Super Easy Sangria Jello Shots (With Virgin Option, Too!)

These Sangria Jello Shots are SUPER simple, have only a few ingredients you probably have on hand, and are made in just a couple hours! Perfect for summer BBQs, parties, and more!

I am OBSESSED with this recipe, you guys!

SANGRIA. JELLO. SHOTS. I mean… it doesn’t get much better than that!

My relationship with wine is a slow-moving process, but we’re getting there. Some days, a glass of wine sounds good. Other days, it sounds positively repulsive. *shrugs*

I should clarify – my relationship with red wine is slow-moving… because my relationship with white wine – specifically moscato – is beautiful, loving, and fully committed. I love moscato with a deep passion.

However, I absolutely adore sangria – red or white. There’s something so refreshing and delicious about a tall, icy glass of fruity sangria, wouldn’t you agree? Especially during the summertime. Okay, fine – all the time. I love sangria rain or shine, if we’re being honest!

With Memorial Day THIS WEEKEND, I figured I ought to post this recipe fast so you all have a chance to make and enjoy these Sangria Jello Shots for your weekend festivities. Whether you’re having a backyard BBQ, a fun pool party, or perhaps you’re camping – these transport well, they are easily doubled or tripled, and they are a HUGE crowd-pleaser! Plus, they’re SO versatile – seriously.

You obviously cannot make Jello shots without Jello, so for this I used black cherry Jello which pairs BEAUTIFULLY with the rich, deep and complex red blend I picked up. You could use regular cherry, raspberry, orange, grape – seriously any flavor you want as long as it equals 6 ounces – usually one large box or two smaller ones. I just love how sumptuous the black cherry was with wine.

Boil some water and whisk the water and Jello powder together until dissolved. Add in your red wine – for this, I used a Menage a Trois “California Red” wine which is a lovely, medium-bodied blend that tastes like jam, blackberries, and cherry. Most red wines will work! Just look for a medium or full-bodied wine, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Rioja, or Pinot. I also added in some triple sec for another burst of flavor. Obviously, brandy is traditional in sangria, but I do not like brandy and didn’t want to spend all that money on a bottle I’d never use, so triple sec it was! Again, you can use brandy, triple sec, or vodka interchangeably. 

Let the wine mixture set for a minute while you prepare your work station. To make it easy, I like to place little 2-ounce condiment cups with lids onto a rimmed baking sheet. That way, you can easily pick up the baking sheet to transport to the fridge, etc. Open up a can of fruit cocktail mix and drain it well. You can also use fresh fruit and chop it up, but fruit cocktail is so much quicker and is usually diced the right size. In addition to the fruit cocktail, I also halved some large blackberries and added them and a small teaspoonful of the fruit cocktail to each condiment cup. (FYI: my fruit cocktail mix included pear, peach, pineapple and cherries – perfect sangria components!) TIP: I do not recommend using frozen fruit, as its moisture content is heavier than fresh fruit and may affect the final product from setting up.

Pour the wine-y Jello mixture evenly into each cup, filling just about full. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the fridge and refrigerate the Jello shots until firm, about 2-3 hours. The hardest part is waiting! Once the Jello shots are firm and set, pop the lids on and do with them as you please! Like any Jello shot, you likely will have to use your finger to stir it up before slurping it down, but you won’t mind because they’re SO DELICIOUS!

Love the idea of sangria but don’t drink booze? You can make these virgin, too! In place of the wine, use cranberry juice, cherry juice, pomegranate juice, or any dark cherry/berry juice, really! For the triple sec, replace with OJ, lemon juice, lime juice, or even lemon-lime soda.

FYI: Ocean Spray (this is not sponsored) makes Sangria “MOCKTAILS” in the juice aisle. Supposedly they taste like sangria without the alcohol! You could most definitely use that in place of the wine for this recipe!

Bottoms up!

Fabulous, easy, and utterly delicious – these Sangria Jello Shots will be the real winner of your next get-together!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

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