Name: Rainbow Jello Shots
Prep time: 1 h
Total time: 10 h
Yield: 16
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 (3 oz.) box Strawberry Jello; 1 (3 oz.) box Orange Jello; 1 (3 oz.) box Pineapple Jello; 1 (3 oz.) box Lime Jello; 1 (3 oz.) box Berry Blue Jello; 1 (3 oz.) box Grape Jello; 9 cups water, divided; 3 cups vodka, divided; Cool whip for garnish; Rainbow Berry Airheads, for garnish

Jump to Recipe

We love jello shots around here, obviously, but these are some of the most fun jello shots we’ve ever made- Rainbow Jello Shots! These take a bit of time, as we have to let each layer set independently, and all of the jello has to cool before it goes in for the next layer, but it just takes a little patience, and these are so worth it! They are perfect for your next party for Pride month, St. Patrick’s Day celebration, and more!

How to Make Rainbow Jello Shots

To make these, you’ll need 3 oz. plastic shot cups, your red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple jello, and a few other ingredients. We made ours into vodka jello shots, using Svedka, but you can use any liquor, we talk more about that below in the FAQs. Here’s the full list of ingredients-

Rainbow Jello Shot Ingredients

1 (3 oz.) box Strawberry Jello
1 (3 oz.) box Orange Jello
1 (3 oz.) box Pineapple Jello
1 (3 oz.) box Lime Jello
1 (3 oz.) box Berry Blue Jello
1 (3 oz.) box Grape Jello
9 cups water, divided
3 cups vodka, divided
Cool whip for garnish (or you can use regular whipped cream)
Rainbow Berry Airheads rainbow candy, for garnish
16 (3 oz.) clear plastic shot glasses (these are sometimes called condiment cups)

This recipe is pretty simple, you just have to repeat some steps a few times to get all the pretty layers into your Jello shots. They turn out so pretty! Here’s the full directions for making these layered jello shots-

How to Layer Jello Shots

1. Place 16 3 oz. plastic cups onto a rimmed sheet pan for easy moving to the refrigerator.

2. Start by preparing the first layer. Boil 1 cup of water in a medium sauce pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the grape jello, stirring until dissolved. Stir in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water, until combined. Pour jello evenly between each cup in a thin layer. Keep in mind you are doing 6 layers total, when spacing.

3. Move the cups to the refrigerator to chill for 1.5 hours.

4. After that layer has set, prepare the blue layer. Boil 1 cup of water in a medium sauce pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the berry blue jello, stirring until dissolved. Stir in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water, until combined. Let the Jello cool slightly before pouring the jello evenly between each cup in a thin layer. (For best results, wait for jello to cool to room temperature, so you don’t risk messing up any previous layers.)

5. Move the cups to the refrigerator to chill for 1.5 hours.

6. After that layer has set, prepare the green jello layer. Boil 1 cup of water in a medium sauce pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lime jello powder, stirring until dissolved. Stir in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water, until combined. Let the Jello cool slightly before pouring the jello evenly between each cup in a thin layer.

7. Move the cups to the refrigerator to chill for 1.5 hours.

8. After that layer has set, prepare the yellow layer. Boil 1 cup of water in a medium sauce pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the pineapple jello, stirring until dissolved. Stir in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water, until combined. Let the Jello cool slightly before pouring the jello evenly between each cup in a thin layer.

9. Move the cups to the refrigerator to chill for 1.5 hours.

10, After that layer has set, prepare the orange jello layer. Boil 1 cup of water in a medium sauce pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the orange jello, stirring until dissolved. Stir in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water, until combined. Let the Jello cool slightly before pouring the jello evenly between each cup in a thin layer.

11. Move the cups to the refrigerator to chill for 1.5 hours.

12. After that layer has set, prepare the final layer- the red layer. Boil 1 cup of water in a medium sauce pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the strawberry jello, stirring until dissolved. Stir in ½ cup vodka and ½ cup cold water, until combined. Let the Jello cool slightly before pouring the jello evenly between each cup in a thin layer.

13, Move the cups to the refrigerator to chill for 1.5 hours, one more time.

14, Before serving, add cool whip to a piping bag with a frosting tip, and pipe onto jello shots. Take 2 rainbow berry airhead strips, and cut into 1 inch pieces. Add a piece to each Jello shot. You could also cut longer strips, sticking both ends of the candy into the whipped cream to make a rainbow shape, but this was a lot easier.

Enjoy!

These are so easy to make! For easy layering, I took an extra cup, measured it, divided it by 6 and made myself a “guide” on how to fill the layers, but it is pretty simple and you can totally eyeball it. Thin layers for each color, and they will meld together a bit, too. So much rainbow fun in these cups!

Be sure and also check out our Rainbow Cupcakes!

Substitutions & Tips

You can top these fun shots with any colorful rainbow candy.
Whipped cream vodka would also be delicious in these jello shots.
These jello shots are LARGE, consider serving them with mini spoons so they’re easier to enjoy.

These are the best jello shots, filled with layers of color. We love this technique for creating truly unique shots, and these have a beautiful rainbow effect. Plus, the different flavors of jello combined are so much fun! If you like this rainbow jello shots recipe, you might like these other fun jello shot ideas-

Pina Colada Jello Shots

Strawberry Shortcake Jello Shots (these combine jello and pudding!)

Red White and Blue Layered Jello Shots for the Fourth of July!

Irish Flag Jello Shots – another great option for St. Patrick’s Day!

Green St. Patrick’s Day Jello Shots with Jameson!

Rainbow Jello Shot FAQs

Can I use a different liquor in jello shots?

Absolutely! Not a vodka fan? We’ve used all sorts of liquors in jello shots. Bacardi, Fireball, Malibu rum, and so many different vodka flavors. You can use whatever you prefer!

How long do jello shots take to set?

Jello shots with a single layer of jello take 3-4 hours to set. With multiple layers it takes about 2 hours per layer for the jello to be firm enough to add another cooled layer of jello.

How long are jello shots good for?

These shots are good for up to 48 hours, as long as they’re refrigerated. Be sure to wait to add any toppings like whipped cream until just before serving.

What is the best alcohol to use for jello shots?

You can use any clear alcohol for jello shots, to preserve the color of the shots. Vodka, white rum, and tequila are all GREAT options.

What happens if you put too much alcohol in jello shots?

When you add too much alcohol, the jello shots may not set properly. You can experiment with adding a little more than we recommend, but for the best results stick with the water/jello/alcohol ratio that we used so you know they’ll turn out great.

How to keep jello shots from sticking.

There’s no real GREAT way to do this. I would personally take a paper towel, and dab just a small amount of vegetable oil onto the towel, then wipe the insides of the cups before filling with jello. I do not recommend spraying them with a non-stick spray. This would be too much oil and could affect the flavor.

Yield: 16 jello shots