These colorful and fruity Starburst Jell-O Shots are a sweet layered treat that tastes just like the candy! We’ll show you two different ways to make them!
Starburst Jello Shots (2 Ways!)
These colorful layered jello shots taste just like Starburst candy!
If Starbursts are one of your favorite candies, then you will love this grown-up version of them! They are made with Starburst flavored jell-o mix so the taste is totally authentic. And the layered look is pretty and festive — they would be fun to make for Valentine’s Day, summer, or many different occasions!
We’ll show you two different ways to make Starburst Jello shots, using different Starburst gelatin products:
- 2-Flavor Starburst Jello Shots made with Starburst Duos gelatin
- Pink & Gold Starburst Jello Shots made with Pink Starburst jello
We used vodka as the base for the shot, because it doesn’t compete with the fruit flavors of the jello. You can use flavored vodka too if you really want to amp up the fruit flavor.
Starburst shots are so much fun! (Please enjoy responsibly of course!) Next time you’re doing party prep and looking for ideas for cocktails, try jello shots instead!
Related: We also made a drink version! Try this Pink Starburst Cocktail recipe too!
Be sure to allow yourself a couple hours to make this recipe. Most of this is simply chilling time, where the jello shots are in the fridge so each layer can set.
How to Make Two-Flavor Starburst Jello Shots
To make this colorful layered treat, we started with new Starburst Duos 4-flavor gelatin variety packs. When you make this recipe, you will have two different types of layered shots, each with two flavors.
I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience in re-creating this recipe; disclosure policy available here.
Ingredients
- 1 box Starburst Duos Gelatin Variety Pack
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups vodka (or rum)
- 20 mini Starburst candies (optional for top)
Kitchen Supplies Used
- 3 oz plastic shot glasses
- Baking Sheet
- Flavor Injector
- Saucepan
- Wire whisk
Directions
Place your plastic cups on a baking tray.
Bring 3/4 cups water to boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in one of the 4 gelatin flavors until it is fully dissolved. Stir in 3/4 cup vodka. Pour into 10 of the plastic cups, filling them halfway.
Repeat the above steps with a second flavor of gelatin, so you have 20 cups that are filled halfway. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.
Now, make your remaining two flavors of gelatin, separately, using the above process. Allow each flavor to cool for 10 minute, then pour on top of the half-filled cups of jello shots.
TIP: Be sure to check the temperature of your liquid before adding in the second layer. If it’s too warm, it can melt the bottom and make them bleed into each other. If you don’t mind the look, no need to worry. However, if you want those distinct color layers, just be sure it’s not hot before pouring it on top of the already solid first layer.
You should have use all four flavors of gelatin, so that you have two different combinations of jello flavors, 10 shot cups of each.
Place the tray of shots back in the fridge to set for about an hour, then place a mini starburst candy on top of each. Return to fridge until completely set.
How to Make Pink Starburst Jell-O Shots
These shots are all one flavor (strawberry), but also have a layered look. We achieved this by using a layer of plain gelatin (that we flavored with strawberry extract) and glittery gold sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 Box Pink Starburst Gelatin (3.93 ounces)
- 2 Packets Unflavored Gelatin (0.25 ounces each)
- 2 Cups Boiling Water
- 1 ¾ Cups Vodka
- 1 Cup Cold Water
- ¼ Cup Simple Syrup
- ½ Teaspoon Strawberry Extract
- Gold Sanding Sugar
Kitchen Supplies Used
- 2-Ounce Plastic Shot Cups or Condiment Cups (with Lids)
- Baking Sheet
- Flavor Injector
- Saucepan
- Wire whisk
Instructions
Again, you’ll want to make sure you have a couple hours to make this recipe. Don’t worry though, it’s not two hours of solid work, it’s mostly chilling time.
1. Prep
Place your plastic condiment cups on a baking sheet. This allows you to move them in and out of the fridge with ease. Put a saucepan of water on to boil (at least 2 cups).
2. Make the Pink Starburst Jello
Add the Starburst jello powder to a large bowl. Pour in 1 ½ cups boiling water and whisk until completely dissolved.
Add in 1 cup vodka and ½ cup cold water and stir.
Fill each shot cup about a third of the way full — it’s ok to just “eyeball” it! This will use up about half of the pink jello liquid. Save the rest for later, but keep it in a place that is warm (near the stove, for example) so that it does not harden.
Place cups in the fridge to chill for about an hour, or until the gelatin has set.
3. Make the Clear Layer
In a large measuring cup or medium mixing bowl, combine the unflavored gelatin packets and ½ cup boiling water. Whisk until the gelatin has dissolved.
Add in the simple syrup, strawberry extract, ½ cup cold water, and ¾ cup vodka. Stir well.
Remove the tray of jello shots from the fridge and top them with this clear mixture, so that they are about 2/3 of the way full now.
Sprinkle gold sanding sugar on top of the clear layer and place the cookie sheet back in the fridge for another hour so this layer can set.
4. Add Another Pink Layer
Fill the cups the rest of the way (but not quite to the top) with the remaining pink Jell-O mixture.
TIP: Be sure not to fill the cups up all the way to the top. If there is no air space at the top, the lid will press into the jello liquid. When it solidifies, the jello will stick to the lid. Leaving a small pocket of air at the top ensures that the surface of your jello shots will stay pretty.
Place back in the fridge for another hour or until solidified.
Sprinkle with gold sanding sugar or other matching and festive sprinkles and enjoy! You can even garnish with pink Starburst candies or Cool Whip on top of the jello shots. Have fun with it!
