17 Best Tasting Jello Shot Flavors (By Color)

If you want to a Jello shot recipe that is super easy to make and tastes great, this list of the best Jello shots is for you. They’re organized by color so you can easily find one that matches your event decorations or team colors.

The best Jello shots by color

Jello shots are one of my all-time favorite party drinks!

They’re so easy to put together, are made ahead of time and come in every color.

So they’re perfect for matching team colors or your party decor.

I have been making them since I was in college, and they’re as big a hit now (many years later!) as they were back then.

Over the years, I have tried out a lot of different recipes on my friends and have come up with the ones that everyone loves the most.

So that’s where this list of the best tasting Jello shots came from.

Looking for a specific Jello shooter color?

Click the link to go directly there:

Or keep reading to see them all.

1 | Blue coconut rum Jello shots

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Blue and black jello shots stacked in front of a Carolina Panthers paper plate with a bowl of mini tasting spoons

This recipe is one of the most popular Jello shots on our site with good reason.

It’s super easy to make.

And who doesn’t love Malibu rum? Especially in the summer.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Berry Blue jello
  • ⅔ cup Coconut Rum
  • ⅓ cup cold water

How to make them

  1. In a bowl or large measuring cup, mix the Berry Blue jello with 1 cup of boiling water until the crystals have dissolved.
  2. Add the Coconut Rum and water and mix again.
  3. Pour the mixture into 2-ounce Jello shot cups*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

For a more tropical version of a blue jello shot with coconut rum, try out this Blue Hawaiian jello shot recipe.

2 | Blue apple pucker Jello shots

Berry Blue jello shots made with apple pucker

I know this one sounds a little strange.

But the tart flavor of the Apple Pucker takes away from some of the sweetness of the berry blue Jello, and makes a really good-tasting jello shot!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Berry Blue jello
  • ⅔ cup Sour Apple Pucker
  • ⅓ cup cold water

Instructions

  1. Mix the Berry Blue jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the Sour Apple Pucker and water and mix again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce plastic shot glasses with lids*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

3 | Glow-in-the-dark Jello shot recipe

Glow in the dark blue jello made in a brain mold

I originally did a non-alcoholic version of this recipe in a jello mold that looked like brains (for a Halloween party.

But I have since served it as a jello shot and it still glows in the dark when you put it under a black light.

Find out how to make glow in the dark jello brains.

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cup tonic water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Berry Blue jello
  • ⅔ cup Citron Vodka
  • ⅓ cup cold tonic water

How to make them

  1. Heat tonic water to boiling.
  2. Mix the Berry Blue jello crystals with 1 cup of the boiling tonic water until they have dissolved.  There will be a little bit of hot tonic water left over that you can throw out.
  3. Add the Citron Vodka and the cold tonic water and mix again.
  4. Pour into 2-ounce shot cups*.
  5. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

4 | Under the sea Jello shots

Blue Jello shots with Swedish fish jellies in them

These blue jello shots made with Swedish fish are too cute and were the hit of my Under The Sea party.

With sand, sea and fish (all edible of course), who can resist one of these?

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

5 | Green Margarita Jello shots

Green jello shots in jello shot cups with lids

These Margarita jello shots are so good that after tasting them for the first time, I thought I would never come up with another green Jello shot recipe again. (Spoiler alert: I did change my mind eventually).

They mix lime jello with tequila and margarita mix and are still one of my all time favorites.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 3-ounce (small) package of Lime jello
  • ½ cup Margarita mix
  • ½ cup Tequila

Instructions

  1. Mix the Lime jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the Margarita mix and Tequila and stir again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce Jello cups*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

6 | Yellow lemon drop Jello shots

Yellow jello shots in jello shot cups, some with lids and some without

Lemon drop martinis are one of my favorite cocktails. So when I wanted a yellow jello shot, that’s the first thing that popped into my head.

And these lemon drop jello shots don’t disappoint.

Made with Citron vodka and lemon Jello, they’re full of flavor. You won’t be able to stop at just one!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Lemon jello
  • ⅔ cup Citron Vodka
  • ⅓ cup cold water
  • (optional) White sugar

How to make them

  1. Mix the Lemon jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the Citron Vodka and water and stir again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce shot glasses with lids*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.
  5. (Optional) Once the jello has set, you can sprinkle a little white sugar over the top to give it a little extra sparkle.

