32 Jell-O Recipes That Prove It Isn't Just For Shots (2024)

It's surprisingly easy to frost a cake with this ombre effect: Simply split your frosting into 4 bowls and color each using increasingly more food dye than the last. Pipe them around the cake, then use a bench scraper or offset spatula to smooth them out. Hot tip: Don't skip refrigerating the crumb coat! It makes it a LOT easier to frost once it's been chilled.

Get the Creamsicle Ombre Cake recipe.

Banana pudding is one of our all-time favorite desserts. It's a classic Southern recipe, and for good reason; luscious layers of pudding, whipped cream, ripe bananas, and wafer cookies are completely impossible to resist.

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Let's start with the basics: Here's a step-by-step guide to making any kind of Jell-O shot.

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For when you just can't get enough Twinkie in your life, this cake is for those moments. Now we wish Twinkies were family-sized all the time.

Get the Giant Twinkie Bundt Cake recipe.

Just like the classic candy, these shots are at first perfectly sour, then they're delightfully sweet. Want more sour-sweet fun? Try our boozy sour watermelon slushies next!

Get the Sour Patch Jell-O Shots recipe.

Strawberry pretzel dessert is a classic we absolutely love. The pretzel crust perfectly complements the sweet strawberries suspended in Jell-O and the rich layer of sweet cream cheese. This dessert also goes by "strawberry pretzel salad," which means it's healthy, right??

Get the Strawberry-Pretzel Tart recipe.

We knew it was only a matter of time before we'd turn our favorite summertime co*cktails into a Jell-O shot for a fun take on the drink. Finish these off with an orange peel for that classic Negroni touch.

Get the Negroni Jell-O Shots recipe.

Dirt pudding (aka dirt cups) is a classic kids' recipe that everyone should know how to make. Using crushed Oreos to mimic dirt and garnishing with gummy worms might sound kind of silly, but the truth is this: This creamy and indulgent layered dessert tastes ridiculously good, is incredibly easy to whip together, and is equally as fun to make as it is to eat.

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More of a Golden Oreo fan? Meet creamsicle cheesecake, which uses Golden Oreos as the crust, and not gonna lie, we might make all our future cheesecakes this way.

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Just what you never knew you needed—your favorite childhood sandwich recreated as Jell-O shots. Three boozy layers made with your favorite kind of jam, and it even looks like a PB&J!

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Instant banana pudding mix can be hard to come by, so we used vanilla instead. And since there are tons of bananas in the cake, it really doesn't matter! If banana pudding is available in your area, feel free to sub in.

Get the Banana Pudding Icebox Cake recipe.

Lately, we've been obsessed with everything creamsicle. (Thanks to this insane creamsicle cheesecake!) We're back at it with these super-easy, 5-ingredient truffles. Pro tip: To help them maintain their rounded shape, store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.

Get the Orange Creamsicle Truffles recipe.

This dessert is peanut butter overload in the best way possible; layers of whipped cream, Nutter Butters, peanut butter, and vanilla pudding that's then topped with Butterfingers?! If you love this, you gotta try our s'mores dessert lasagna next.

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This is a "this week sucked" treat yourself kind of breakfast. Don't think about how incredibly over the top it is. Just go for it—you deserve it.

Get the Banana Pudding Stuffed French Toast recipe.

Even after a double take you wouldn't believe these aren't double-stuffed Oreos. We removed the cream filling and replaced it with a boozy Jell-O that will undoubtedly trick all of your friends!

Get the Oreo Jell-O Shots recipe.

We can't stop making banana pudding-inspired treats, and these cool, creamy bars are our new favorite additions. For nice and neat cheesecake bars that are easy to slice, you need to freeze them. We highly suggest making these the night before and garnishing them right before serving.

Get the Banana Pudding Bars recipe.

Looking to shake things up with the classic banana pudding? We took our love of s'mores and layered it into our favorite pudding. Filled with marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate, and plenty of whipped cream. It's a true summer dream.

Get the S'mores Banana Pudding recipe.

We believe every good party has a Jell-O shot, and these Fireball apple shots will be a hit with everyone—friends, cousins, coworkers, Grandma. Whatever you do, don't skip the lemon juice! It prevents the apples from browning while the Jell-O sets up in the fridge.

Get the Fireball Apple Jell-O Shots recipe.

Everyone loves a chocolate-covered strawberry, and turning them into Jell-O shots makes them even better! Use your favorite liquor for the Jell-O shots. We went with vodka because it's our fave, but tequila would be amazing too!

Get the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Jell-O Shots recipe.

This dirt cake is like the large-scale version of our other childhood favorite, dirt pudding (which is made in individual cups and chocolate pudding). How can you go wrong with an Oreo crust topped with a cream cheese pudding mixture that's then sprinkled with more Oreos for good measure? You can't.

Get the Dirt Cake recipe.