If you’re looking for a festive party treat that’s totally adorable and guaranteed to disappear fast, these Christmas Tree Jello Shots are about to become your new holiday favorite. Shaped like mini Christmas trees this simple holiday recipe adds instant cheer to any Christmas party, potluck, or girls’ night in.

Whether you’re hunting for the best holiday jello shots, need a fun Christmas party recipe, or just want a cute boozy treat to serve alongside your cookies and cocktails, these Christmas Tree Jello Shots check every box. Whether you’re hosting a cozy family gathering, a lively holiday party, or just want to add a little sparkle to your seasonal spread, these adorable tree-shaped shots are guaranteed to steal the show.

I posted the video on my Instagram showing how to make these before I created this blog post, and it gained a lot of attention! There were several good questions, which I am going to clarify in this post. Keep in mind, these are a fun, festive treat for adults of drinking age only!

How to make the Christmas tree shape for Christmas tree shots

At the time I made these shots I looked all over and I could not find suitable silicone molds in this cone shape. There were some, but they were all very tiny, way smaller than I normally make my shots. So, I can up with my own method which was using paper snow cone cups! I got them on amazon but you could grab them at a lot of local stores, as well, such as office supply stores, Wal-mart etc.

As you can see from the photo above, I used a sturdy shipping box as a base and cut holes in it to stand the cones upright. This worked perfectly. In case you wondered, the shots did not leak through the paper.

Uh-oh! I messed up by trying to remove them too soon!

How to remove the shots from the paper cones

There’s a lot of debate about this! First of all, yes you can spray them to help the shots slide out. A lot of people find the cooking spray to taste bad, and it definitely leaves a residue on the shots. If you don’t mind that then go for it. What I did instead was to cut (with clean scissors of course!) the paper up to the top and then slowly peel it off. This worked great and then there was no extra taste from cooking spray or residue. You could also dip them in warm water to loosen the paper. This also works, but leave the shots a little bumpy and wet.

Whichever method you chose, keep in mind to make sure the shots are fully set before you try to remove them. Otherwise, they will look like the photo above! I learned this lesson the hard way because I did not wait long enough before trying to remove that first one! Jello takes up to four hours to set, I would wait a little longer than that just to make sure they’re nice and firm!

Here is what they look like without the decoration. I added rainbow sprinkles to make them more festive! I just kind of tossed the sprinkles at the trees and they stuck right on. You could also dust them with some edible glitter for a sparkly effect. Or, use food safe edible markers to draw on them. The world is your oyster and you can decorate your jello shots however you like!

How to Make Christmas Tree Jello Shots

For the alcohol: I use whipped cream vodka. You could also use vanilla vodka, or a fruit flavor that goes with the jello flavor. Plain vodka is an option, but I like the extra flavor the whipped cream vodka gives to the shots. You can also use tequila, as these are lime flavored shots, if you like it!

For the gelatin: I used a three ounce box of green jello (store brand other is fine). You will also need two packets of knox unflavored gelatin, or the equivalent in unflavored gelatin powder in whatever brand you like. The extra gelatin is essential for helping the trees keep their shape and to stay standing up. Unlike other recipes using knox, you do not need to “bloom” it first. Just mix the knox in with the green jello powder before adding the hot water and stir well to dissolve.

For the decorations: I used regular rainbow sprinkles I had in my cabinet! I just tossed them on and they stuck. You could also use flat sprinkles and place them on as you like. A star would be cute on top, too! Or you could use edible glitter or food safe markers to decorate. Note: any decorations on jello tend to melt after awhile. Be sure to decorate just before serving or the sprinkles will get mushy!