Makes about 16 servings.

7 | Yellow Pina colada Jello shots

Of course, if you want more of a tropical flavor, you can’t go wrong with Pina Colada jello shots either.

Made with Island Pineapple jello, it’s another super easy recipe that’s perfect for summer parties.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Island Pineapple jello
  • ¾ cup Malibu Coconut Rum
  • ¼ cup cold water or coconut milk

How to make them

  1. Mix the Island Pineapple jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the Malibu Coconut Rum and water (or coconut milk) and stir again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce Jello cups*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

8 | Variation: Layered pina colada Jello shots

Stacks of layered pina colada jello shots

If you’re willing to do a little more work, all of my friends say that this layered Pina Colada recipe is one of the best jello shots ever.

It has a coconut pudding layer in the middle that adds the creaminess of a real Pina Colada. Super tasty!

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

9 | Red cherry fireball Jello shots

Red and blue jello shots with a New England Patriots plate in the background

When I first made these cherry fireball jello shots, I wasn’t sure how well they would go over with my friends.

I thought they might be too strong for some people. And the diehard Fireball fans would think they were too sweet.

When the whole tray was gone in 15 minutes and people were still coming back for more, I had my answer. They loved them!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Cherry jello
  • ⅔ cup Fireball whiskey
  • ⅓ cup cold water

Instructions

  1. Mix Cherry jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the Fireball whiskey and cold water and stir again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce plastic shot cups*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

10 | Strawberry daiquiri Jello shots

Two stacks of the best blue and red Jello shots

For those people who aren’t Fireball fans, these Strawberry daiquiri Jello shots may be a better option.

They’re made with rum and strawberry daiquiri mix, just like the real thing.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of strawberry jello
  • ¾ cup White Rum
  • ¼ cup Strawberry Daiquiri mix

How to make them

  1. Mix the Strawberry jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the rum and strawberry daiquiri mix and stir again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce Jello cups*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

11 | Strawberry margarita Jello shots

strawberry margarita jello shots with strawberries and limes

To make strawberry margarita Jello shots, simply substitute tequila for the rum in the daiquiri Jello shots recipe above.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

12 | Orange creamsicle Jello shots

2 stacks of orange jello shots in jello shot cups with lids

These orange creamsicle Jello shots are a takeoff of the frozen treat with the same name.

While they don’t have the creamy texture, they do taste just like them.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Orange jello
  • ⅔ cup Vanilla vodka (or ⅔ cup vodka and 1 tsp vanilla)
  • ⅓ cup cold water
  • (optional) whipped cream

How to make them

  1. Mix Orange jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the Vanilla Vodka and water and stir again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce jello cups with lids*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.
  5. If you want to add some of the creaminess of a real creamsicle, add a dollop of whipped cream on top of each Jello shot just before serving.

Makes about 16 servings.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

13 | Purple hooter Jello shots

purple jello shots on a baking sheet

One of my favorite ways to come up with new recipes is to turn a cocktail into a Jello shot.

Which is exactly what I did with these Purple Hooter Jello shots.

And now they’re one of my most popular party shooters.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Grape jello
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons cold water
  • ½ cup Vodka
  • ¼ cup Raspberry Liqueur

How to make them

  1. Mix the Grape jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the fresh lime juice, cold water, vodka and raspberry liqueur and stir again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce plastic shot cups*.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

14 | Maroon Cosmopolitan Jello shots

Cosmopolitan jello shots in martini glasses

Cranberry Jello* is the star of these Cosmopolitan Jello shots that are made with the same ingredients as the cocktail.

If you want to get really fancy, you can even serve them in martini glasses instead of plastic cups.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Cranberry jello
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons cranberry juice
  • ½ cup Vodka
  • ¼ cup Cointreau or Triple Sec

Instructions

  1. Mix the Cranberry jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, Vodka and Cointreau and stir again.
  3. Pour into 2-ounce Jello cups* or martini glasses.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

15 | Black Cosmopolitan Jello shots

A stack of black jello shots beside a bowl filled with mini tasting spoons

True black jello shots are pretty hard to come by, so I use the Cosmopolitan jello shot recipe and add some food coloring to it.

