Beachy Rumchata Pudding Shots
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RumChata Pudding Shots are just the thing to spice up the evening — figuratively and literally. They have a nice spiced cinnamon flavor, and they’re just so fun to look at! They’re basically a little beach in a cup. Made with creamy liquor and topped with yummy gummy candies, there’s something for everyone in this pudding shot recipe!
RumChata is simply perfect in pudding shot recipes! They can be more or less alcoholic, depending on your tastes, and decorated for any theme.
RumChata Pudding Shots
RumChata is a creamy liqueur that’s spiced up with some cinnamon. It’s a blend of Mexican horchata (a cinnamon rice drink) and rum.
It has a yummy vanilla flavor that goes well with many different mixed drinks — especially a pudding shot recipe. But honestly? You can even drink it on its own!
Learn how to make pudding shots with this tasty drink, plus ways to customize them for any celebration.
What about with mixers? If you love chocolate, coffee, or caramel drinks, then you should always have a bottle of the liqueur on standby.
There’s a creamy cocktail for every party or holiday, guaranteed! Have you tried a Nutcracker cocktail at Christmas? Or a Leprechaun’s Lunch cocktail on Saint Patrick’s Day? You just have to!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Vanilla Pudding – We’re using instant pudding mix for this pudding shot recipe — how easy is that?!
If you want to switch things up, you could use French vanilla, cheesecake, or even banana cream pudding mix!
It just has to be light in color to get the blue hue and give it the perfect vibe for a pool party or beach theme. - Milk – The milk has to be very cold for pudding shots with RumChata to set properly. Whole, 2%, or even an oat or almond alternative will work.
- RumChata – This creamy liqueur has notes of almond, cinnamon, and vanilla. You could easily swap it out with coconut rum for some tropical vibes, or use both!
- Graham Cracker Crumbs – These come already crumbled at your convenience.
But if you have some graham crackers laying around, just throw them in a baggie and take a rolling pin to them.
How to Make Pudding Shots
The general process is very similar to Jello shots:
- Whisk together the instant pudding mix, very cold milk, and liqueur. Include the food coloring in this step, if you’ll be using it.
- Divide the mixture evenly into shot cups.
- Place pudding shots with RumChata in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. Garnishes can be added now or just before serving.
Customize Pudding Shots with RumChata
Blue food coloring for the RumChata pudding shots, plus peach gummy rings and gummy bears, are all for show and can be swapped out for any theme.
Want to make pudding shots for New Year’s Eve? Whipped cream and star sprinkles would be adorable!
Or, chocolate shavings, some whipped cream, and chocolate-covered coffee beans, and/or a cinnamon stick, would be great garnishes any time of the year.
Just be sure to remove any solid garnishes before eating the shot — edible garnishes can be munched on separately to avoid a choking hazard!
Tips for Making Pudding Shot Recipes
- Make a large batch.
You can really easily double or triple this recipe to make enough for an entire crowd.
And you should! Otherwise, how is everyone going to get their seconds?? (And thirds, and fourths…)
- Change the consistency.
If you want thicker Rumchata pudding shots, you can use a little less milk.
Try adding just 1 cup of the milk, adding more as you go, until you get to the consistency that you want!
- Too much alcohol?
To make pudding shot recipes less alcoholic, simply remove some of the alcohol and compensate by adding more milk.
You can even replace all of the alcohol with milk, for a kid-friendly, non-alcoholic treat!!
Storage and Prep Ahead Instructions
You can keep RumChata pudding shots in the fridge for up to 4 days, so feel free to prep them a couple of days ahead of time!
If you do, then wait to add the graham cracker crumbs and candy until you’re ready to serve.
Otherwise, the crumbs will get soggy and the candy will get stale. Not very appetizing!
When storing in the fridge, put the lids back on the cups until ready to serve. Give them each a little stir before adding the toppings! It helps with the presentation.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Sheet Pan – Sheet pans make it super easy to move your RumChata pudding shots in and out of the fridge. This is the one I use!
- Measuring Cups and Spoons – You may be tempted to eyeball the amounts, but I recommend using the proper tools so it comes out just right.
- Plastic Shot Cups – These typically come in 2-ounce sizes, perfect for these festive, fun party shots!
- Whisk – This set has held up for over 10 years and is still as good as the day I bought them. A must for making any Jello or pudding shot recipes!
Pudding Shot Recipe FAQ
It may be tempting, but no way! RumChata is a dairy-based drink, so any acidic or carbonated mixers are a big no-no. It’ll have an awful texture and flavor. So, stick with other liqueurs and creamy ingredients.
Nope! It has preservatives that keep it nice and spicy for a good long while — up to a whole year after being opened.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Fun and Easy Party Shots
Beachy Rumchata Pudding Shots (Party Perfect Recipe)
Ingredients
- 5.1 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups cold whole milk
- 1 cup Rumchata cream liqueur
Supplies and Decorations
- blue liquid food coloring
- graham cracker crumbs
- peach gummy rings
- gummy bears
Instructions
- Place cups on a rimmed sheet pan, and set aside for later. This is also a good time to make sure you have room in your fridge for the tray of pudding shots.
- To a large measuring cup/bowl with a spout, add your pudding mix.
- Add 2 cups of cold milk, 1 cup of rumchata and a few drops of blue food coloring. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Carefully pour or spoon the mixture into the cups, almost to the top.
- Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on one half of each shot. Place a peach ring on each one and then cut a gummy bear in half and stick one inside each peach ring.
- Keep rumchata pudding shots refrigerated until ready to serve, and keep chilled while serving. These keep well for 3-4 days if stored in the fridge.
Donna’s Notes
- Some people prefer using 1-ounce cups for pudding shots. They work well for creating more shots from each batch of pudding.
- This recipe is really easy to double or triple (and I recommend it!)
- If you think they will be too strong, you can use 1/2 cup rumchata and 2 1/2 cups milk. To make them stronger, use 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1 1/2 cups rumchata.
- You can use other flavor gummy rings, like green apple or watermelon, and you can substitute teddy grahams for gummy bears if you like.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published May 2022., updated and republished May 2023
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Made these for a end of the summer pool party and all of us adult kids had a blast. They taste amazing!