Jello and vodka were meant to be together, so who are we to keep them apart!? These vodka jello shot recipes are perfect for any occasion and any jello shot making skill level.
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is — there’s never a bad time to make a vodka jello shot. If you’ve been intimidated by jello shots in the past, don’t be! They’re surprisingly easy to make and are a welcome addition to any party or celebratory event.
How To Make Vodka Jello Shots
While recipes can vary, the most common way of making vodka jello shots is the following:
- Combine 1 3oz package of jello with 1 cup of boiling water and stir until the jello dissolves
- Pour in a 1/2 cup of cold water and a 1/2 cup of vodka to the jello mixture
- Stir until combined, then pour into shot cups
- Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until the shots are firm
This will make 12-16 shots depending on how strong your pours are.
The following vodka jello shot recipes use this method or variations of this method, but you can take lot of creative liberties when making jello shots.
Ultimately, the only real rules are 1. you need to have equal parts boiling liquid and cold liquid so it mixes and freezes properly and 2. you don’t want to boil the vodka for obvious reasons.
The Best Vodka For Jello Shots
Ultimately, any vodka will mix in fine with jello, so the best vodka for jello shots comes down to your price point, preference, and the recipe.
That said, as far as brands go, I have a whole post on the best vodkas to use for jello shots that can help you decide what vodka will work best for your purposes.
With all that covered, let’s get right into the recipes!
24 Vodka Jello Shot Recipes For Any Occasion
These vodka jello shots are for any jello shot making skill level. From decadent dessert shots to shots that taste like your favorite vodka cocktails, these recipes are perfect for any occasion that calls for a fun jello shot!
Cosmopolitan Jello Shots
To start us off, we have everyone's favorite vodka cocktail in jello shot form!
The recipe uses equal parts Citron Vodka and Triple Sec with cranberry jello and a little bit of lime and cranberry juice. If you're looking for a jello shot that everyone will love, this is a great option.
Strawberry Whipped Cream Vodka Jello Shots
This dessert-themed jello shot recipe uses strawberry jello with Pinnacle Whipped Vodka and follows the basic jello shot making method.
It's basically a jello-fied strawberry shortcake filled with vodka, so you know it's going to be delicious.
Pineapple Vodka Jello Shots
I love pineapple juice and vodka as a mixed drink, so this jello shot really speaks to me.
The recipe uses pineapple jello with mango pineapple vodka, so it's super fruity, tropical, and will no doubt get the party started!
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Jello Shots
Speaking of pineapple, this is a slightly elevated version of a plain pineapple jello shot.
This recipe has two layers: the yellow layer made with cake vodka, pineapple juice, and jello, and the red layer made with the same mixture plus grenadine.
The end result gives you a beautiful ombre color that really does look like a jello version of a pineapple upside-down cake!
Key Lime Jello Shots
This jello shot proves once and for all that you can have your pie and eat it too!
It also couldn't be easier to make -- you just follow the standard jello shot recipe using lime jello and plain vodka. Bonus points if you add the gold sugar rim and whipped cream on top.
Watermelon Slice Jello Shots
These watermelon shots look intimidating, but they're actually pretty easy to make!
Instead of pouring your mixture into a shot cup, you pour it into half of a hollowed out watermelon and refrigerate it until the jello has set. Then you carefully cut the watermelon into wedges, and you have a gorgeous, show-stopping jello shot that's perfect for the summertime.
Boozy Arnold Palmer Jell-O Shots
You don't have to be a golfer to enjoy this shot! This jello shot is a riff on an Arnold Palmer, which is traditionally a non-alcoholic drink made with lemonade and iced tea.
For the recipe, you just need lemon jello, ice tea flavored (or plain) vodka, ice tea, and lemonade. The resulting shot is refreshing, not too sweet, and perfect for a hot day.
Strawberry Basil Lemonade Jello Shots
This delicious shot also uses a layering technique to give it a fun visual effect.
Ingredients include Pearl Strawberry Basil Vodka, lemonade, and plain jello. If you can't find this specific vodka though, you could add fresh basil with the stems to the boiling water to get a similar flavor.
Bloody Mary Jello Shots
If you've ever wondered if you can have jello shots before 10am, the answer is a resounding yes!
These bloody mary jello shots would be perfect for brunch, but they'd also be fun for bachelorette parties or tailgating.
Green Apple Jell-O Shots
These shots were made with Halloween in mind, but it's basically just a appletini jello shot, so it'd be great for any time of year!
To make it, you need vodka, Sour Apple Schnapps, and green apple jello. If you love drinks that make you pucker, this is the jello shot for you.
