Mexican candy shots are a fun way to spice up your normal cocktail hour. These candy shots are easy to make and fun to drink! They are a great way to try something new and experiment with your cocktail repertoire.
There are many recipes online for Mexican candy shots, but most require purchasing extra ingredients like sugar paste or marshmallows which can be expensive. This recipe only requires things you can buy at your local supermarket or liquor store.
The three components of the Mexican candy shot- the liquor, the chocolate coating, and the sugar balls- all vary in how they are made. You can experiment with these components to see what tastes best together!
These shots are typically made in red, white, and blue colors corresponding with the Mexican flag colors. Because it is difficult to find these colors of chocolate in bulk, this recipe changes it up a bit and uses plain white chocolate that is colored later on.
Buy liqueur or vodka
Now that you have the base ingredients, you will need to buy some liqueur or vodka to add to the chocolate syrup. You can use straight up chocolate syrup if you prefer, but then it is not really Mexican candy shot juice!
Most people use tequila in their shots, and while you can use any type of tequila, we suggest using a lower grade alcohol for the shot as it will be diluted by the chocolate syrup.
Many people make the mistake of buying expensive vodka or tequila for these shots, and then feel bad throwing away the leftovers because there is not much left to drink it all.
Buy shot glasses
Para la fiesta, para la fiesta, para la fiesta, tiene que haber copas. Para los nacos y para los locos! You can never have too many shot glasses.
Party shots are fun and festive. Making your own candy shots is even more fun and festive! You can make them ahead of time, and they are pretty easy to make.
You will need some glass or plastic shot glasses, liqueur of your choice, melted chocolate or candy melts, a small pot to melt the chocolate or candy melts in, and a spoon to mix it all with.
Baking tips for making candy shots: Once you have all of your ingredients gathered and ready to go, you will need to layer the ingredients in the shot glass. Start with pouring in the liqueur, then layer on the chocolate or candy melts on top of that- you can use as many as you would like! Then finish it off with more liqueur.
Make liquid mixture
The first step is to make a liquid mixture to put in the candy cups. There are many recipes for this, but most include chocolate syrup or melted chocolate, condensed milk, and tequila.
Many recipes also include butter, coconut oil, or powder as an additive. These make different flavored shots depending on what you want!
The ratio of these ingredients varies depending on how thick you want the liquid layer to be. More condensed milk will make it thicker, while more chocolate syrup will make it thinner.
Once you have prepared your ingredients, you must mix them together in a pan to heat and melt them. Once they are melted, you can either keep stirring them or setting them aside to cool down. Once they are solidified, you can use a bowl or cup with a handle to take out the shot glass shape container.
Layer candy and liquid mixture in shot glasses
Once you have mixed your caramel, chocolate, and coconut puffs with milk, you are ready to layer the shots. You can choose to leave the top layer caramel or chocolate bare, or add another candy such as popcorn or peanuts.
These candy shots are a fun way to eat your sweets and get a little bit of a buzz. They are best served chilled or frozen, so make plenty and keep some in the freezer if you are making a lot. Your guests will love them!
The best part about these candy shots is that they are easy to make. Anyone can do it! If you have enough glasses then everyone can make their own shot which makes for interesting conversations between guests.
Let sit until liquid mixture dries
Once the candy has been covered in the chocolate syrup, it is time to let it sit until it dries. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on how thick the candy is and how hot the liquid mixture is.
The thicker the candy, the longer it will take due to its structure. For instance, if you try this with a Jelly Belly candy, it will take much longer as its structure is jelly instead of sugar.
Try your best to not touch or move the candy until it has dried or you risk breaking it! Once it is dry, you can shake or move it and it will remain intact.
You can either leave it as is for your guests to try or break it into pieces to mix in with other shots.
Serve!
Once you have all the components ready to go, it’s time to serve your candy shots. You can set them out on a table with all the toppings available for people to make their own, or you can pass the shot glasses and toppings around for people to make their own.
It is up to you and how busy you are at the party!
People love making their own drinks and snacks, so this will be a hit. Plus, it is more entertaining than just handing them a drink or candy plate.
These are really fun to make with your friends, so do not be afraid to organize a Workshop night where you make these together. You can even organize a competition to see who can make the best ones!
You can always re-use the shot glasses for other drinks or put something else in them- like chocolate syrup– to re-use them as cups.
Suggested liquors: tequila, vodka, rum
When choosing your liquors, make sure to pick flavors that will go well together. For example, you would not want to mix apple liquor with rum because that would be too strong of a taste.
Many online recipes suggest using Kahlua and Tequila, which is also our suggestion! These flavors pair well together and will create a delicious candy shot.
The ratio of the liquors also matters when making Mexican candy shots. You want to have enough liquor to coat the candy, but not so much that it is too strong. If this happens, then you will not be able to taste the chocolatey goodness!
Once you have poured in your liquor, use a knife or spoon to gently stir the shot so that the liquor mixes with the chocolate.
Suggested candies: chili peppers, lime slices, sugar skulls
Mexican candy shots are a fun way to spice up your Cinco de Mayo party. These cute, little treats take some time to make, but everyone will appreciate your hard work!
Making the candy shot glasses is the most time-consuming part. You can either buy chocolate molds or make your own by using wax or Play-Doh. Once the chocolate is set, you just have to brush on a layer of cocoa powder to match the color of the tequila and sugar rocks to finish them off.
Once all of the shots are done, arranging them into a tray and pouring tequila over them is easy. Just make sure to use tequila that is drinkable quality!
If you are short on time, buying pre-made shots will work too! Just make sure they are edible chocolate so that they can be washed off before filling.
