Easy Shark Jello Cups

Make a splash at your next summer party with these cute shark jello cups. Dip into the sweet blue Jello ocean complete with a delicious creamy sea foam layer and graham cracker sand. You’ll enjoy making these easy treats as much as you will serving them at your next watery gathering!

Sharks are just cool, there’s a reason Shark Week has been running on Discovery Channel since 1987 and there have been countless movies made about them. They are beautifully terrifying creatures that continue to earn our respect and fascination. 

So whether you are jumping into cages to swim with them, watching them breach from the comfort of your couch, or have a shark-obsessed kid, you’ll be excited about these fun dessert cups.

These fun treats are layered with a crystal clear blue Jell-O ocean with added pineapple juice to give it an extra beachy taste. Then the ocean gets topped with a coconut water layer that uses sweetened condensed milk to make it resemble a layer of sea foam, but one you’ll want to eat.

Finally, they’re topped with graham cracker crumbs for sand and a tasty gummy shark. 

Shark Week this year is being hosted by Jason Momoa, which is more than enough reason to throw a fun shark week party! Bust out these themed treats as you watch this native Hawaiian talk all things sharks.

Or if a Shark Week celebration isn’t your thing, use them for a pool party or a kid’s birthday who wants a shark party. There are so many different ways to use these fun gummy shark jello cups. You could even swap out the sharks for a mermaid or fish gummy if that works better for your theme. 

Want more shark treats that work perfectly as Shark Week recipes? Try this fun shark attack drink, shark punch, and these blue popsicles. They’re cute shark deserts that would go great with these shark jello cups!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple – from the ingredients you use to the process to put it together,, this recipe is simple without compromising on taste or looks.
• Family-friendly ​- my kids love sharks, so I love being able to come up with recipes that we can enjoy as a family. 
• Feeds a crowd ​- this is one of those recipes where it doesn’t take that much extra effort to make one or twenty. So you may as well make twenty and make a party of it. 

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Box of Jello – it doesn’t matter what the flavor is as long as the Jell-o mixture is a blue color. I found that berry blue Jello works great!
• Pineapple juice ​- I love the tropical flavor that the pineapple adds but you can use a different fruity juice if you prefer. Just try to keep it an orange/yellow color so it still gives you that ocean blue green color.
• Extracts ​- these are meant to enhance the flavor but can be easily skipped based on your preference. 
• Coconut water – since this step calls for unflavored gelatin, the coconut water helps gives it some flavor outside of the sweetness from the condensed milk. You can use any brand you’d like as long as there is no pulp, or you’ll have lumps in your jello mixture. 
• Graham cracker crumbs – switch out the graham crackers for Nilla Wafers (like in these sand pudding buckets) or Golden Oreos. 
• Plastic cups – I found that clear 2-ounce condiment cups worked best for me, but you can use any clear cup you’d like.
• Decorations – stick to the gummy sharks, blue sprinkles, and starfish sprinkles to recreate this delicious treat the same way I did. And if nothing else, make sure you have the shark gummies at least!

How to make these fun Jello Shots

These Jell-o cups are as simple as dump, mix, and set. That’s really all there is to. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a printable recipe card with a printable version of the recipe and instructions for how I made mine – follow it exactly or get creative!

I’d love to hear about how you made your tasty treats in the comments below!

​1 – Make The Blue Jello Layer

To start, prepare the individual cups by lining them up on a baking tray. 

Then you’ll make the blue Jello. Start by boiling two cups of water. After the water comes to a boil, pour it into a heat-safe bowl.

Add the blue jello powder and stir it into the water until it is fully dissolved. It should take about two minutes for the jello to dissolve. 

After the jello powder has completely dissolved, mix in two cups of pineapple juice (this can be cold or room temperature.) Stir again for about two more minutes or until the pineapple juice is completely mixed in with the jello. 

Next, pour the jello mixture into each of the small cups and fill each one about two-thirds of the way full. The easiest way to do this is to put the jello into a large liquid measuring cup with a spout and pour the jello into each cup from there. This helps make sure that the jello completely covers the bottom of cup.

Once evenly poured put the baking sheet of jello cups into the refrigerator and chill for one and a half hours or until it is fully set. 

2 – Make the Seafoam Layer

Once the blue layer of jello has set, bring to boil half a cup of cold water and add it to a heat-safe bowl. Then pour the unflavored gelatin into the hot water and stir until dissolved or about two minutes. 

Now stir in half a cup of coconut water, sweetened condensed milk, and if you want to add extra flavor, coconut extract and vanilla extract. Stir until all the ingredients are fully combined, about two minutes. 

Pour the mixture into the large liquid measuring cup and fill the cups up the rest of the way with the white jello mixture. 

Put the baking sheet of jello cups back into the fridge and chill for another one and a half hours or until the jello has fully set. 

3 – Add Finishing touches

When you are ready to serve these cute treats, add graham cracker crumbs on top of the Jello to cover half of the cup. Then add the gummy shark candies to the top of the sand. Finish them off with ocean colored or themed sprinkles if you want (or skip these if you prefer!).

Once ready to serve, there’s no better way than to place it in the center of your dessert table surrounded by your favorite shark props to highlight the themed food. 

Expert Tips And Storage Info

Leave out the extracts ​if you are wanting to save costs and don’t have them on hand. 

Prep the first two layers ​then leave the rest for people to decorate on their own as a fun party activity. 

Wait to decorate until you are ready to serve; adding the crumbs too early will make them mushy as they absorb the liquid from the Jello. 

Store in the fridge for up to five days, no need to use an airtight container but covering the tops will keep them fresher longer. 

Recipe FAQs

More Fun Summer Recipes

Make it the best summer ever with these other fun summer treats, perfect to go with these shark cups!

• Banana split cake – this no bake treat combines the flavors of a banana split in a cake!
• Strawberry ice cream cake – just a few ingredients in this refreshing summer treat that all ages will love!
• Pool party cookies – creamsicle cookies get a pool themed twist!
• Mini fruit tarts – sugar cookie cups filled with a cream cheese mixture and fresh fruit makes these a winner for everyone!
• Beach cake – this delicious beach cake is perfect for a beach party, pool party, or just a fun summer day!