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Back in July, I brought a batch of red, white, and blue jello shots to an Independence Day party. They went over very well, and the hostesses requested the recipe. Sure, I said, I will put the recipe on the blog as soon as I can. I just need an excuse to make them again so that I can take pictures of the process, I told them.
So, now we’re in November. I don’t know how that happened, but it did. Meanwhile, the recipe never made it to the blog. That is, until Veteran’s Day gave me the perfect excuse to channel my inner patriot. And, the red, white, and blue jello shots finally made their triumphant return.
The jello shots are a bit time-consuming, because you have to wait until each layer is set before you can do the next one. So, patience is required to make them. They don’t require a lot of actual effort to make, though. I use 2oz mini pedestal cups that I get from my local party supply store, but you can use any other 2oz shot cups. The pedestal cups are nice because their sides only taper slightly, so each of the layers are mostly the same size.
I start with the red layer. Bloom your unflavored gelatin in your water, then add the cherry Jello and heat on medium to medium-low just everything has dissolved into the liquid. Do not let the mixture boil or you will ruin the gelatin.
Once it’s dissolved, remove it from the heat and stir in your booze, then divide it evenly among your shot cups. Refrigerate until almost set. It took about 20 minutes in my fridge.
When the red layer is almost set, you can start making the white layer. Bloom your gelatin again, and the heat on medium to medium-low until the gelatin dissolves. Once the gelatin has dissolved, add the condensed milk and the half-and-half. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the white chocolate liqueur.
This is where it gets tricky. Your red layer needs to be set enough to where your white layer doesn’t sink or mix when you pour it on top. Additionally, if your white layer is too warm, it will melt part of your red layer and cause it to bleed into your white. You can avoid this by letting the white mixture sit at room temperature to cool down for 10 minutes or so if you notice that your red layer is starting to bleed. You can see where it was bleeding in some of my cups, and I SHOULD have stopped and let it cool down some more. But, I was in a hurry. My guests enjoyed them anyway.
After you’ve finished the white layer, refrigerate until almost set. These took a little bit longer, likely because the mixture was warmer. I had to leave them for about half an hour.
Lastly, do the blue layer the same way that you did the red layer (using blue Jello, of course). And, again let the mixture cool a bit before you attempt to layer.
After this, they should be set and ready for consumption in about an hour. Since they are small, they don’t take very long to firm up. However, I would still recommend refrigerating for at least 4 hours so that they are nice and firm.
If you’re not in the mood for red, white, and blue jello shots, don’t fret. You can substitute the cherry and berry blue Jello for any other flavor of Jello that you like and create all sorts of other flavor combinations. Just make sure to match your liqueurs so that the flavors don’t clash.
These jello shots can be made a day ahead of time. However, I wouldn’t recommend making them any sooner than that, as gelatin tends to dry out the longer it sits.
Red, White, and Blue Jello Shots
Ingredients
Red layer
- 1 3oz package cherry jello
- 1 cup water
- 2 slightly heaping tsp unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup triple sec
- 1/2 cup vodka
White Layer
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup condensed milk
- 3/4 cup white chocolate liqueur
- 5 tsp unflavored gelatin
Blue Layer
- 1 3oz package berry blue jello
- 1 cup water
- 2 slightly heaping tsp unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup Blue Curacao
- 1/2 cup vodka
Required equipment: 2oz plastic shot cups
Directions
Make the red layer
Place the water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and allow to soften for about 5 minutes. Add the Jello and heat on medium to medium-low until mixture is hot and gelatin has dissolved. Do not boil.
Remove from heat and add the Triple Sec and vodka. Divide mixture evenly among the shot cups. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until almost set before you begin making the white layer.
Make the White Layer
Place the water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and allow to soften for about 5 minutes. Heat over medium to medium-low heat until gelatin has completely dissolved. Stir in the condensed milk and half-and-half. Stir until the mixture is slightly warm. Remove from heat and stir in white chocolate liqueur. Pour over the set red layer of gelatin, dividing evenly among the shot cups. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until almost set.
Make the Blue Layer
Place the water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and allow to soften for about 5 minutes. Add the Jello and heat on medium to medium-low until mixture is hot and gelatin has dissolved. Do not boil.
Remove from heat and add the Blue Curacao and vodka. Divide mixture evenly among the shot cups. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably 4) before serving.
Makes about 3 dozen