It doesn’t turn out to be true black, but it’s close enough that it looks black next to other colors.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Cranberry jello
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons cranberry juice
  • ½ cup Vodka
  • ¼ cup Cointreau or Triple Sec
  • Green food coloring
  • Blue food coloring

How to make black Jello shots

  1. Mix the Cranberry jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until they have dissolved.
  2. Add the fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, Vodka and Cointreau and stir again.
  3. Mix in a few drops each of the green food coloring and blue food coloring until the jello turns black(ish). You want to use liquid food coloring for this (the gel kind won’t work).
  4. Pour into 2-ounce jello cups*.
  5. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 16 servings.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

16 | White Pina Colada Gelatin Shots

A stack of white Jello shots

True white jello shots are a difficult color to come up.

There aren’t any white Jello flavors easily available. And you can’t add food coloring to something else to make it white.

So this recipe is the first one on the list that doesn’t actually use jello.

And to be perfectly honest, it’s more of a cream color than true white. But it still works pretty well when you need a white jello shot.

It doesn’t hurt that they taste delicious!

Ingredients

  • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • ¾ cup Malibu rum

How to make white Jello shots

  1. Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the coconut milk in a bowl.
  2. Heat the pineapple juice to boiling.
  3. Whisk the pineapple juice into the coconut milk mixture and stir until all of the gelatin has dissolved.
  4. Add the Malibu rum.
  5. Pour into 2-ounce jello cups*.
  6. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 20 servings.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

17 | Pink champagne jello shots

Clear pink Jello shots with pop, fizz, clink toothpicks in them

The newest addition to my jello shot repertoire are these clear pink jelly shots made with champagne.

They are pretty enough to serve at a more dressed up event. (Yes, you can serve jello shots at more formal parties).

I love to make them for New Year’s Eve, but they would be perfect for Valentine’s Day, a bachelorette party or even a wedding.

Ingredients

  • 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
  • 1½ cups White Cranberry Strawberry Juice Cocktail
  • 1½ cups champagne, prosecco or other sparkling wine
  • 2 to 4 Tablespoons sugar (optional)

How to make pink Jello shots

  1. Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over ½ cup of the juice in a bowl.
  2. Heat the rest of the juice to boiling.
  3. Combine the hot juice with the cold juice and stir until all of the gelatin has dissolved.
  4. (Optional) If you want the jello shots to be sweeter than champagne usually is, add 2 to 4 Tablespoons of sugar.
  5. Add the champagne or sparkling wine.
  6. Pour into 2-ounce jello cups*.
  7. Chill for at least 4 hours.

Makes about 20 servings.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

How to make your own combination

As you’ve probably noticed, the basic Jello shot recipe is pretty much the same:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3-ounce (small) package of Jello
  • ⅔ cup alcohol
  • ⅓ cup cold water or juice

Instructions

  1. In a bowl or large measuring cup, mix the Jello crystals with 1 cup of boiling water until the crystals have dissolved.
  2. Add the alcohol and water (or juice) and mix again.
  3. Pour the mixture into 2-ounce shot cups with lids.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours.

So it’s pretty easy to come up with your own variations.

For inspiration, look at cocktail recipes with the same flavor as your Jello. You can often find alcohol and juices to mix with it that will taste good.

Go back to the list of jello shot colors.

Or for even more recipes, browse all of our Jello shots.

Have comments or questions about our best Jello shots recipes? Tell us in the section below.


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The best tasting Jello shots (by color)

This post was originally published on February 9, 2015 but was updated with new content on March 2, 2024.


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35 Comments

  1. Kelly Dewane says:

    When make jello shots, if you use 3 boxes, do 3 cups of boiling water, 1 cup of liquor, 1 cup liquer, and 1 cup of orange juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, or sweet and sour, or margarita mix. For example, if i use pineapple jello, i do a cup of coconut rum, a cup of banana liquer, and a cup of orange juice.

    1. Hi Kelly…thanks for the suggestion…that’s a good idea. It’s easy to measure and sounds like it would taste great!

  2. would vanilla extract work or would it change color of shot

    1. I haven’t tried that, but I think it would definitely add to the flavor! If you didn’t use too much, it might not affect the color too much…or if you don’t mind using artificial vanilla, you can get the clear kind that wouldn’t change the color at all. If you do end up trying it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!

