St. Patrick’s Day Jello Shots
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Festive St. Patrick’s Day jello shots made with layers of green, white, and orange jello and topped with whipped cream and green and orange sprinkles. The 3-layer shots mimic the colors of the flag of Ireland making them perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day party.
Jello shots are always a welcome addition at parties. Whenever I serve up a tray it seems like people can’t grab them fast enough. There are never any leftovers.
With 3 beautiful layers, these festive Irish flag shots are sure to be a huge hit at St. Patty’s Day parties.
Need more jello shot recipe ideas for your next party? Check out my watermelon jello shots and blue Hawaiian jello shots. They are both easy to make and huge crowd-pleasers!
For now, let’s get to this festive St Patrick’s Day jello shot recipe.
Ingredients
This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Lime Jello— make sure you grab the smaller 3-ounce (4-serving) size box.
- Orange Jello— again, you want the 3-ounce box.
- Unflavored Gelatin— you will need one .25-ounce packet of unflavored gelatin such as Knox Gelatine.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk—Used instead of water to color the clear gelatin for the white layer.
- Vodka— we used plain vodka but vanilla vodka would be great in these shots, too.
- Water
- Whipped cream & Sprinkles— optional, but fun toppings. I used this sprinkle mix from Walmart but shamrock sprinkles or green, orange, or gold sprinkles would all be a perfect way to top your shots.
Supplies
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing bowl— or large measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring.
- Whisk
- Plastic shot glasses— I used 3 oz. shot cups with lids but 1-ounce or 2-ounce cups would work, too.
- Pan, tray, or baking sheet— helpful for moving the shots to and from the fridge for chilling.
How to make Irish Flag 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 space in your refrigerator. Place the plastic shot cups on a rimmed tray or in a baking dish so that they will be easy to move around.
- First Layer: Whisk green jello powder into 1 cup of boiling water until fully dissolved. Stir in cold water and vodka, then pour into cups. Chill for 2 hours to allow the jello to set up.
- Middle Layer: Sprinkle gelatin over water and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. Then, heat and whisk until the gelatin is fully dissolved, making sure to not allow the mixture to come to a boil. This should take about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sweetened condensed milk and vodka. Allow to cool completely then pour into cups and return to the refrigerator to chill for 2 more hours.
- Top Layer: Repeat the steps for the green jello layer using orange jello. Allow the orange jell-o mixture to cool before pouring it into the shot cups then return to the fridge for a final chill.
- Serve: Top with whipped cream and festive sprinkles before serving, if desired.
Storage
Store jell-o shots covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I recommend jello shot cups that come with lids for easy storage but you can also place them in a large baking pan and cover with plastic wrap.
Wait until just before serving to add whipped cream and sprinkles.
Freezing jello shots is not recommended.
Additions and variations
- Flavored Vodka. Switch up the flavor and try the recipe with vanilla vodka or different flavors of vodka in place of plain vodka.
- Use Rum. Try the recipe with rum instead of vodka for a fun twist.
- Non-alcoholic. To make a kid-friendly version substitute the vodka in each layer with cold water.
Recipe tips & tricks
- Use a disposable foil baking pan and disposable plastic shot glasses with lids for easy Christmas party transport and clean-up.
- Since this recipe requires three 2-hour chills I recommend beginning to prepare the shots the morning before you plan on serving them. Add the 2 additional layers throughout the day and let them chill overnight so they are all ready to enjoy the next day.
- Don’t skip “blooming” the gelatine by letting it sit in room temperature water for a few minutes. This step is necessary to soften the gelatin powder and help it dissolve.
- To prevent the colors from blending be sure to allow each layer to set fully before adding the next layer.
- You will likely have some remaining white gelatin mixture from the white layer which you can discard.
- The recipe makes about 14 shots in 3-ounce cups or 24 shots in 2-ounce shots.
Recipe FAQ
If you add a layer before the previous layer has enough time to set it can cause the colors to run. To avoid this be sure to let each layer set before adding the next.
Jello shots typically take about 2-4 hours in the refrigerator to set. However, for layered jello shots like these Irish jello shots, you will need to chill each layer for 2 hours for a total of 6 hours.
Don’t have the time or patience for 3-layer jello shots? Make solid green jello shots instead in a fraction of the time. Use this simple vodka jello shot recipe and swap the strawberry jello mix for a box if lime jello mix.
I hope that you enjoy this festive boozy treat and have a very happy St. Patrick’s Day!
More St. Patrick’s Day Party Recipes
- Boozy shamrock shake
- Rainbow cupcakes
- Luck of the Irish Cocktail
- Bailey’s Irish Cream poke cake
- Grasshopper cocktail
- Pot of gold pretzel bites
- Shamrock punch
St. Patrick’s Day Jello Shots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box lime jello mix 3 ounces
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 12 ounces
- 1 box orange jello mix 3 ounces
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin .25 ounces
- 4 cups water divided
- 1 ½ cups vodka divided
- whipped cream optional topping
- sprinkles optional topping
Instructions
- Clear space in your refrigerator. Place the plastic shot cups on a rimmed tray or in a baking dish so that they will be easy to transfer to and from the fridge.
Green Layer
- In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in green jello mix, until dissolved. Add ½ cup cold water and ½ cup vodka; stir to combine.
- Pour the green jello mixture evenly between your cups, filling them about ⅓ of the way.
- Transfer the cups to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
White Layer
- Add 1 cup of room temperature water to a medium saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin on top of the water and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to "bloom".
- Heat over medium heat, whisking until the gelatin powder is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Do not let the water come to a boil!
- Remove from heat and pour in sweetened condensed milk and ½ cup vodka, stir to combine. Allow the mixture to cool completely.
- Once cooled, add to your jello shot cups, filling ⅔ of the way, leaving equal room for the last layer. You will likely have extra liquid which you can discard.
- Return to the refrigerator to chill for another 2 hours.
Orange Layer
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the orange jello until dissolved. Stir in ½ cup cold water and ½ cup vodka. Set the orange jello mixture aside to cool.
- Once cooled, fill your shot cups the remainder of the way with the orange jello.
- Chill for 2 more hours, or until ready to serve.
- Before serving, top with whipped cream and sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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