Celebrate with colorful 4th of July jello shots made with red, white, and blue jello and, without mention, a bit of vodka. Top with whipped cream and patriotic sprinkles for some of the sweetest little dessert shooters in town.
Why this recipe works
4th of July jello shots are actually really easy to make, don’t let the layers intimidate you. However, do know that these dessert shooters will take a bit of time in the refrigerator between each layer to properly set. Though it’s entirely possible to knock them out the same day you want to serve them, it’s one less thing you have to worry about on the day of your party if you prep them in advance.
Jello shots are so much fun and we’re always looking for more ways to dress them up. We’ve experimented by making jello shots both in the rind of a lime as well as in a hollowed out watermelon in our watermelon jello shots recipe, and now we are excited to bring you this fun fourth of July layered jello shot for your patriotic parties!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
LAYERS – You will need either cherry or strawberry jello for the red layer and berry blue or blue raspberry jello for the blue layer. The white layer is made with sweetened condensed milk and unflavored gelatin. I do not recommend substituting the sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk or regular milk, it likely won’t set correctly and will not taste good. Using sweetened condensed milk in jello has been around for a long time, see our broken glass jello recipe as an example.
How to Make 4th of July Jello Shots
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Combine the packet of blue jello and 1 cup of boiling water in a bowl. Whisk the mixtures until jello is fully dissolved in the boiling water.
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, pour in 1⁄2 cup – 3⁄4 cup of vodka. Add cold water to the 1 cup measurement line. (Depending on how strong you’d like the jell-o shots, adjust the amount of vodka and then add water as needed to make 1 cup total of liquid).
- Pour the blue jello mixture into the vodka mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the blue mixture to fill the bottom 1⁄3 of glass or plastic shot glasses. You should be able to make about 30 jello shots, but the amount will vary depending on the size of the shot glasses.
- Set the shot glasses inside the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to chill and set. Once the blue layer of jello has set, mix together the white layer.
- Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a bowl and sprinkle both packets of clear gelatin over the top. Whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved in the water.
- Add 1 cup of cold water and the can of sweetened condensed milk into the gelatin mixture and stir until fully combined.
- Place the white jello mixture into the refrigerator or allow to cool to room temperature.
- Divide the white jello between the shot glasses, pouring it to form a layer on top of the blue layer (filling the shot glasses to about 2⁄3 of the way full.)
- Refrigerate until white layer is set (about 1 hour).
- Prepare the red layer the same as the blue layer was prepared. Dissolve jello powder in 1 cup of boiling water. Mix vodka and cold water to make 1 cup of cold liquid. Combine the red jello solution and the vodka solution. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Pour the red layer over the white layer to fill the shot glasses to the very top. Refrigerate 1-2 hours until the full jello shots are set.
- Whip heavy cream or use canned whipped cream to top the jello shots JUST BEFORE SERVING. Sprinkle with festive sprinkles.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, you can substitute the vodka with white rum or another clear liquor. These would be great with coconut rum as well as other flavors. Bacardi offers a variety of fruity rums to choose from to suit your taste, but today we chose to stick with classic vodka to let the jello flavors shine.
Absolutely! Make them as you would make jello without alcohol, adding extra cold water in place of the measured vodka. After all, these are mini jello cups with the addition of alcohol, removing the alcohol will just leave you with regular sweet jello cups which taste great all on their own.
Yes, these 4th of July jello shots can and should be made in advance to allow each layer enough time to set in the refrigerator. Make them up to 2 days in advance if desired, but hold off on the whipped cream and sprinkles until you are ready to serve.
Cover the jello shots with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Whipped cream doesn’t store well so top the jello shots just before serving.
Yes, you can make these jello shots in 1 oz, 2 oz, or 3 oz containers, you name it. You will get more or less shots depending on the size cup you use. Some people prefer to use these jello shot cups that come fitted with a lid for storage and transportation, while others like more definition between the layers and prefer to use a taller shot glass.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your 4th of July jello shots as is or top them with whipped cream, sprinkles, blueberries, maraschino cherries, or chopped strawberries as garnish.
Just imagine all the different color combinations you can create with this method. Mix and match them to other holidays, birthday themes, or sports team colors.
More Patriotic Recipes
- Patriotic Punch
- Taco Salad Flag
- Mini Shortcake Cups
- American Flag Kabobs
- American Flag Cupcakes
- Patriotic Charcuterie Board
- Patriotic Mini Cheesecakes
- Red White and Blue Poke Cake
I love to bake and cook and share my kitchen experience with all of you! Remembering to come back each day can be tough, that’s why I offer a convenient newsletter every time a new recipe posts. Simply subscribe and start receiving your free daily recipes!
4th of July Jello Shots
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 3 ounce cherry jello or strawberry
- 3 ounce berry blue jello or blue raspberry
- 3 cups boiling water divided
- 1 cup clear vodka or up to 1 1/2 cups
- cold water
- ⅕ ounce clear gelatin two .25 oz packets of clear gelatin
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
Optional Garnish
- Whipped cream
- Red, white, and blue sprinkles
Things You’ll Need
- Plastic Shot Glasses
Before You Begin
- The white jello mixture needs to be cooled COMPLETELY before pouring over the blue layer or it will melt the blue layer and the colors will swirl together.
- Be sure the red jello is cooled to room temperature also before pouring over the white layer.
- Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Whipped cream doesn’t store well so top the jello shots just before serving.
- Using 1⁄2 cup vodka and 1⁄2 cup cold water in each of the blue and red layers of jello was my personal favorite as the flavors were able to come through and the vodka was not too strong. 3⁄4 cup vodka and 1⁄4 cup cold water will pack more punch (or you could use a full cup of vodka and no cold water if you wanted), but the vodka flavor is quite strong.
- You can use 1 oz, 1.5 oz, or 2 oz shot glasses for this recipe. The number of shots you get will depend on the size shot glass you use.
Instructions
- Combine the packet of blue jello and 1 cup of boiling water in a bowl. Whisk the mixtures until jello is fully dissolved in the boiling water.
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, pour in 1⁄2 cup – 3⁄4 cup of vodka. Add cold water to the 1 cup measurement line. (Depending on how strong you’d like the jell-o shots, adjust the amount of vodka and then add water as needed to make 1 cup total of liquid).
- Pour the blue jello mixture into the vodka mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour the blue mixture to fill the bottom 1⁄3 of glass or plastic shot glasses. You should be able to make about 30 jello shots, but the amount will vary depending on the size of the shot glasses.
- Set the shot glasses inside the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to chill and set. Once the blue layer of jello has set, mix together the white layer.
- Pour 1 cup of boiling water into a bowl and sprinkle both packets of clear gelatin over the top. Whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved in the water. Add 1 cup of cold water and the can of sweetened condensed milk into the gelatin mixture and stir until fully combined.
- Place the white jello mixture into the refrigerator or allow to cool to room temperature.
- Divide the white jello between the shot glasses, pouring it to form a layer on top of the blue layer (filling the shot glasses to about 2⁄3 of the way full.)
- Refrigerate until white layer is set (about 1 hour).
- Prepare the red layer the same as the blue layer was prepared. Dissolve jello powder in 1 cup of boiling water. Mix vodka and cold water to make 1 cup of cold liquid. Combine the red jello solution and the vodka solution. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Pour the red layer over the white layer to fill the shot glasses to the very top. Refrigerate 1-2 hours until the full jello shots are set.
- Whip heavy cream or use canned whipped cream to top the jello shots JUST BEFORE SERVING. Sprinkle with festive sprinkles.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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