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Jell-O Shots (Red, White, and Blue Layered)

Jell-O shots recipe for glossy, translucent red-white-blue layers in clear plastic cups—made with vodka and chilled for clean separation. This easy Jell-O shots method builds the layers one-third at a time for neat, jiggly party drinks.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
setting 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cherry or strawberry Jell-O
  • 1 box (3 oz) Cherry or strawberry Jell-O For the red layer.
Berry blue Jell-O
  • 1 box (3 oz) Berry blue Jell-O For the blue layer.
Unflavored gelatin (white layer)
  • 1 box (3 oz) unflavored gelatin Used with condensed milk for the white layer.
Sweetened condensed milk (white layer)
  • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk Used with unflavored gelatin for the white layer.
Boiling water (divided)
  • 3 cups boiling water Divided across layers: 1 cup red, 1 cup white, 1 cup blue.
Cold vodka (divided)
  • 1.5 cups vodka Divided across layers: 1/2 cup red, 1/2 cup white, 1/2 cup blue.
Cold water (white layer)
  • 0.5 cup cold water Used to cool and finish the white layer (1/2 cup total).

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the red layer
  1. Dissolve cherry or strawberry Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, stirring for 2 minutes, until fully dissolved; it should look clear and glossy. Mix in 1/2 cup cold vodka and pour into shot cups, filling each cup to about one-third.
  2. Refrigerate the cups for 45 minutes until the red layer is fully set and no longer jiggles when gently tilted.
Make and add the white layer
  1. In a bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup boiling water, and unflavored gelatin, stirring until dissolved and smooth. Let it cool slightly, then add 1/2 cup cold water so the mixture is pourable but not warm.
  2. Spoon gently over the set red layer to avoid disturbing it, aiming for an even top thickness. Refrigerate for another 45 minutes until the white layer is set.
Make the blue layer and chill
  1. Dissolve berry blue Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, stirring for 2 minutes until dissolved, then mix in 1/2 cup cold vodka. Cool to room temperature so the white layer stays intact, then pour gently over the white layer.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until fully set, then serve cold for clean, jiggly layers.

Notes

Pro tip: cool each layer to the specified stage before pouring—warm mixture can melt the previous set layer and blur the stripes. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; do not freeze (the texture can turn grainy). For a lower-sugar swap, use a reduced-sugar Jell-O variety for the red and blue layers, keeping the gelatin/condensed milk method for the white layer unchanged.