These cute pink Sparkling Watermelon Jello Shots are a fun take on the nostalgic boozy treats — minus the artificial preservatives, dyes, and tiny plastic cups.
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Jello shots. The two words probably evoke memories from college or dive bars, where little plastic cups filled with jiggling electric blue Jello spiked with cheap vodka were passed around on trays.
Even if you outgrew the boozy treats long ago, you have to admit…there’s just something fun and nostalgic about them for which there’s simply no substitute. So we upgraded them, keeping the jiggle, the booze, and the nostalgia, adding sparkling wine for effervescence — and losing the artificial preservatives, dyes, and tiny plastic cups.
Best yet, these cute little squares are made with fresh watermelon juice, which gives them real fruit flavor and a cheerful rosy hue. Along with our Easy Pitcher Palomas, Sparkling Rose Sangria, Ginger Beet Margaritas, and Frozen Watermelon Margaritas, this pretty pink cocktail concoction is perfect for the 4th of July, backyard barbeque, or any other summer gatherings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All the fun of classic Jello shots with none of the artificial colors and preservatives
- Takes just 20 minutes
- Recipe yields a big, party-ready batch of 40 servings
- Works with any clear spirit like vodka, gin, or tequila
Watermelon Jello Shot Ingredients
These watermelon Jello shots are super easy and made with better-for-you ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to add to your grocery list to be party-ready with a batch of sparkling Jello shots. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Watermelon – you’ll need 3 cups (about 1½ pounds) of fresh cubed seedless watermelon for this recipe. Save your halved watermelon rind to serve the Jello shots in a ‘watermelon bowl’ later!
- Lime Juice – ¼ cup of lime juice gets added to the mix also. We prefer fresh lime juice over bottled always, so if you go the fresh route like we did, the juice from 2 limes should be just right.
- Gin – you’ll use ¾ cup gin here. You can totally swap the gin for vodka if gin isn’t your thing, or even use tequila for a margarita-style spin if you wish.
- Honey – rather than using the typical too-sweet Jello container mix, we’ll sweeten our Jello shots with ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of honey (our favorite natural sweetener!) for a really yummy, better-for-you twist on traditional Jello shots!
- Gelatin – gelatin (we used THIS unflavored gelatin) will, of course, turn our fruity mixture into bouncy Jello! We’ll use ⅓ cup here.
- Prosecco – here’s where the ‘sparkling’ in sparkling Jello shots comes into play! You’ll use 1 bottle of prosecco in this recipe.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Here’s how to customize these shots to your liking:.
- Juice – feel free to swap the watermelon juice for other kinds of fresh or bottled fruit juice.
- Spirits – if gin isn’t your thing, go with vodka or tequila. (You might have fun experimenting with other types of alcohol too, but we’d suggest using a spirit that’s clear.)
- Wine – we used prosecco here, but you can swap in other budget-friendly sparkling wines like cava instead.
How to Make Jello Shots
It’s super easy! Here’s how to make this yummy adult-only treat!
Step 1: blend the cubed watermelon in a high-speed blender until fully liquified. (We LOVE this one…it’s a splurge, but totally worth it if it’s in your budget!) Then, pour the watermelon into a large mixing bowl using a fine-mesh strainer to remove the remaining watermelon pulp.
Step 2: once your watermelon is pulp-free, stir to combine the watermelon juice, lime juice, honey, and gin in a large bowl.
Step 3: in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the gelatin and one cup of prosecco (we’re swapping in prosecco for a cup of water here to avoid watered-down Jello shots!). Cook the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until gelatin dissolves and the mixture becomes foamy and doubles in size (it will foam A LOT, but this allows us to not have to water down the shots). Remove the gelatin + prosecco mixture from heat and let sit 5-10 minutes.
- Step 4: once cooled, whisk the gelatin mixture into the watermelon mixture, and add in the remaining prosecco. Pour the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until set.
Then, using a large knife, cut into 1-inch cubes and serve.
Recipe Tip
Presentation is key! – for a fun twist, you can instead fill a hollowed-out watermelon half with the Jello shot mixture, then cut it into slices just like you would a regular watermelon once set.
How to Serve
Serve the cubes cold from the fridge.
How to Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Exactly what they sound like! Jello shots are bite-sized portions of alcohol-infused Jello. Though Jello is typically a kid-friendly snack, Jello shots are definitely an adult-only party treat. Typically, they are made with a package of Jell-O, boiling water, and vodka or other liquor of choice, but today we’re skipping the artificial watermelon flavor and using fresh watermelon instead.
Your Jello shots will take at least 4 hours to set in the fridge, so be sure to plan accordingly. You can totally make them in advance and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy.
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Sparkling Watermelon Jello Shots
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place the watermelon in a high-speed blender and blend until fully liquid.
- Pour the watermelon through a fine mesh strainer to remove remaining watermelon pulp.
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the watermelon juice, lime juice, honey, and gin.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the gelatin and one cup prosecco. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until gelatin dissolves and mixture becomes foamy and doubles in size. Remove from heat and let sit 5-10 minutes.
- Whisk the gelatin mixture into the watermelon mixture along with the remaining prosecco.
- Once fully combined, pour the jello shots into a 9×13 inch baking dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until set, then cut into 1-inch cubes and serve!
Nutrition
How much juice would you say that the 3 cups of watermelon yields?
I followed the recipe and left in fridge over night and they have not gotten hard yet. Any suggestions? It’s been over 24 hours.
Would love a clarification! Where it says “Cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until gelatin dissolves and mixture becomes foamy and doubles in size. Remove from heat and let cook 5-10 minutes.”
Does that mean let it REST for 5-10min once its removed from the heat?
Yes, it should say let rest!
Could I omit the alcohol and replace with water?
Yes, absolutely! You could also use juice if you’d like.
Could you make this recipe with other fruit? Say, raspberries or strawberries?
Yes, I’ve done it with strawberries before! They are a little less juicy than watermelon though so I’d reduce the gelatin by 2 tablespoons.
I saw honey listed twice… once as 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP & at the end of the recipe as just 1/4 cup… bit only saw it in the recipe once…. is it being listed in 2 different amounts twice an error?
That was a mistake! It should be 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP total.