Malibu Rum Mardi Gras Jello Shots

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Even if you’ve never made Jello shots before, you’ll be tempted to make these beautiful Malibu Rum Mardi Gras Jello Shots.

These things shift in color from yellow to green to purple so effortlessly.

And my goodness, it’s jello shots with Malibu rum are so tasty!

Malibu rum Mardi Gras Jello shots

 

Mardi Gras themed jello shots with beads on a wood table
Everyone loves Jello Shots for Mardi Gras. They are so much fun and are perfect to make ahead of time.

 

When covered with whipped cream and a glitter-like sprinkling of cinnamon, they look almost too beautiful and festive to eat.

But eat them, you shall, and when you taste that yummy Malibu Rum, you’ll want to go back for more.

As with all jello shots, you need to be a bit cautious with these.

They are so tasty, it is easy to overdo it.

But one thing that makes these Mardi Gras Jello Shots stand out from the rest is that with these, you can actually taste the rum!

This is because you make these with unflavored gelatin instead of the sweet and fruity gelatin these things are normally made of.

The whipped cream and cinnamon sweeten and enhance the rum flavor it the most wonderful sort of way.

Serving Malibu Rum Jello Shots for Mardi Gras and other events

Mardi Gras is a time to celebrate life and all its decadent delights.

A holiday this unique and special calls for refreshments that are unique and special.

Serve these Mardi Gras Jello Shots at your party and enjoy the sounds of “oooh” and “ahhh” from your guests.

Just make sure that you make enough because these flavorful shots will be in high demand.

Run out and you may hear “booooo” and “bahhhh” instead.

Can I change the jello shots recipe for other occasions?

Just because we’ve made these for Mardi Gras doesn’t mean you can’t mix the recipe up a bit.

You can switch up the colors of food coloring and make all kinds of layered jello shots.

You can make 3 layers in red, white, and blue for the 4th of July.

You can make them in green, white, and orange for St. Patrick’s Day, and you can make two layers instead of three in your favorite team’s colors.

If you decide to make some with white as one of your colors, just be sure to add some coconut milk to the white mixture so that you get a white layer.

Otherwise, it will look kind of clear.

And since we’re making these with Malibu rum, the coconut milk and coconut rum taste great together. 

You won’t believe how easy it is to make jello shots with Malibu rum.

Ingredients to make Malibu Rum Mardi Gras Jello Shots:

Makes about 20 shots

  • 3 boxes – 4 packets each of clear unflavored gelatin
  • 2 drops purple food gel
  • 2 drops green food gel
  • 2 drops gold food gel
  • 1/4 cup Malibu Rum (see notes in recipe)
  • Water
  • whipped topping
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Can I make these jello shots without the alcohol?

Yep!

If you need to have some jello shots that are fun for those who won’t be drinking, you can absolutely leave out the liquor.

Just prepare the jello as instructed and make the layers the way we have instructed.

Here’s a tip for how to keep you from mixing up which ones have booze and which ones don’t —

Reverse the layers.

Like if you do yellow on the bottom, green in the middle, and purple on top for the boozy ones, do the opposite for the mocktail jello shots.

Like purple on the bottom, green in the middle, and yellow on top. 

Can I make these jello shots with other liquors?

You may also replace the rum with any other liquor you’d like.

You may even experiment with making the different colored layers flavored with a different type of liquor.

You have so many options.

We’ve only added Malibu rum to one of the layers.

You may add rum to all of the layers if you prefer.

We’ve included instructions for how to make layers with and without rum below.

Can I make the layered jello shots the day before?

Yes! And we recommend it too! 

You can make the jello shots the day before if you’d like.

It’s so nice to get it done ahead of time and just let them hang out in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

It frees up your time for making other Fat Tuesday preparations.

Just keep them covered either with a lid on the cup or cover the tray with plastic wrap until it’s time to serve.

Tips for making jello shots with unflavored gelatin

If you’ve never worked with unflavored gelatin before, it’s a little bit different from making instant Jello.

First, you need to “bloom” the gelatin.

That means you’ll sprinkle the gelatin powder or sheets on some cool liquid, in this case water, to let it expand.

The gelatin will soak up the water while it sits. 

That way, the gelatin will be nice and evenly distributed.

