Manischewitz Red Wine Jell-O Shots

Can you have a seder without Manischewitz Red Wine Jell-O Shots?? Sure, but why would you want to?!

Today is my birthday! So I made myself Manischewitz Red Wine Jell-O Shots. Isn’t that what you would do?? What better way to celebrate turning 21! Oooookay. I’m not turning 21. But that’s neither here nor there. I mostly love birthdays! An excuse to wear sequins (do I need one?), throw yourself a party and eat cake. Besides cake, getting older can kind of suck for a moment. I finally sold my Abercrombie micro shorts on eBay and bought adult shorts. And don’t get me started on the hangovers!

But then I think of how awesome my life is and I feel way better! I’ve live in one of the best cities in the world (Austin!), have awesome family, friends and boyfriend, and get to make things like Manischewitz Red Wine Jell-O Shots for a living. I really can’t complain! Later this week I’ll be posting a whole bunch of recipes using red wine. You’re welcome. Because why should I get all the presents?

Here is all we need.

Holy 1993 batman! Who out there still drinks Manischewitz? All you do is bring the water to a boil, pour over Jell-O and stir for 2 minutes until gelatin powder dissolves. Then add the red wine (and vodka if you like) and stir well. Pour into a casserole pan or shot glasses. Refrigerate 4 hours until soild!

Enjoy! I topped mine with pomegranate seeds and disco dust. Glitter > no glitter.

Happy birthday to me!

What Are Manischewitz Jell-O Shots?

They are exactly what they sound like: Jell-O shots made with Manischewitz, the sweet kosher concord grape wine that has been on Jewish holiday tables for generations. The wine is already syrupy and sweet, which makes it a natural partner for gelatin.

Manischewitz has a certain reputation. It is the wine your grandparents poured at the seder, and it is unapologetically sweet. That sweetness is a liability in a wine glass and an asset in a Jell-O shot.

Why You’ll Love These

• Three ingredients. Jell-O, boiling water, Manischewitz. That is the whole list.
• Five minutes of actual work. The fridge does the rest.
• They make a seder fun. Four cups of wine is a mitzvah, and nobody said what form it has to take.
• Easy to make Passover friendly. Swap in a kosher for Passover gelatin dessert and you are set.
• They travel well. Make them in lidded cups and bring them to someone else’s seder.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Jell-O. Two 3 ounce packages. Lemon, orange, raspberry or strawberry all work well against the grape.
• Boiling water. Two cups, to dissolve the gelatin properly.
• Manischewitz. Two cups. Or use 1 cup Manischewitz and 1 cup vodka if you want them to actually pack a punch.
• Optional toppings. Pomegranate seeds and edible glitter. Glitter > no glitter.

How to Make Manischewitz Jell-O Shots

1. Dissolve the gelatin. Put the Jell-O in a large heat proof bowl, pour the boiling water over it, and stir for a full 2 minutes until the powder is completely dissolved.
2. Add the wine. Stir in the Manischewitz (and the vodka, if using) and mix well.
3. Pour and chill. Pour into shot glasses, lidded plastic cups or a casserole pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until solid.
4. Decorate. Top with pomegranate seeds and disco dust before serving.

One note worth repeating: never boil the alcohol. The boiling water goes in first to dissolve the gelatin, and the wine goes in after. Adding wine to boiling liquid cooks off the very thing you are here for.

Are Jell-O Shots Kosher for Passover?

Standard Jell-O is not kosher certified, since typical gelatin is animal derived and not from a kosher source. For a kosher or kosher for Passover table, use a certified gelatin dessert such as Gefen Jell, which comes in strawberry and works exactly the same way in this recipe.

Manischewitz itself is kosher and most varieties are certified kosher for Passover, though it is always worth checking the specific bottle for a Passover hechsher rather than assuming.

Tips and Variations

• Stir the full 2 minutes. Undissolved gelatin means grainy shots that never fully set.
• Use lidded cups. Much easier to chill, stack and transport than open shot glasses.
• Add vodka for strength. Manischewitz alone is only about 11 percent alcohol, so these are mild. Half wine and half vodka gives them backbone.
• Match the flavor to the occasion. Strawberry and raspberry lean sweet, lemon and orange cut the grape better.
• Do not go past half alcohol. Too much booze and the gelatin will not set at all.

Make Ahead and Storage

These want to be made ahead, since they need 4 hours to set anyway. Make them up to 3 days in advance and keep them covered in the fridge. Any longer and the surface starts to dry out and toughen.

Do not freeze them. Gelatin turns weepy and grainy once thawed. Add the pomegranate seeds and glitter just before serving so the toppings stay bright.

Manischewitz Jell-O Shot FAQ

What is Manischewitz wine?

Manischewitz is a sweet kosher wine made mostly from concord grapes, produced in America since 1927 and a fixture at Passover seders and Shabbat tables. It is low in alcohol, around 11 percent, and very sweet.

How much alcohol is in these Jell-O shots?

Made with wine alone they are quite gentle, since Manischewitz is only about 11 percent and it is cut with two cups of water. Swapping half the wine for vodka makes them considerably stronger.

Can I make them without alcohol?

Yes. Use grape juice in place of the wine for a version kids can eat at the seder. Concord grape juice gets you very close to the Manischewitz flavor, minus the buzz.

Why won’t my Jell-O shots set?

Too much alcohol is the usual culprit. Gelatin struggles to set once alcohol goes much past half the total liquid. Not dissolving the powder fully, or not chilling for the full 4 hours, will also leave you with soup.

How long do they take to set?

About 4 hours in the fridge. Smaller cups set faster than a full casserole pan. If you are in a hurry, shallow cups are your friend.

What Jell-O flavor works best with Manischewitz?

Raspberry and strawberry play up the concord grape sweetness, while lemon and orange cut against it and keep things from getting cloying. All four work.

Can I use kosher gelatin or a vegetarian substitute?

Kosher gelatin desserts like Gefen Jell substitute one for one. For a vegetarian version, agar agar will set the mixture, though the texture comes out firmer and less wobbly than gelatin.

Got a bottle left over? I have 10 recipes for leftover Manischewitz. And for the rest of the seder, try my matzah ball soup, a brisket, and chocolate caramel matzah crunch for dessert.

Manischewitz Red Wine Jell-O Shots

Amy Kritzer

Use Manischewitz to make these festive Red Wine Jell-O Shots!!

4.72 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Beverage

Cuisine Jewish

Servings 24

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• Two 3- ounce packages Jell-O (lemon, orange, raspberry or strawberry all work. For Passover, use Gefen Strawberry Jell dessert)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups Manischewitz or 1 cup Manischewitz and 1 cup vodka

Instructions

 

• All you do is put the Jell-O in a large heat-proof bowl. Bring the water to a boil, pour over Jell-O and stir for 2 minutes until gelatin powder dissolves.
• Then add the red wine (and vodka if you like) and stir well. Pour into a casserole pan or shot glasses.
• Refrigerate 4 hours until solid and eat!

Notes

Recipe time does not include 4 hours to chill.

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