Caramel Apple Witch's Cauldron Jell-O Shot Recipe

Double, double, toil and trouble... It's that time of year again, when the cauldrons are dusted off for the witches' spells, brews, and potions. Whether you're binging Halloweentown or choosing an Anderson sister to dress as, we have a delicious way to imbibe on this spooky, witchy holiday. Sure, you could brew up a swirling Halloween cocktail, but how about something a little more...insidious?

Jell-O shots aren't just for college kids anymore. Instead of the neon, fruity cups of Jell-O we shared in our cramped dorm rooms, Jell-O shots are now a boozy dessert, complete with toppings like whipped cream or sugared rosemary. To make these tiny cauldrons both delicious and spooky, developer Michelle McGlinn mixes apple cider with gelatin and salted caramel for a fall-spiced treat. For a bright and bubbling potion, spoon green apple popping boba over top. Each cup of Jell-O contains a full shot of vodka — so don't be fooled, these little cups of Jell-O are potent enough to really put a spell on you.

Typical Jell-O shots are made with flavored Jell-O, water, and an alcohol like vodka. This puts some limitations on flavor and color, since most Jell-O flavors are fruity. To make a salted caramel Jell-O, grab plain gelatin instead, a little bit of water to bloom the powder, and apple cider for flavor. We know: This Jell-O shot recipe doesn't include actual Jell-O. Just trust us that the unflavored gelatin will have all the makings of the real thing, but instead take on the festive flavors that you're going for.

Then, grab salted caramel (or just caramel) vodka and black food dye. If you want to avoid dyes, you can use activated charcoal or simply put the Jell-O into black containers. For the "bubbles" on top, seek out green-colored popping boba.

Put ½ cup cold water in a saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin across the top of the cold water.

Very gently stir any clumps out of the gelatin mixture.

Allow gelatin to set until thick, about 5 minutes.

Place saucepan over low heat. Heat until mixture becomes liquid again, about 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add remaining 1 ½ cups apple cider and 2 cups vodka.

Stir in the black food dye.

Pour mixture into 16 2-ounce Jell-O shot cups. Place on sheet tray and chill until set, about 3 hours.

To serve, top each Jell-O shot with 1 tablespoon popping boba.

The Jell-O itself can be mixed, poured, and set up to a week in advance, but note that the Jell-O needs to stay in the refrigerator and is better stored in a single layer. The Jell-O doesn't need to be stored in airtight containers, but be aware that the Jell-O can absorb any lingering scents and flavors in your fridge; so if you just made garlicky pesto or have a hearty stash of blue cheeses, you might want to store the jello with lids on. 

The boba can be added to the jello up to 24 hours in advance. After about a day, the boba starts deflating, causing a sticky green mess. If this does happen, don't worry: the shots are still edible, but won't have that same bubbly garnish. Of course, you could always add more. For the best results, make the Jell-O cups a day in advance and add the boba directly before serving.

Plain, flavorless gelatin is very easy to find and is sold in the same aisle as the flavored Jell-O boxes we know and love. Usually used for desserts like panna cotta, flavorless gelatin has a variety of uses and can also be used for making Jell-O. This helps with making the Jell-O less fruity and less neon (though with black food coloring, the color doesn't matter too much).

If you can't find plain gelatin and need to use flavored, we recommend trying apple or sour apple so the flavors don't clash. In this case, swap the apple cider for water so that the apple flavor isn't overpowering the caramel. When used in plain gelatin, the apple cider amplifies the flavor of the caramel vodka.

With the leftover gelatin, you can make desserts like panna cotta, whipped cream, and marshmallows, or use it to thicken soups, stews, and broths. Kind of nice to have the unflavored stuff laying around, right?

Popping boba are quite different from the boba you'd find in bubble tea, and are typically found on top of desserts like frozen yogurt or cheesecakes. Instead of the dense, chewy tapioca, popping boba is a light, squishy sphere that "pops" when bitten into. They're almost always juicy and require a specific chemical reaction to create, as outlined by Pearl Lemon Boba.

While you could make popping boba at home, it's unlikely you'd have the ingredients on hand. Unless you are feeling ambitious, we recommend using your online shopping efforts to simply purchase a small container of popping boba. If you live somewhere with robust culinary options, try searching stores that sell tapioca pearls and other boba products.

If you're not having any luck finding popping boba or the green flavors are sold out, you can always use a different flavor or swap for cooked miniature tapioca balls, instead. If all else fails, try champagne grapes.