You will have a better tasting and looking jello shot that way.

And the texture will be nicer too!

If you would like to learn more about working with gelatin, we really like this tip sheet from What’s Cooking America.

Your gelatin may have some specific instructions to follow as well, so keep our tips in mind, and follow the instructions on the package. 

How to make layered Malibu Rum Jello Shots:

Pre-Steps:

Prepare the containers for the Jello Shots on a tray or baking sheet before you get started.

Make sure there’s plenty of room in your refrigerator for your tray.

Make the shots:

 

Photo collage of in process shots demonstrating how to make jello shots
Be sure to let your layers set really well before adding the next layer to keep the colors from bleeding.

 

To make the first layer, open one package of unflavored gelatin and make it according to the instructions.

Add 2 drops of food coloring to the mixture. We started with yellow.

Fill each of your containers about 1/4 of the way full.

Move the tray to the refrigerator and let them set for about two hours.

Then repeat steps 1-4 for the next color’s layer.

For the final layer, in this case, purple, make your gelatin according to the instructions, but this time, replace 1/4 cup of water with 1/4 cup of Malibu rum.

Repeat steps 2-4.

When it’s time to serve, top them with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

 

Jello shot cups on a wood table
After the jello shots have set, you can put a lid on the individual cups or cover each tray of shots with a layer of plastic wrap. It makes it easier when you make then ahead of time.

 

More delicious shots recipes to enjoy:

Crown Royal and Captain Morgan Apple Smash Jello Shots

Long Island Iced Tea Jello Shots

Spiced Rum Milk Shots

Strawberry Sparkling Party Shots

Pistachio Pudding Shots

Cinnamon Apple Spiced Mule Shots

Shark Bite Shot

Sorting Hat Shots

Swamp Water Jello Shots

Easy Baileys Chocolate Pudding Shots

try it and share!

Please let us know how you enjoy our Malibu Rum Mardi Gras Jello Shots recipe.

If you make it yourself, please let us know on Pinterest that you tried it and tag us with #champagneandcoconuts on your Instagram photo.

If you haven’t had a chance to make it yet, be sure to save the recipe on Pinterest so you’ll remember where you found it.

You may enjoy following our Pinterest Board, Shots Recipes.

 

Three colored Jello shots decorated for Mardi Gras on a wood table.
You know it’s a party when the Jello shots come out! You’ll have a great time with these yummy Malibu Rum Jello shots.

 

Three colored Jello shots decorated for Mardi Gras on a wood table.

Malibu Rum Mardi Gras Jello Shots

Jennifer Quisenberry
Want to be the life of the party? Make some delicious Malibu Rum Mardi Gras Jello Shots. We made these for Mardi Gras, but you can easily make them with any flavor or color theme. Learn how to make easy jello shots with our step by step recipe.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Refrigeration 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 20
Calories 45 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 boxes - 4 packets each of clear unflavored gelatin
  • 2 drops purple food gel
  • 2 drops green food gel
  • 2 drops gold food gel
  • ¼ cup Malibu Rum see notes in recipe
  • Water per package instructions
  • whipped topping
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • To make the first layer, open one package of unflavored gelatin and make it according to the instructions.
  • Add 2 drops of food coloring to the mixture. We started with yellow.
  • Fill each of your containers about 1/4 of the way full.
  • Move the tray to the refrigerator and let them set for about two hours.
  • Then repeat steps 1-4 for the next color's layer.
  • For the final layer, in this case, purple, make your gelatin according to the instructions, but this time, replace 1/4 cup of water with 1/4 cup of Malibu rum.
  • Repeat steps 2-4.
  • When it's time to serve, top them with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

Notes

You may also replace the rum with any other liquor you'd like. You may even experiment with making the different colored layers flavored with a different type of liquor. You have so many options.
We've only added Malibu rum to one of the layers. You may add rum to all of the layers if you prefer. We've included instructions for how to make layers with and without rum below.
You can make the jello shots the day before if you'd like. Just keep them covered either with a lid on the cup or cover the tray with plastic wrap until it's time to serve.
Please note that nutrition facts are subject to change based on your choice of ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 45kcal
Keyword Malibu Rum Mardi Gras Jello Shots
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

This post was originally published on February 7, 2020 and was updated in January 2022.

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