How To Make Jello Shots

We’ve all come across a jello shot at some point in our lives (see: college), those wiggly party treats made with the cheapest liquor you can find. But jello shots—or jello jigglers if you prefer—have come a long way. We promise, they are more than a cheap party shooter. They can actually be fancy and sophisticated. It’s simply a matter of making the most out of your ingredients.

Never had jello shots? They’re exactly what they sound like: an individually portioned size bite of jello, traditionally consumed as a shot. And they’re great with or without booze. Use water or juice if you’re making booze-free, or replace the liquid with alcohol if you want an adults-only version.

Vegetarians and vegans, don’t worry, there’s a jello shot option for you too. Regular gelatin is traditionally made with collagen, but substitutions can be made with agar agar (cooked and pressed algae, used in a lot of Asian cooking) or carrageenan (dried seaweed). Because these differ, both in texture and how they are prepared, you may have to do a little testing until you reach the right consistency.

And that’s the beauty of jello shots; they’re incredibly easy to customize and there’s no wrong way to make them! Flavors, colors, shapes, whatever you can imagine, you can make. Feeling the fall vibes? Make pumpkin-flavored jello jigglers. Or get into the Christmas spirit with red and green jello shots. There’s literally nothing you can’t do and there’s never a wrong time to make jello shots. Birthday? Definitely. Halloween? Of course. Bachelorette? Hard yes.

For the most basic, easiest, and fastest shots, we’ll walk you through how to make jello shots and what you’ll need to make ‘em great! Note: this recipe will yield about a dozen shots depending on how full you fill your cups.

What You Need:

• 1-quart measuring cup with spout, or pitcher
• Mini plastic cups

Ingredients:

• 1 box of premade flavored gelatin powder (jello)
• 1 cup of boiling water
• 1 cup of cold alcohol

Step 1: Pour the jello powder in the liquid measuring cup. Add 1 cup of boiling water and stir until all of the powder has completely dissolved.