Makes about 20 Jello shots.
Frequently Asked Questions
These prep tips will help you make this recipe and answer common reader questions.
What is the Best Vodka to Use?
One thing I love about this recipe is that there is not one “right” way to make it. You can customize it and have a little fun with flavors!
Plain vodka will work just fine for this recipe and this allows the flavor of the Starburst jello to be the star of the show.
However, using flavored vodka adds more fruitiness and covers up some of that vodka taste. This is a great way to make jello shots that don’t taste as strong.
Strawberry vodka and pink lemonade vodka would be my top two choices, but feel free to experiment!
Also, if vodka is not your thing, you can substitute silver rum.
Can You Use Other Flavors of Jello?
Sure! We used the pink strawberry Starburst gelatin mix for this recipe. However, there are other flavors of Starburst gelatin available: Watermelon, Blue Raspberry, Lemon, and Cherry.
If you decide to try another flavor, you may want to switch up the color of edible glitter that you use. You may also want to use another extract for flavoring the clear layer (we used strawberry extract to compliment the strawberry flavored jello).
We also made Starburst Jello shots with the NEW Starburst Duos gelatin variety packs. This is a pack containing 4 different Starburst-inspired flavors of gelatin dessert mix. We used two flavors for each batch.
So there are a lot of different ways to make Starburst jello shots! We will show you two different sets of instructions, whether you’re using one package of Starburst gelatin, or the Duos variety pack.
What is the Gold Sanding Sugar For?
We used glittery gold sugar to help differentiate the layers in our pink starburst jello shots. The gold sanding sugar that’s placed in between the layers will give the bottom layer a goldish look from reflection.
If you prefer to not have this look and want it to be pink, just skip that step.
Why Do You Recommend a Flavor Injector?
Using a flavor injector is not required, but it is super helpful for making neat layers and avoiding spills. We’ve tried both ways and you can absolutely make the recipe without one. However, if you happen to have this handy tool, give it a try!
More of our Favorite Jello Shot recipes:
- Grinch Christmas Jello Shots
- Crown Peach Jello Shots
- Candy Cane Jello Shots
- Watermelon Margarita Jello Shots
- Cherry Vodka Jello Shots
Grab a free printable copy of our Starburst Jello Shots Recipe:
If you like this recipe, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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Starburst Jello Shots (2 Ways)
Equipment
- 20 Plastic Shot Cups with Lids 2 or 3 oz size
- Baking sheet
- Injector
- whisk
Ingredients
Pink Starburst Jello Shots
- 1 Box Pink Starburst Jell-O 3.93 ounces
- 2 Packets Unflavored Gelatin 0.25 ounces each
- 2 Cups Boiling Water
- 1 ¾ Cups Vodka
- 1 Cup Cold Water
- ¼ Cup Simple Syrup
- ½ Teaspoon Strawberry Extract
- Gold Sanding Sugar
Starburst Duos Jello Shots
- 1 box Starburst Duos Gelatine
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups rum
- 20 mini Starburst candies for decoration
Instructions
Pink Starburst Jello Shots Directions
- Place plastic condiment cups (without lids) on a baking sheet.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pink Jell-O mix with 1 ½ cups boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved.
- Add in 1 cup vodka and ½ cup cold water. Stir well.
- Fill each shot cup about a third of the way full. Keep the remaining pink jello liquid that's leftover in the pan somewhere warm (you'll be using it later).
- Place tray of shots in the fridge on a flat surface and allow to set for about an hour (or until mostly firm).
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gelatin packets and ½ cup boiling water. Whisk until the gelatin has dissolved.
- Add in the simple syrup, strawberry extract, ½ cup cold water, and ¾ cup vodka. Stir well.
- Remove tray of shot cups from the fridge and fill each cup with this clear liquid so that the cups are 2/3 way full now.
- Sprinkle the top of this layer with gold sanding sugar and place the cups back in the fridge for another hour.
- Finally, fill the cups the rest of the way with remaining pink jello liquid. Leave a small space at the top of the cup so you can garnish or put on lids.
- Place back in the fridge for another hour or until solidified.
- Sprinkle with gold sanding sugar. You can also garnish with Starburst candy or Cool Whip before serving.
Starburst Duos Jello Shots Directions
- Line your cups up on a baking sheet or tray.
- In a small saucepan, heat ¾ cup of water on high, until boiling. Remove from heat, then stir in one of the 4 gelatin flavors, until fully dissolved. Stir in ¾ cup vodka. Divide evenly between 10 cups, filling each about halfway.
- Repeat the above process with a second flavor of gelatin, filling the bottom of the remaining 10 cups. Refrigerate all 20 cups for 1 hour, or until set.
- Use the above steps to make the 3rd flavor of gelatin, allowing it to cool for about 10 minutes before pouring on top of one of the flavors you already made, to have 2 layers.
- Make the 4th flavor of gelatin, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then pour on top of the last 10 cups that still need a second layer.
- Place all of the cups back in the fridge to chill. When they are partially set, top each with a mini Starburst candy, then place back in the fridge to finish setting.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin our Starburst Jello Shots on Pinterest:
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John Ravi says
Hi Stacey,
What an amazing recipe! I love jello, and so do my friends. I think your recipe will be perfect for a party. I would love to try it out. Since you shared all the steps in this recipe, I think I will be able to make these shots for all my friends. I am sure they will love it too. I am really looking forward to trying this recipe out and impressing all my friends with these amazing jello shots. Thanks a lot for sharing this amazing recipe with the readers.