  3. What size box of jello, large or small?????

    1. Hi Jane…all of these recipes use the small boxes of jello. You get about 16 jello shots out of a small box. If you want to make more, a large box will work too…just double the amount of all of the ingredients.

  4. I was wondering do you think you could use raspberry Smirnoff vodka in the purple hooter ones? Just increase the flavored vodka to 3/4 cup and leave out the raspberry liqueur. Or would the flavor profile change to much? Thanks

    1. Hi Gina…I think the raspberry vodka would work, too. And it’s easier! I’ll have to try that 🙂

  5. I have tried to make jello shots using Root beer Schnapps but the flavor isn’t there. I’m going to boil root beer soda instead of water this time. We’ll see!

    1. Hi Debbie…I have tried root beer schnapps jello shots before, and they’ve never worked out for me either. So if you figure out a good way to make them, I would love to know what you find!

      1. Have you guys tried adding the root beer extract?

        1. Wanda Simone says:

          Hi Cass…I haven’t tried root beer extract. But it sounds tasty!

    2. Zatarains makes a rootbeer extract that would work perfectly to add strong real rootbeer flavor. Only available in some areas so you may need to order online (Amazon?)

      1. Wanda Simone says:

        Thanks for the suggestion, Kelly! It sounds good…I’ll have to try it 🙂

  6. what kind of jello shots do you make if eagles go to super bowl????? teal????

    1. Hi Mary…I’m going to try to come up with a new recipe in the next couple of weeks (maybe green Jello with blue liquor?). But if I can’t find anything that works, I’ll be making the green margarita ones…and add a couple of drops of blue food coloring to see if I can get the color closer.

  7. Hi,
    What type of coconut milk do you use? The canned one for cooking or the refrigerated one in the milk carton or a different kind?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Perla…I used the canned coconut milk.

  8. Krista Brede says:

    Hi Wanda,

    I notice that all of your recipes say to refrigerate but I have seen jello shots in the freezer before. Can you freeze these jello shots and will they retain their consistency?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Krista…I haven’t tried freezing jello shots so I’m not sure how they would turn out. Sorry I’m not much help!

      1. Krista Brede says:

        It’s okay. I will try it out and let you know if it works. 🙂

    2. If jello freezes it’s yucky. I would not take a chance using a freezer.

  9. Where did you get the plastic containers? Would like to make these for a friends party.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Barb…I ordered them from Amazon. If you search for jello shot cups, you should be able to find them.

    2. They also have jello shot syringes on Amazon now to use.

  10. lori scott says:

    Mexican markets have coconut jello

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks for the tip, Lori!

  11. Thank you so much for all this helpful information. I’m 50 years old and I will be making (trying to make) 1st time Jell-O shots for our friends annual Fourth of July party this weekend. I want them to be awesome looking and tasting! Any ideas that you could give me on what to make would be great.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Annette…Jello shots are easy to make so you won’t have any trouble. You could either do individual ones that are red, white and blue or make layered red, white and blue jello shots. The layered ones take a little more work, so it really depends on how much time you want to spend on them. If you want to do individual ones, I would go with Strawberry Daiquiri or Strawberry Margarita for the red ones, Blue Hawaiian for the blues one and white pina colada for the white ones. You could also just do red and blue. If you want some white, top them with whipped cream. (The white jello shots are a little more involved to make). You can find the recipe for the layered ones here: https://www.entertainingdiva.com/recipes/tropical-red-white-blue-jello-shots (this post also has some pictures of the individual red, white and blue ones together in case you want to see what it looks like). I hope that helps. Happy 4th!

  12. Bela lou Goseh says:

    5 stars
    I needed a refresher on the basic jello shot recipe and found this treasure. Hats off to the author of this excellent post! One of the most well written, to the point but in depth, recipe posts I ve clicked on since joining the world wide web in the 90s. Thank you for the time you have saved me and inspiration you ve given.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Bela! I’m happy you found it helpful!

  13. 5 stars
    Thank you for a straight forward recipe…I have one question:
    Does it matter if you put the top on container before or after the jello has set?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Riko…no, you can put the top on whenever you want to 🙂

  14. My famous Jell-O shots in my group of friends includes 1 envelope of non flavored gelatin to 1 small box of flavored Jello to equal parts of water and alcohol to make up the liquid required according to the jello box instructions

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks for the suggestion!