Caramel Apple Jello Shots, made inside a Granny Smith apple, can be made with either butterscotch schnapps or caramel flavored vodka. Fun, delicious, and perfect for a party or tailgate!
Caramel Apple Jell-O Shots
Am I too old for Jello shots? I thought I was…I moved on to using Jell-O in baked goods like my Butterscotch Bundt Cake, Fresh Strawberry Pie, and Pistachio Cake…and then I made these green apple jello shots.
Slightly more classy and, dare I say, sophisticated, these caramel apple jello shots made inside a Granny Smith apple slice instead of in plastic cups, are like a shot and a snack all in one.
The tart apple gets hollowed out and filled with a mixture of apple cider, caramel sauce, unflavored gelatin, and either caramel vodka or butterscotch schnapps. They’re so good! Plus, they’re way easier to eat than a traditional Jello shot. Slice them up and serve to a crowd at your next fall party.
Why you’ll love these Green Apple Caramel Jello Shots
- Perfect Party Food – They make a great addition to your next party, game day, or even your next Halloween party. Try serving them alongside some fall cocktail recipes.
- Real Apples – The Jello mixture combined with the green apple flavor is a fun treat and easy to serve.
- Use up some apples – If you’ve been to the apple orchard recently and have an overabundance of apples, making the shots inside of the apples instead of in cups is super fun.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients with some helpful tips and suggestions for substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full, printable recipe card with amounts & instructions.
Apple Cider – Pick up your favorite apple cider. Straight from the cider mill would be excellent.
Caramel Sauce – I tested this recipe with both Torani Caramel Sauce and Sanders Caramel Sauce. I much preferred the Sanders. Homemade is also always an option.
Unflavored Gelatin – Unflavored gelatin powder will be in the same section as Jello at the market. Knox gelatin is the brand I used.
Vodka – Caramel flavored vodka (Smirnoff makes a Kissed Caramel version) or Butterscotch Schnapps.
Apples – Choose fairly large Granny Smith apples.
Lemon Juice – Technically optional, but lemon juice helps to prevent the apples from browning. Further explained below.
Tools found on Amazon to help you
- Kitchen Knife – Make sure you have a large enough, good quality kitchen knife to easily slice the apples.
- Melon Baller – A melon baller will make hollowing out the apples easier, but I used a regular spoon.
- Muffin Tin – Placing the sliced apples in a muffin tin is super helpful to keep them steady.
How to make Caramel Apple Jello Shots in Apples
STEP ONE: To a small saucepan, pour in the apple cider and then sprinkle gelatin on top. Leave it alone to “bloom” for approximately 2 minutes. It will look like a film is forming on the surface of the cider. After two minutes, turn the heat to low and stir the mixture until the gelatin is fully dissolved (approximately 2-5 minutes). Don’t let it boil!
STEP TWO: Next, stir in 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool while you prep the apples.
STEP THREE: Prepare a bowl (or two) of lemon juice and slice the apples in half. Place the cut apples cut side down into the lemon juice for a couple minutes. This helps prevent browning. Flip one half over and hollow out the inside of the apple with a spoon or melon baller, making sure to leave enough lip to hold the cider mixture. Repeat with all the apples, keeping them cut side down as you work.
STEP FOUR: Pour the vodka (or schnapps) into the cooled cider mixture and stir. Place the apples into the cups of a muffin pan (to help steady them) and pour the cider mixture evenly amongst them. Carefully place into the fridge to set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
STEP FIVE: When ready to serve, remove from fridge and slice each half of apple into 4-5 slices, depending on how thick you want them.
Serve & enjoy!
Can I make the shots without the apples?
If you want to save a few minutes, you can skip the apple cup and just make the caramel apple jello shots in plastic shot glasses.
Can I make them non-alcoholic?
Sure can. Want to make a kid friendly version for your next event? Simply skip the alcohol and replace it with additional apple cider.
How do I keep the apples from turning brown?
Apples, especially green apples, tend to brown really quickly. To prevent this, reduce the apple’s exposure to oxygen and use lemon juice. To a small bowl, add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and once you slice the apple in half, immediately put the apple, cut side down, into the lemon juice. Let them sit in the juice for a couple minutes. You won’t taste the lemon juice but it helps prevent browning. Also, whenever possible, place apple halves cut side down to limit the exposure to air.
Which type of liquor should I use?
You can use either caramel flavored vodka (Smirnoff makes a Kissed Caramel flavor) or Butterscotch Schnapps. Plain vodka will work as well. Some people even like sour apple pucker.
How to store them
These shots are best made the day before you need them so they can fully set (but in a pinch, they’ll be ready in as soon as four hours). Store them in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to a couple days. The apples will start to shrivel/brown a bit after two days.
How many does it make?
Depending on how large the apples are and how thick or thin you slice them, you should expect to get 8-10 “shots”/slices from each apple.
Can I double the recipe?
You can easily double the recipe if you need to serve a large crowd.
Need more caramel recipes? Try these:
Caramel Apple Poke Cake
Caramel Apple Pecan & Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Crockpot Salted Caramel Fudge
Want more fun shots? Try these:
Pumpkin Pie Pudding Shots
25 Halloween Jello Shots
Candy Corn Jello Shots
Champagne Jello Shots
Strawberry Shortcake Jello Shots
Caramel Apple Jello Shots
Ingredients
- 4 large Granny Smith apples
- 1 cup apple cider
- ¼ oz unflavored gelatin (one packet)
- 2 Tablespoons caramel sauce
- ½ cup caramel flavored vodka or butterscotch schnapps
- ¼ cup lemon juice optional, to prevent apples from browning
Instructions
- To a small saucepan, add the apple cider and sprinkle on the gelatin. Let sit for two minutes to "bloom". A film should appear on the surface of the cider.
- Turn the heat to low and stir until gelatin is fully dissolved, approximately 2-5 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil.
- Stir in the caramel sauce.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Pour lemon juice into two shallow bowls. Working one by one, slice an apple in half, and place cut side down into the lemon juice for approximately 1 minute. Remove one of the halves and hollow out the center with either a melon baller or a spoon, being careful to leave a lip of apple to serve as a bowl.
- TIP: When not working with the apples, either have them cut side down on the cutting board or dipped into the lemon juice. This helps prevent browning.
- Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the vodka (or butterscotch schnapps).
- Place each half of the apple into a muffin tin for support and stability. Pour the cider mixture evenly amongst the apples. Carefully transfer the pan to the fridge to set.
- Let set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Once set, slice each half of apple with a sharp knife into 4-5 slices, depending on how thick you prefer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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