Christmas Jello Shots
These Christmas jello shots are a fun and colorful addition to any holiday celebration. They bring festive flavor and bright pops of color to your table—and they’re easy to make ahead. Just mix, pour, and let the fridge do the work. Grab your shot cups and get ready to add a little extra cheer to your Christmas gathering!
I like to serve these colorful jello shots at adults-only gatherings—not just because they’re fun, but because they look so tempting, even kids might want to sneak one.
That said, you can still serve them at mixed-age holiday parties. Just keep the tray out of reach—up high on a counter or in the fridge until it’s time for the grown-ups to enjoy.
I’ll be honest—I’m not usually a big jello fan. But something about these little shots wins me over every time. After one or two, I forget why I ever swore off jello in the first place.
My husband, on the other hand, loves Jell-O. His review? “Yum, you can’t even taste the vodka.” Which, let’s be real, is precisely why these are for adults only.
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Helpful
Tips
- Use whatever jello flavors or gelatin you like, but these four are my favorites.
- Green jello (lime) is popular during the holidays. If I had to say which is my favorite, it would have to be lime jello.
- There are a few flavors of red jello. I use dark cherry jello, but I’ve used cranberry jello and strawberry jello.
- I use filtered water and boil it in this quick boil pot.
- I’m using vodka in this recipe, but you can use any clear alcohol like white rum, coconut rum, or blanco tequila.
- You can also use other liquors like bourbon, scotch, or whiskey for these shots, if you don’t care that the color of your jello will be darker.
- The plastic shot glasses I purchased are 2 ounces, but get whatever size you prefer. I bought these since squeezing the jello out of the cup is easy AND they came with lids so when you place them in the refrigerator to solidify, they can be stacked on each other.
How to make Christmas jello shots
Pre-step
Get out the jello shot cups, measuring glasses, and mixing bowls.
Place 2 cups of filtered water in a large measuring glass and add ice cubes to get the water as cold as possible.
NOTE: Even though you see two boxes of jello below, I actually added yellow and orange. Mainly because I made syringe jello shots the same day I photographed this recipe. 🙂
Step one
Get the simple ingredients – vodka and boxes of jello.
Step two
Empty each box of jello in the various glass bowls. Cherry (A), lime (B), orange (C), and lemon (D).
Step three
Boil the water either in a saucepan on the stovetop or in a quick boiler. Add 1 cup of boiling water to each bowl of jello powder.
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Step four
Stir each jello flavor with a whisk or large tablespoon until the hot water melts the gelatin powder.
Step five
Add 1/2 cup vodka to each bowl. Also add 1/2 cup cold water to each bowl and stir the mixture again.
Step six
Line the jello cups on the table and pour each color into the cups. I use a measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring.
Step seven
Place the lids on each cup and stack them in the fridge for at least 4 hours to solidify.
So vibrant!
If you want you can dollop on a little whipped cream, although I choose not to.
Time to try one. See, it’s easy to squeeze!
I hope you enjoyed this Christmas Jello shot recipe! Make them for your next Christmas party.
Other holiday cocktails
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Christmas Jello Shots
Ingredients
- 3 ounces lime jello (box)
- 3 ounces black cherry jello (or other red flavor)
- 3 ounces orange jello
- 3 ounces lemon jello
- 4 cups boiling water (divided – 1 cup per flavor)
- 2 cups vodka (divided – 1/2 cup per flavor)
- 2 cups cold water (divided – 1/2 cup per flavor)
Instructions
- The night before you make this recipe, put as much vodka as you need in the freezer if you don't store it there already. You want it as cold as possible.
- Before making the recipe, fill a big bowl or measuring cup that fits at least 2 cups of water. Add ice cubes to get the water as cold as you can.
- Put enough water on to boil – 4 cups.
- Empty each package of jello mix in separate glass containers or bowls.3 ounces lime jello, 3 ounces black cherry jello, 3 ounces orange jello, 3 ounces lemon jello
- Pour 1 cup of boiling water into each flavor of jello.4 cups boiling water
- Stir each flavor of jello with a whisk (make sure to rinse between each flavor as you don't want to sully the color/flavor) or tablespoon until the powder has melted.
- Pour 1/2 cup of chilled vodka into each flavor of jello.2 cups vodka
- Fish out any ice left in the cold water and discard. Pour 1/2 cup of cold water into each flavor of jello.2 cups cold water
- Stir the jello until combined.
- Line up the jello cups on a table.
- Either transfer the jello to a container with a pouring spout or carefully pour each flavor of jello into the jello cups.
- Place the lid on each Jello cup and stack them in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
- Serve, smile, and enjoy.
Equipment
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Helpful tips
-
- Feel free to use any jello or gelatin flavors you like, but these four are my go-tos. Lime jello (green) is especially popular around the holidays, and if I had to pick a favorite, that would be it.
- There are a few red options to choose from. I usually go with dark cherry, but cranberry and strawberry work great too.
- I boil filtered water in a quick-boil kettle for this recipe—it’s fast and easy.
- This version uses vodka, but you can swap in any clear alcohol, like white rum, coconut rum, or blanco tequila. If you don’t mind a darker jello color, you can also use spirits like bourbon, whiskey, or scotch.
- The plastic shot glasses I use hold 2 ounces, but any size will do. I picked these because they’re easy to squeeze the jello out of, and they come with lids—perfect for stacking in the fridge while they set.
Nutrition
Originally published in September 2023.
Tried them this weekend and I can’t wait to break out these super easy shots again for the holiday parties this year.
Thanks, Sharon.
This is such a great idea for the holidays! 🙂 Delicious and fun. I would have never though to make jello shots for Christmas entertaining.
Thanks, Carrie. I love how colorful they are.
This was my first time making jello shots, wow! What a combination. I used green apple jello and it was so good. I will make them again for the holidays in green and red color.
I’m so happy to heart that, Silvia. Thanks for letting me know.
I absolutely loved the Christmas jello shots recipe! They were a hit at my birthday party. Thanks so much for sharing this fantastic recipe! 🎄🍹🎉
Yay! Happy birthday, Megan. Thanks so much for letting me know.
Really good! Did a test run yesterday and both my husband and I agreed these are great for Christmas. I used strawberry jello and tequila was the alcohol. They were yummy, like mini margaritas and so easy. Thank you so much, these are perfect.
Yay! Thanks, Jenny! I’m glad you liked them.