for a few seconds, provided your mix is in a microwave proof container.
- Add the vodka and mix well. For a kid friendly version replace the vodka with cold water.
- It is important to make sure the condensed milk milk has cooled to room temperature. You can put it in the fridge for a few minutes if needed. If its to hot, it will melt your bottom red layer.
- Pour the condensed milk over the red layer until the cups are two thirds full. Chill in fridge until well set. The absolute minimum I recommend is one and a half hours, but four hours is better and up to overnight is fine.
- Add the blue jello to a heat proof jug with one cup of boiling water,
- Stir very well until all the jello is dissolved. If the jello isn't dissolving you can microwave it for a few seconds, provided your mix is in a microwave proof container.
- Add half a cup of cold water and half a cup of vodka and stir well. For a kid friendly version replace the vodka with cold water.
- It is important to make sure the blue jello has cooled to room temperature. You can put it in the fridge for a few minutes if needed. If its to hot, it will melt your white layer.
- Fill the rest of your glasses with blue jello. Chill in fridge until well set. The absolute minimum I recommend is one and a half hours, but four hours is better. You can also finish these off the night before the party and they will keep well overnight.
- Optional - you can decorate these with some whipped cream, fun red, white and blue sprinkles and some cocktail American flags for the perfect patriotic party.
- To serve pop onto a plate and get the party started! These jello shots set rather firm, so you will need to run a toothpick around the edges before 'shooting' them, or else eat them with a good old spoon.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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