Jello Shot Christmas Tree
I don’t know about you, but during the holidays, I really love nothing more than pushing the boat out with a couple of showstopper centerpieces if I’m entertaining or throwing a party! There’s just something so satisfying about hearing the ‘oooh’s and ‘ahhh’s from friends and family, and this Jello shot Christmas tree is guaranteed to earn you exactly that.
Twenty little cups of boozy lime Jello get stacked into the shape of a Christmas tree, complete with a chocolate-brown “trunk”, a gold sprinkle star on top, and red sanding sugar “ornaments”. It’s festive, it’s fun, and it doubles as both a drink and a centerpiece!
You’ll love this recipe because:
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It’s a total showstopper at Christmas parties.
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You can make it ahead and just assemble before guests arrive.
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The tree is customizable — use flavored vodka, swap in other colors, or add more decorations.
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It’s way easier than it looks, but still delivers serious wow-factor!
Ingredients
Want to grab a recipe card that you can print off at home? You’ll find one at the bottom of this post! Feel free to add it to your own recipe folder so you can easily find this recipe when you want to make it again!
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Lime Jello – This gives you that classic Christmas tree green, but you can swap for green apple if you want a different flavor.
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Boiling water – Make sure it’s hot enough to fully dissolve the gelatin, otherwise you’ll end up with grainy spots.
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Vodka – Any plain vodka works, but you can also use vanilla vodka, whipped cream vodka, or even coconut rum for a fun flavor twist.
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Brown gel food dye – Just a drop transforms a bit of the mixture into your tree trunk. Gel dye works best since it’s more concentrated than liquid.
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Gold star sprinkles – The “tree topper.” If you can’t find gold, yellow sprinkles or a small candy star work too.
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Red sanding sugar – Sprinkled on top of a few shots to look like ornaments. You can also use red sprinkles or edible glitter if that’s what you’ve got.
How To Make Your Jello Shot Christmas Tree
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In a medium or large mixing bowl, whisk together the jello and boiling water until the powder is fully dissolved.
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Stir in the vodka until combined.
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Scoop out about 2 ounces of the mixture into a separate glass or small bowl and add a drop of brown food dye. Stir until you’ve got your “tree trunk” color (one drop should do it, but add more if needed).
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Pour the brown jello into one shot cup, then fill the remaining 19 cups with the green jello.
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Chill everything in the fridge for about 2 hours, or until firm.
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Once set, arrange the cups into a Christmas tree: start with one at the top, then one, two, three, and four per row until you reach the bottom. Place the brown cup in the center base for the trunk.
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Decorate by adding a star sprinkle to the very top cup and dusting five random green cups with red sanding sugar “ornaments.”
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Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Tips
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If you’re making these ahead, pop the lids on and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just don’t freeze — Jello shots don’t hold up well in the freezer.
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Skip the garnishes until right before serving. The star sprinkles and sanding sugar will start to dissolve if they sit too long in the fridge.
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Don’t fill the cups completely to the top if you’re storing with lids. Otherwise, you’ll end up with little divots pressed into the Jello, and they won’t look as pretty.
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Plain vodka keeps things classic, but feel free to use a flavored vodka (like vanilla, citrus, or whipped cream) for an extra fun twist.
Serving Ideas
This Jello Shot Christmas Tree is a real treat for holiday parties! Set the cups out already assembled in tree form on a tray or platter, and you’ve instantly got a super fun centrepiece.
They’re such a fun conversation starter and way more festive than regular Jello shots.
You can also tuck them into the drinks table alongside eggnog and cocktails so guests have options. If you’re hosting a big Christmas bash, make two or three “trees” so there’s plenty to go around!
Jello Shot Christmas Tree
Ingredients
- 1 box lime jello 6oz
- 2 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 ½ cups vodka
- 1 drop brown gel food dye
- Gold star sprinkles
- Red sanding sugar
Instructions
- In a medium or large mixing bowl, whisk together the jello and boiling water until the powder is fully dissolved.
- Stir in the vodka until combined.
- Scoop out about 2 ounces of the mixture into a separate glass or small bowl and add a drop of brown food dye. Stir until you’ve got your “tree trunk” color (one drop should do it, but add more if needed).
- Pour the brown jello into one shot cup, then fill the remaining 19 cups with the green jello.
- Chill everything in the fridge for about 2 hours, or until firm.
- Once set, arrange the cups into a Christmas tree: start with one at the top, then one, two, three, and four per row until you reach the bottom. Place the brown cup in the center base for the trunk.
- Decorate by adding a star sprinkle to the very top cup and dusting five random green cups with red sanding sugar “ornaments.”
- Serve and enjoy!
I really hope you love this jello Christmas tree as much as my friends and I did when we were testing out the recipe! It’s super Instagram-able, so if you take any pics, I’d really love to see them. You can tag me @slimmingviolet. Happy Christmas!
