Is there a better way to usher in the New Year than with these lovely little champagne jello shots? Set aside 10 minutes to prep them – and you can enjoy a very fun little bite to serve up to guests. Plus, you need just FIVE ingredients.
If I’m honest, I prefer to refer to these as champagne jello bites. Jello shots, unfortunately, make me think of scarily artificially coloured things, always present in a rowdy college party bar. But these? They’re the grown-up version. They take about 10 minutes to prep – just mix everything and pour into something to set – and then all you have to do is slice them up to serve.
These really do taste like champagne (or prosecco if you’d prefer to use that) so they have quite a kick – but are perfect for any special parties and celebrations. You can swap the gin for orange juice if you’d like them to be slightly less boozy.
A sprinkling of edible gold leaf makes them extra special (I picked some up from Amazon), and I love to serve them in champagne coupes or cocktail glasses for everyone to help themselves.
Ingredients
- Champagne. Or really, any sparkling wine is great! I love to use prosecco too.
- Gin. Swap this for vodka if you’re not a fan – or use flavoured gin for a more pronounced flavour.
- Lemon juice. This helps to cut through the flavour of the alcohol – fresh is best if possible, otherwise, bottled is fine. You could use orange juice for a sweeter version.
- Gelatin. I’m using gelatin sheets, but you can use regular powdered gelatin. As a rule of thumb, the conversion is 4 sheets of gelatin = 1 tablespoon of regular powdered gelatin. So for this recipe, you’ll need 4 tablespoons of powdered gelatin.
- Sugar. Regular white sugar is fine.
To decorate the jello shots, I love to sprinkle edible gold leaf on top, but that’s an optional (but very fun) addition.
How to make them
Soak your gelatin sheets in cold water for a few minutes (if you’re using them), then squeeze any water out. Combine the champagne, sugar, lemon juice and vodka in a large pot over low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the gelatin to the pot and whisk to combine so it melts into the liquid.
Pour the liquid into a lined oven dish (I’m using a 10″ x 10″ square dish) then pop into the fridge to set.
Once set, slice into cubes and serve in champagne coupes, with the gold dust sprinkled on top.
Got a question?
Yes! Use 4 tablespoons of powdered gelatin in this recipe. The conversion is 4 sheets of gelatin = 1 tablespoon of powdered gelatin.
If you’re not a fan of gin, use vodka.
They definitely have a kick! If you’re worried, reduce the amount of gin, and add a little orange juice to sweeten things up.
Of course – you’ll want to lightly spray your shot glasses with cooking spray first – this will ensure the jello can come out easily. If you’re not worried about that, just make sure you serve them with little spoons so your guests can scoop the jello out. Then just pour the jello mixture into your shot glasses, and refrigerate until set.
Like this recipe? Here are more party favourites you might want to try
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.
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Easy Champagne Jello Shots
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
Description
Is there a better way to usher in the New Year than with these lovely little champagne jello shots? Set aside 10 minutes to prep them – and you can enjoy a very fun little bite to serve up to guests. Plus, you need just FIVE ingredients.
Ingredients
For the champagne jello shots –
- 16 sheets of gelatin (or 4 tablespoons powdered gelatin)
- 1 bottle (750ml/250z) of champagne (or prosecco)
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup of lemon juice (from roughly 2 large lemons)
- 1/2 cup gin (or vodka)
Optional, to serve –
- Edible gold leaf
Instructions
- Soak the gelatin. Skip this step if you’re using powdered gelatin. Add your gelatin sheets to a bowl of cold water, pressing down so that the gelatin is immersed in the water. Leave to soak and soften for about 5 minutes.
- Mix the alcohol. Pour the champagne into a large saucepan, along with 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of gin. Set it over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the gelatin. Squeeze any excess liquid from your gelatin sheets, then add them to the champagne mixture and whisk as they melt into the liquid. Once it’s all incorporated, remove the pot from the heat (this will only take a minute or two).
- Set the jello. You can do this in a couple of different ways – either pour the whole mixture into a dish, then set and slice into squares to serve, or, you can pour the mixture into individual shot glasses. If you’re using a large dish: line it with two layers of clingfilm (this will make the jello easy to get out once it’s set). I like to use a square 10″ x 10″ baking dish but you can use whatever you have – just try not to use anything too large as the jello will be too thin. Pour the mixture into the lined dish, then carefully transfer it to the fridge to set. If you’re using individual shot glasses: give them a very light spray with neutral oil (you don’t have to do this but you’ll find them tricky to get out of the glasses when you serve them – so you’ll want to give your guests spoons to scoop the jello out). Divide the mixture between your glasses, then pop them onto a tray and transfer them to the fridge to set.
- Garnish and serve. Once the jello has set, remove it from the fridge and (if you’ve set it in a large dish) slice it into cubes. I like to serve them in champagne coupes, for people to help themselves from. A scattering of edible gold dust or leaf gives them a lovely celebratory touch, but you can skip that if you can’t find any.
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: You can make the jello shots a couple of days before you want to serve them – then just slice into cubes when you’re ready to serve. Leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge.
INGREDIENT NOTES: Prosecco or another sparkling wine is great to use instead of champagne, and you can swap gin for vodka.
- Prep Time: 5
- Setting time: 60
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: party
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 jello shots
Keywords: jello shots
LOVED these – so fun for a party!
★★★★★