Candy Cane Jello Shots are always a hit for the holiday season! Made in 5 minutes with minimal ingredients, these boozy bites are festively flavored for Christmas.
Christmas Jello Shots
Our Candy Cane Jello Shots recipe is a fun take on the classic peppermint candy, but these pink treats are spiked with peppermint schnapps and appropriate for adults only!
No schnapps? No problem! Our Grinch Jello shots are made to mimic the minty flavor with vodka and peppermint extract instead.
These peppermint jello shots are the perfect addition to your Christmas cocktail collection; when garnished with whipped cream, crushed candy canes, and colorful sprinkles, they’re even cuter and more creative than the classic holiday shooters.
While some candy cane shots are made with a layer of cherry jello, I find that a bit of food coloring whisked into an unflavored gelatin mixture can create a similar red jello color but won’t mask the peppermint flavor (because a classic candy cane should be minty and not fruity, right?).
Why We Love Candy Cane Jello Shot Recipes
- Quick and easy to make in 5 minutes.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- A burst of peppermint schnapps gives these minty sweet treats a boozy bite.
- Fun way to get your candy cane fix in the form of flavored jello shots.
- Dessert jello shots are delicious!
- Make-ahead recipe is the ideal time-saver for party prep.
Candy Cane Jello Shots Ingredients
- Cold water
- Unflavored gelatin
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Peppermint schnapps
- Red food coloring
- Extra creamy whipped topping
- Mini candy canes (optional garnish)
- Candy cane-shaped jimmie sprinkles (optional garnish)
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Swap The Schnapps: You can use candy cane vodka instead of peppermint schnapps for a similar flavored shot.
- Garnish Your Glass: Garnish your shot glasses with a dollop of whipped cream topped with crusted peppermint or mini candy canes, sprinkles, or sanding sugar.
How to Make Candy Cane Jello Shots
- Dissolve The Gelatin: Sprinkle the gelatin granules over the top of the water and stir until fully absorbed. Heat the mixture just until fully dissolved and the gelatin is warm but not too hot.
Pro Tip: Do not allow the gelatin to get to a simmer or a boil. - Make The Jello Shot Mixture: Pour the warm gelatin into the sweetened condensed milk and whisk to combine. Whisk in the peppermint schnapps and red food coloring until your mixture is pink.
- Chill: Pour the jello mixture into each shot cup and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until fully set.
- Garnish Your Glasses: Add a dollop of whipped topping and optional garnish when ready to serve. Enjoy!
Tips For Making Candy Cane Jello Shots
- You can add the extra creamy whipped topping from the tub that has been thawed into a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip, and a decorative dollop can be piped on. Alternatively, you can use the can of squirt whipped topping or a homemade stabilized whipped cream.
- Do not garnish the glasses until just before serving.
- If you fill your shot cups completely full, you will only get 11 servings. Alternately, if you use a different-sized jello shot cup, then that will also alter the total number of servings.
- You can run a sharp, thin-bladed knife (a paring knife works great) along the outside edges of the jello shot just before garnishing. This will ensure the candy cane jello shots easily come out of the cups.
- An 8-cup glass liquid measure cup with a pour spout works great to mix your candy cane jello shot mixture in. It will make pouring the liquid into the small cups much easier. You can also transfer your liquid mixture into a smaller spouted measuring cup, if you do not have the larger size to use as a bowl, to pour the liquid into the shot cups easily.
- You can add a couple of extra drops of the red food color if you want your candy cane jello shots to be red instead of pink.
How to Store Candy Cane Jello Shots
- To Store: Covered candy cane jello shots can stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing these shots.
More Easy Holiday Cocktail Recipes
Other Easy Cocktail Recipes
If you tried this Candy Cane Jello Shots Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Candy Cane Jello Shots
Serves — 12
Prep Time 5 minutes
Chill Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold water
- 0.5 ounces (2 0.25-ounce) packets of unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup peppermint schnapps
- 2-3 drops red food coloring
- Extra creamy whipped topping thawed
Optional garnish
- Mini candy canes finely crushed
- Candy cane-shaped jimmie sprinkles
Instructions
- To a small saucepan, add the cold water and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin granules over the top of the water. Stir the gelatin into the water until fully absorbed. Turn the heat to medium-low and allow the gelatin to heat up for 1-2 minutes or just until fully dissolved and the gelatin is warm but not too hot. Do not allow the gelatin to get to a simmer or a boil.1 cup cold water, 0.5 ounces (2 0.25-ounce) packets of unflavored gelatin
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl (an 8-cup glass liquid measure cup with a pour spout works great), add the sweetened condensed milk. Slowly pour the warm gelatin into the sweetened condensed milk while whisking constantly until fully combined.½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- Add the peppermint schnapps and red food coloring. Whisk until your candy cane jello shot mixture is pink.½ cup peppermint schnapps, 2-3 drops red food coloring
- Place 12 (2-ounce) jello shot cups onto a small rimmed tray and pour the candy cane jello mixture into each shot cup to the fill line (slightly more than ⅔ full).
- Refrigerate the candy cane jello shots for 2-3 hours or until fully set.
- Add a dollop of extra creamy whipped topping and optional garnish when ready to serve. You can use a combination of the suggested garnishes or just stick to one. Do not garnish until just before serving.Extra creamy whipped topping, Mini candy canes, Candy cane-shaped jimmie sprinkles
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Covered candy cane jello shots can stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing these shots.
- You can add the extra creamy whipped topping from the tub that has been thawed into a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip, and a decorative dollop can be piped on. Alternatively, you can use the can of squirt whipped topping or a homemade stabilized whipped cream if you desire.
- Do not garnish the glasses until just before serving.
- If you fill your shot cups completely full, you will only get 11 servings. Alternately, if you use a different-sized jello shot cup, then that will also alter the total number of servings.
- You can run a sharp, thin-bladed knife (a paring knife works great) along the outside edges of the jello shot just before garnishing. This will ensure the candy cane jello shots come out of the cups with ease.
- An 8-cup glass liquid measure cup with a pour spout works great to mix your candy cane jello shot mixture in. It will make pouring the liquid into the small cups much easier. You can also transfer your liquid mixture into a smaller spouted measuring cup, if you do not have the larger size to use as a bowl, to pour the liquid into the shot cups easily.
- When choosing your peppermint schnapps, make sure that you are using one with a red label and candy cane on it (DeKuyper brand), as some peppermint (with a green label and mint leaves) is actually a spearmint flavor (similar to creme de menthe – think thin mint cookie flavor) not a true peppermint flavor like a candy cane.
- You can add a couple of extra drops of the red food color if you want your candy cane jello shots to be red instead of pink.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 47mg | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 0.04mg
Hi! Can you make this with those flavoured Jell-O boxes?