The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays of the summer. From the fireworks to the time spent with family and friends, I really can't think of a better way to say "summer is here and it's the best ever." Mixed in with all those great feelings are a plethora of dishes that always add to the excitement of the day. Amongst those dishes are one of my favorite things — red, white, and blue Jell-O shots.

When I was in college, having Jell-O shots at any function was a sure way to get the party moving. Even as a child, anything that dealt with Jell-O (non-alcoholic, of course) was the absolute way to my heart. I've loved Jell-O since then and I surely still love it now. If you've been making single colored Jell-O shots for your 4th of July festivities, my main question is why aren't you being more patriotic with your dishes? It may sound a little like you're overdoing it, but trust me when I say having red, white, and blue Jell-O shots this 4th of July is totally worth the extra effort.

How do you make them as perfect as the holiday suggests? That's where Hossier Homemade comes in with this recipe for these 4th of July Jell-O shots. Supplying you with the ability to make them with or without alcohol, this more than festive recipe is sure to get the party started for both the kids and the adults. Even if there are no kids around, the dry version of the Jell-O shots are great to serve as a tasty dessert to your backyard guests.

With a super easy recipe that calls you to pull from your childhood's bank of the original Jell-O recipe, these shots give anything you've done in the past a run for their money. Throw on a dollop (or mountain) of a whipped topping and red, white, and blue sprinkles and you have a deliciously low-effort treat that is sure to please every person at the party.

So, if you're looking to set your partygoers tastebuds off like fireworks, these red, white, and blue shots are a definite pick for before or after the meal. Or, if you're like me, they'll be great for eating during the meal too. Just be sure to have extra boxes of Jell-O handy to make a few more rounds throughout the party.