Dazzle your guests with a show-stopping edible masterpiece – Red, White, and Blue Stained Glass Jello Cups. Scattered pieces of red and blue jello are suspended inside creamy, strawberry-flavored white jello to create a patriotic treat that’s equal parts tasty and stunning.
Whether you’re hosting a Fourth of July bash, a Memorial Day cookout, or just craving some colorful fun, these cups bring a burst of flavor and a whole lot of personality to the table.
Why You’ll Love these Stained Glass Jello Cups
- Eye-catching: The varying sizes and stained glass effect of the cut up Jello create a stunning and unique presentation for your patriotic celebration.
- Perfect for Parties: Not only do they look incredible, the individual portioned cups make them easy to transport and serve.
- Make-Ahead: These cups can be made a day in advance, giving you more time to enjoy your holiday and less time stressing in the kitchen.
- Kid-Friendly: Kids will love the bright colors and fun texture of these jello cups, making them a hit at any family gathering or BBQ. They can even help assemble them for a fun activity!
What You’ll Need:
Ingredients:
- Red Jello Cups
- Blue Jello Cups
- Unflavored Gelatin Packet
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Cold Water
- Boiling Water
- Cold water or clear juice
- Strawberry Extract
- Whipped Topping (optional)
- Red White and Blue Sprinkles (optional)
Equipment:
- 20 2-Ounce Shot Cups with Lids
- Small knife
- Medium mixing bowl(s)
- 8.5 x 11 baking sheet
- Mixing spoons
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Thin handled spoon or other utensil
How to Make Stained Glass Jello Cups
To make things even easier for you, I created a simple photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Step 1 – Remove the tops of all the jello cups. Using a small knife, cut vertical and horizontal lines through the jello, creating a criss-cross pattern on the top. Repeat with all the red and blue jello.
Step 2 – Empty all the cut up jello into a medium mixing bowl. Use your knife to cut up any large chunks of jello. You don’t want pieces that are too small, but they need to be small enough to fit into the jello cups. Gently mix the jello pieces together to randomize the colors.
Step 3 – Place a small amount of red and blue jello chunks into each of the empty cups, filling each cup to about ⅔ full. Move the filled jello cups to the refrigerator while preparing the white gelatin.
Step 4 – Add cold water to a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle unflavored gelatin on top. Stir lightly and let sit for about 5 minutes to bloom.
Step 5 – Pour the boiling water over the bloomed gelatin and stir until everything is dissolved.
Step 6 – While the mixture is still warm, quickly add the sweetened condensed milk and stir thoroughly until it completely dissolves.
Step 7 – Add cold water or juice to the sweetened condensed milk mixture.
Step 8 – Add the strawberry extract. Stir to combine. Set aside and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Step 9 – Remove the prepared shot cups from the fridge and slowly pour the white mixture into each cup until it reaches the top. Return the jello cups back in the fridge for 2 hours or until set.
Step 10 – Garnish with a dollop of whipped topping and a sprinkle of patriotic sprinkles, if desired, and enjoy!
💡Pro Tip💡 If you’re having trouble getting the white gelatin to flow down to the bottom of the cup and surround all the blue and red pieces, use the handle of a spoon or other kitchen utensil to gently push the red and blue jello aside. This will allow the white mixture to fill in the gaps between the jello chunks.
Essential Tips:
Don’t skip these tips – read them before starting to avoid any potential mistakes.
- For best results, drain any standing water from the red and blue jello cups before starting.
- Want to keep those blue and red jello colors separated? Don’t worry—they won’t mix! Just be sure to handle them gently when mixing to avoid any unexpected color blending.
- Give the unflavored gelatin plenty of time to bloom in the cold water. If you skip this step or add the hot water too early, you’ll end up with chunky jello and no one wants that.
- Change up the flavors. Omit the strawberry extract and use light colored white grape juice, or flavored waters to flavor the white part of the jello cups
- Got a little bit of the white mixture left over? No problem! Pop it in the fridge, and you’ve got yourself a tasty snack for later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Storage Tips
It’s important to properly store your finished Jello cups to ensure they stay fresh and delicious. Here are a few tips for storing them:
- Make ahead: Prepare up to 1 day in advance, without adding garnish, and store in the refrigerator with the lids on until ready to garnish and serve.