Caramel Apple Jello Shots
Here's another very different take on an apple jello shot! This one is on the sweeter side of the spectrum and uses salted caramel vodka, apple cider, lemon juice, and plain jello.
Similar to the watermelon jello shot, you pour the mixture into a hollowed out apple and then cut it into slices once the jello is firm. Perfect for fall or whenever you have some extra apples laying around!
Blue Raspberry Jello Shots
Blue raspberry was always the most popular flavor of popsicle and jolly rancher growing up, so I have no doubt these would be a crowd pleaser. The only ingredients are blue raspberry vodka and blue raspberry jello.
These would make your mouth the craziest shade of blue, and it'd be totally worth it!
Blueberry Martini Jello Shots
If you want a more sophisticated jello shot, give these blueberry martini jello shots a try!
It's made with plain gelatin, blueberry vodka, simple syrup, and fresh blueberries. Instead of shot cups, you use an ice cube mold, which is actually a lot easier than trying to pour the shot into individual tiny cups. So you get extra elegance without any extra effort!
Lemon Cake Jello Shots
This lemon jello shot is sweet instead of tart thanks to the cake flavored vodka and sprinkle rim.
Its festive, fun color makes it great for any party or celebratory event, but it'd be especially awesome as a birthday party treat.
Pink Lemonade Jello Shots
These shots would be refreshing, a little tart, and absolutely adorable!
They're made with Pink Starburst Jello, which happens to taste exactly like pink lemonade, and plain vodka. I could see them being so fun for a baby shower or summer barbecue.
Butterbeer Jell-O Shots
If Harry Potter were trying to get lit, you can bet this would be his jello shot of choice.
You'll need cream soda, Butterscotch Schnapps, vanilla vodka, butter flavored extract, and caramel sauce for drizzling. It's decadent and requires a few more ingredients than most jello shots, but it will make you feel like you're sitting at a pub in Hogsmeade. Totally worth it.
Peppermint Mocha Jello Shots
These adorable peppermint mocha shots will give you a buzz in more than one way!
The recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of Peppermint Schnapps, chocolate vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream. Otherwise, all you need is unflavored gelatin and strongly brewed coffee.
Orange Creamsicle Jello Shots
This recipe brilliantly combines Pinnacle Orange Whipped Vodka with orange jello to make a jello shot that tastes exactly like an orange creamsicle.
I've made these a few times, and they're always a hit. You can put whipped cream on top too if you want to make it even more of a dessert shot.
Yellow Starburst Jello Shots
Here's another recipe that uses Starburst Jello, which is honestly weird to eat on its own, but is perfect for jello shots since it tastes just like the candy.
This shot is made with Yellow Starburst Jello and lemonade vodka. So it's tart, sweet, and tastes pretty much exactly like a yellow Starburst!
Peach Fizz Jello Shots
This sophisticated jello shot is made with peach vodka, unflavored gelatin, champagne, and sugar.
It's fancier than a plain old peach jello shot thanks to the "fizz", and would definitely impress your friends.
Cucumber Mint Lemonade Jell-O Shots
I'm a little obsessed with cucumber vodka, so I'm beyond excited to try this recipe!
It uses lemon jello and Ketel One Cucumber Mint Vodka. But if you can't find the specific Ketel One flavor, you can use any cucumber vodka and add fresh mint to the water while it's boiling for the same effect.
Mermaid Jello Shots
These mermaid jello shots are a little bit more involved than the other recipes on this list, but they were too gorgeous not to include!
Here's what you need for these beauties: grape jello, unflavored gelatin powder, vodka, Grape Pucker Schnapps, lemon juice, and champagne.
As long as that doesn't scare you off, the recipe is fairly straightforward after making the jello mixture: pour it in a pan, refrigerate, then cut into small squares and garnish with sprinkles when the jello has set.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Jello Shots
That's right: your favorite childhood sandwich was turned into a jello shot!
The jelly layer is made of grape vodka and grape jello, while the peanut butter layer is unflavored gelatin and hazelnut liqueur. Just like a classic PB&J but hold the bread and add some booze.
Cherry Coke Jello Shots
This layered jello shot is made in a silicone muffin pan, but you can also easily just use shot cups instead.
For ingredients, you need Coca-Cola, cherry vodka, and cherry jello for the bottom layer and cherry vodka, cherry jello, and grenadine for the top layer. Add a fresh cherry or maraschino cherry on top before the top layer sets for a fun garnish!
And that’s a wrap! Which of these vodka jello shot recipes are you excited to try next time you’re throwing a party? I’m personally stoked to give the Mermaid shots a try, but they all look so fun and tasty.
And if you have a favorite vodka jello shot that wasn’t included here, please let me know in the comment section below so I can try it out myself 🙂