Halloween Jello Shots
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Halloween jello shots with vodka are the perfect boozy Halloween treat for your adult Halloween party! Made with layers of purple and orange jello and topped with whipped cream and festive sprinkles, these vodka jello shots are easy to make and sure to be a huge hit.
Jell-o shots are always a welcome addition at parties. Whenever I show up at a party with a batch of jello shots everyone gets excited and can’t wait to get their hands on one (or four).
Halloween is no different.
While the kids are getting their fill of Halloween candy the grown-ups get to enjoy adults-only treats like these Halloween vodka jello shots. For more fun Halloween jello shots recipes try my caramel apple jello shots or pumpkin jello shots. Or check out my collection of 13 Halloween Party Drinks and Shots.
The best part is that these Halloween shots take only a little time to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to set.
Ingredients
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
- Purple Jello— A 3-ounce (4 serving) size box of grape flavored Jell-O mix.
- Orange jello— You guessed it, orange Jell-O mix. Again, you will want to grab the smaller 3 oz size package.
- Water— Both boiling water and cold water are needed to prepare the jello mixes.
- Vodka—Whatever brand of vodka you have on hand will work. Or you could switch it up with a flavored vodka or even experiment with other liquors. Rum is another great option for jello shots.
- Toppings— Whipped cream, sprinkles, etc… I will share more fun ideas further down in the post.
Supplies Needed
- Plastic shot glasses – I used 1-ounce shot cups but you can use 2-ounce cups instead. Just keep in mind that you will get fewer shots out of each batch.
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl or large measuring cup with a spout – for easy pouring
- Pan, tray, or baking sheet – Optional, but helpful for easy transport to and from the fridge.
How to make Halloween jello shots
This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.
Prep: Clear a shelf in your fridge and place your plastic shot cups on a tray or in a baking dish so that they are easy to transfer.
Purple Layer: In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the purple jello mix and 1 cup of boiling water. Whisk for 2 minutes, or until the gelatin dissolves. Whisk in ½ cup each of cold water and vodka.
Carefully pour the jello mixture into the plastic cups, filling them each just under halfway. Chill until the jello has set, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Orange Layer: In a large measuring cup or bowl, combine the orange jello powder and 1 cup of boiling water. Whisk for 2 minutes, or until the jello is fully dissolved. Whisk in ½ cup each of cold water and vodka.
Let the orange mixture cool to room temperature before pouring. Hot gelatin can melt the purple layer and cause the colors to mix.
Once cooled, carefully pour the orange mixture on top of the purple layer. Chill for 2 hours, or until fully set (overnight works too).
Decorate: Before serving, top the purple and orange jello shots with whipped cream and Halloween sprinkles.
Storage
Store the layered Halloween jello shots covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Wait until just before serving to add whipped cream and sprinkles.
Spooky Halloween shot toppers
My go-to topping for Halloween shots is a swirl of whipped cream and some festive sprinkles.
However, gummy worms, toy spiders, a little black sanding sugar, candy corn, or gummy eyeballs would also make a perfect addition.
You can even top your shots with yummy chocolate spider webs. To make the webs simply pipe melted chocolate onto parchment or wax paper and chill in the fridge to harden.
Helpful tips and recipe variations
- Use a disposable foil baking pan and disposable plastic shot cups with lids for easy party transport and clean-up.
- Try switching it up with a different flavor of jello. Lime jello or any flavor of jello paired with black food dye would also be great for Halloween. Grocery stores have a ton of options to choose from so have fun with it.
- Instead of plastic cups try serving the shots in plastic syringes (I thought about trying test tubes but then shots would be difficult to get out).
- For clean layers, make sure the purple layer is fully set before adding the orange, and let the orange mixture cool to room temperature first. The vodka can make the gelatin take a little longer to set.
Halloween jello shot FAQ
Yes, in fact I recommend making jello shots the day before you plan on serving them so that they have plenty of time to set. Store them covered in the refrigerator until serving.
Jello shots will need about 2 hours in the refrigerator to be fully set. However, I recommend giving them at least 4 hours (or overnight) just to be safe. The last thing that you want is runny, mushy jello shots.
Yes! Make a non-alcoholic shot batch for the kids to enjoy by replacing the vodka with the same amount of cold water.
I hope that you enjoy these jello shots at your next Halloween party and have a very happy Halloween!
More Halloween Recipes
- Halloween cake mix cookies
- Witches brew cocktail
- Ghost shaped pizzas
- Halloween candy trifle
- Witch hat cookies
- Spider cereal treats
Halloween Jello Shots
Equipment
- plastic jello shot cups with lids 1 or 2 ounce
Ingredients
- 1 (3-ounce) box orange Jello mix
- 1 (3-ounce) box grape Jello mix
- 2 cups boiling water, divided
- 1 cup cold water, divided
- 1 cup vodka, divided
- whipped cream
- halloween sprinkles
Instructions
Prep
- Place the plastic shot cups in a pan or baking dish so that they are easy to transfer to and from the refrigerator. Also, clear a shelf in your fridge to place the shots.
Purple Layer
- In a large bowl, combine the purple jello mix and 1 cup of boiling water. Whisk for 2 minutes, or until the jello is fully dissolved. Whisk in ½ cup of cold water and ½ cup of vodka.
- Carefully pour the jello mixture into the plastic cups, filling them each just less than halfway. Chill in the refrigerator until the jello has fully set (about 45-60 minutes).
Orange Layer
- In a large bowl, combine the orange jello mix and 1 cup of boiling water. Whisk for 2 minutes, or until the jello is fully dissolved. Whisk in ½ cup of cold water and ½ cup of vodka. Let the orange mixture cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, carefully pour the orange mixture on top of the purple layer. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until fully set (overnight works too).
Serve
- Before serving, top with whipped cream and Halloween sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Recipe updated October 30, 2026: Added a step to let the orange mixture cool to room temperature before pouring, plus tips to help keep the layers separate.
45 minute chill time is not enough; the orange mix on top is too warm, and it causes the two colors to mix. The layering didn’t work for me.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that your layers didn’t stay separate. The purple layer needs to be fully set before adding the orange. The recipe gives an estimate of “about 45 minutes,” but it may take longer. Allowing the orange mixture to cool to room temperature before pouring it over the purple layer will also help keep the layers separate. I’m updating the recipe to make this clearer, and I appreciate the feedback. I hope you’ll give them another try!
I’ve made these twice and they never turn out like the picture. The orange seeps into the sides of the purple and it looks like a brown shot. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but I follow the recipe.
I’m sorry they didn’t turn out the way you hoped! It sounds like the orange layer is melting into the purple. You can try letting the orange mixture cool to room temperature before pouring it over the purple layer. Also be sure that the purple layer is fully set before you add the orange. I hope this helps!