- Transporting: These Jello cups are perfect for potlucks or picnics. Just stack them in a cooler with ice packs to keep them chilled until ready to garnish and serve.
- Leftovers: Scrape off any whipped cream and store with the lids on in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (The whipped cream will break down and make the jello spongey if left on for too long.)
- Freezing: I don’t recommend that you freeze these jello cups. The texture will be affected and they won’t taste as good.
If you liked my Red White and Blue Stained Glass Jello Cups, you’re going to love my Patriotic Poke Cake. Easy to make ahead this deliciously moist cake features red, white and blue vertical stripes with a whipped cream topping.
Or you can check out all my other patriotic recipes for Memorial Day and July 4th right here.
Red White and Blue Stained Glass Jello Cups
Patriotic stained glass jello cups are here! Make your July 4th or Memorial Day unforgettable with these dazzling red, white, and blue treats.
Ingredients
- 5 Red Jello Cups (3.25-3.3 ounces each)
- 5 Blue Jello Cups (3.25-3.3 ounces each)
- 1 Unflavored Gelatin Packet (0.25 ounces)
- 4 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
- ¼ Cup Cold Water
- ¼ Cup Boiling Water
- ½ cup cold water or clear juice
- ½ Teaspoon Strawberry Extract
- Whipped Topping (optional garnish)
- Red White and Blue Sprinkles (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Begin by lining up your shot cups on an 8.5x11 baking sheet or a platter (whatever you prefer, this just makes it easier to transport).
- Remove the tops of all the jello cups. Using a small knife, cut vertical and horizontal lines through the jello, creating a criss-cross pattern on the top. Repeat with all the red and blue jello.
- Empty all the cut up jello into a medium mixing bowl. Use your knife to cut up any large chunks of jello. You don't want pieces that are too small, but they need to be small enough to fit into the jello cups. Gently mix the jello pieces together to randomize the colors.
- Place a small amount of red and blue jello chunks into each of the empty cups, filling each cup to about ⅔ full. Move the tray of filled jello cups to the refrigerator while preparing the white gelatin.
- Add ¼ cup cold water to a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle unflavored gelatin on top. Stir lightly and let sit for about 5 minutes to bloom.
- Pour the boiling water over the bloomed gelatin and stir until everything is dissolved.
- While the mixture is still warm, quickly add the sweetened condensed milk and stir thoroughly until it completely dissolves.
- Add the cold water or juice and the strawberry extract. Stir to combine. Set aside and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove the prepared shot cups from the fridge and slowly pour the white mixture into each cup until it reaches the top. You won't need much for each cup.
- If necessary, you can use the handle of a spoon or other kitchen utensil to gently push the red and blue jello aside so the the white mixture can fill in the gaps between the jello chunks. You may need to do this all around the edge of each cup.
- Return the jello cups back in the fridge for 2 hours or until set.
- Garnish with a dollop of whipped topping and a sprinkle of patriotic sprinkles, if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Remember, the step-by-step photos and FAQ in the recipe post are there to help you if you feel stuck at any point.
- For best results, drain any standing water from the red and blue jello cups before starting.
- Want to keep those blue and red jello colors separated? Don’t worry—they won’t mix! Just be sure to handle them gently when mixing to avoid any unexpected color blending.
- Give the unflavored gelatin plenty of time to bloom in the cold water. If you skip this step or add the hot water too early, you'll end up with chunky jello and no one wants that.
- Change up the flavors. Omit the strawberry extract and use light colored white grape juice, or flavored waters to flavor the white part of the jello cups
- Got a little bit of the white mixture left over? No problem! Pop it in the fridge, and you’ve got yourself a tasty snack for later.
- To make these adults-only: Instead of the 1/2 cup of cold water or juice that's added second, you can substitute vodka or rum. (We prefer whipped cream flavored vodka. Yum!)
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