Cranberry Christmas Jello Shots

The Christmas season always makes me so happy, so I wanted to make some super festive jello shots to celebrate! These Cranberry Christmas Jello Shots are not only cute, but easy to make and have that great cranberry flavor that reminds me of the holidays. And my favorite part, it uses real cranberry juice for the flavor!

I know a lot of cranberry jello shot recipes actually use the cranberry flavored jello, but I just couldn't find it anywhere. So, I just decided to make it with plain gelatin. It's just as easy as using a jello packet!

Looking for some more tasty jello shot recipes? Try out these delicious Glow In the Dark jello shots that glow under black light!

Ingredients

To make these jello shots, you'll need some apple juice and cranberry juice. For the cranberry juice, look for "juice" instead of "cranberry cocktail", since the cocktail version has extra sugar and water added.

You'll also need some sugar. I prefer to use superfine sugar, also known as caster sugar, since it dissolves a lot more quickly.

(If you don't have superfine sugar, you can just put some regular sugar in a blender or food processor and blitz it until the sugar grains are smaller.)

You'll also need some powdered gelatin. If you're using Knox powdered gelatin, you can use anywhere from 1 packet (very soft set) to 2 packets (firm set like regular jello).

For the liquor, you'll need some vodka and Triple Sec liqueur.

If you want to add the garnishes, make sure to have sugared cranberries (or just fresh cranberries) and fresh rosemary on hand.

Can I use cranberry flavored jello in this recipe?

Yes! You can use cranberry flavored jello instead of the unflavored gelatin. To use that instead, you'll need to take out the sugar and the powdered gelatin.

Use anywhere from half of a 3-ounce box (for a very soft set) to the full 3 ounce box (firm set like normal jello). I use about three-quarters of the box.

Equipment

For this recipe, you'll need a small saucepan and spoon, along with measuring cups or jiggers for the liquids.

For serving the jello shots, you'll need little cups to pour the liquid gelatin mixture into. I really like these little cups especially since they come with lids for bringing to a party!

I found using a kitchen squeeze bottle to be super helpful for filling the cups. If you don't have one, you can pour the liquid from the saucepan into a container with a spout. Otherwise you might end up with a huge mess.

If you're planning to make a ton, or make them really often, there is also a product called the Jellinator that makes filling the cups super easy.

Instructions

Start out by adding the cold juice to a saucepan.

Add the sugar, and stir to try to dissolve the sugar.

Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the liquid, and let it sit to "bloom" the gelatin for about 5 minutes.

Put the saucepan over low heat. I was able to set my burner to a specific temperature, but just set it on very low heat if you don't have that feature. Stir until the gelatin melts and the liquid is warm.

**Note: there is no need to boil this! There is no benefit, and it just takes longer to cool back down.

Take the saucepan off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Then, add in the vodka and triple sec.

Optionally transfer the liquid to a squeeze bottle or a Jellinator.

Fill your serving cups with around 1½ ounces of the liquid.

Move the liquid-filled cups into the fridge to set. Depending on your fridge and how much gelatin you used, they should set in about 2 to 3 hours. You can check them after an hour.

Add the cranberry and rosemary garnishes, and serve!

Hint: Using a serving tray makes it easy to get the cups into the fridge, and also makes a perfect way to serve them!

Top tip - Cutting into squares

You can make these as cut squares if you don't have the plastic cups. (If you want to do this, make sure you are using 2 whole packets of the gelatin for a firmer set that will hold its shape.)

Get a square cake pan and line it with foil, so that the edges of the foil overhang the pan. Pour the liquid into the pan and then put it into the fridge to set.

After 2 to 3 hours, it should be ok to remove from the pan and cut up. If you need to, free the edges of the jello using a butter knife. Lift the set jello out of the pan and move it to a plate or cutting board.

Cut the jello into squares about 1 inch on each side. You can garnish with the cranberries, or sprinkle them with some silver sanding sugar just before serving!