How Many Shots Can You Make With One Box Of Jell-O?

A tasty treat and a party favorite packed inside little plastic shooter cups? It could only be Jell-O shots. These fun and often brightly colored shots have featured at various gatherings since the modern version of Jell-O shots was conceptualized in the 1950s — and there's no sign that they're about to slip into obscurity any time soon. If you feel inspired to make some Jell-O shots for your next party, though, you might be left wondering how many packs of Jell-O you'll actually have to buy to make a sufficient quantity. It's one thing to learn how to make Jell-O shots in the first place, but it's another to figure out the right proportions for you and your guests, so let's dive into the details.

To make Jell-O shots, you'll of course need three primary ingredients: water, liquor, and the strange ingredient that is gelatin. A recipe for a typical 3-ounce box of Jell-O calls for mixing your gelatin powder with 1 cup of boiling hot water, then adding 1 cup of cold liquid (which contains your alcohol) afterwards, giving you a total of 2 cups (16 ounces) of Jell-O. Once these have been distributed into their serving cups, you'll have somewhere around a dozen shots, give or take a couple. 

This can vary, naturally, based on how big your servings are. But if the typical shot is around 1.5 ounces and you leave some wiggle room at the top of each shooter, you can make 12 shots from a single box of Jell-O. One 6-ounce family-size box should give you 24 Jell-O shots.

Although you can reliably estimate that a standard box of Jell-O will net you something in the ballpark of a dozen shots, there are a few factors in play when it comes to ascertaining exactly how many you can make from one batch. Some shooters are the prescribed 1.5-ounce size, while others are only 1 ounce. Others yet are bigger, at 2 ounces, though it's best to leave some breathing room at the top for toppings and whatnot — an easy trick if you have the tool to make Jell-O shots a breeze. This means that you can make anywhere between eight and 16 Jell-O shots from one pack, depending on how large you wish each one to be.

Another thing you ought to consider is how strong you want your Jell-O shots to be. If you'd like your shots on the stronger side, you can fill that second cup of liquid exclusively with your liquor(s) of choice. But if you want the shots tamed down a touch, you could trim that measurement down to a 1/2 cup of liquor and a 1/2 cup of juice or water. Ultimately, you'll yield the same number of shots per batch, so the strength of the shots is your choice. However, this is still a handy tip to keep in mind. This way, you can be sure that your shots are not only of a sufficient quantity, but that they cater to the tastes, tolerances, and sensibilities of you and your guests!