How to Make Glow in the Dark Jello Brains
For a fun and edible addition to your glow in the dark Halloween party, learn how to make glow in the dark jello brains. Just add a black light to make it glow!
An easy and fun way to add spookiness to your Halloween table is to make jello in a brain-shaped mold…and making it glow in the dark (with a black light) is even more fun.
Ingredients
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- 2 3-oz boxes of jello – I prefer this blue color* for the best glow-in-the-dark effect, but any color will work
- large bottle of tonic water
Equipment
- brain shaped mold*
- bowl that’s big enough for the brain mold to fit inside – this works best if the edge of the mold can rest on the rim of the bowl
- pot or kettle for boiling water
- black light – to make the jello glow
How To Make Glow In The Dark Jello Brains
Place the brain mold inside the bowl so that it is level and stable.
This keeps the mold level so that the jello sets properly.
Pour the contents of your 2 jello boxes into the mold
Heat water to boiling
Pour 2 cups of boiling water into the mold and stir so that the jello is dissolved
Add 2 cups of cold tonic water into the mold and stir again. This is what will make the jello glow in the dark.
Put the bowl with the mold in the refrigerator making sure that it is still level after you move it.
Refrigerate until the jello has set, usually 4-5 hours.
It can be stored in the refrigerator like this for up to 3 days.
How To Get The Jello Out Of The Mold
Just before serving, you’ll need to remove the jello from the mold without breaking it.
To do this, remove the mold (with the jello still in it) from the bowl and set it aside temporarily.
Fill the bowl about half way with hot water.
Place the mold back into the bowl so that the hot water comes far enough up the sides to heat the areas where the jello is (but does not come over the top).
Get the plate ready that you will be using to display the jello.
Turn the mold over on top of the plate.
And voila…jello brains!
The last step is to add a black light that makes the jello glow!
Find more information on how to use black lights to make things glow in the dark HERE.
How To Store Jello Brains
The jello brains can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days before serving.
Leave it in the mold until just before the party. This will make sure that the jello holds its shape.
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Glow In The Dark Jello Brains
Equipment
- Brain shaped mold
- Bowl big enough for the brain mold to fit inside
- pot or kettle
Ingredients
- 2 small (3-oz) or 1 large (6-oz) boxes of Berry Blue jello
- 2 cups tonic water chilled
Instructions
- Place the brain mold inside the bowl so that it is level and stable.
- Pour the contents of 2 boxes of jello into the mold.
- Boil some water.
- Pour 2 cups of boiling water into the mold and stir so that the jello is dissolved
- Add 2 cups of cold tonic water into the mold and stir again
- Refrigerate the jello until it has set (usually 4-5 hours)
How To Get The Jello Out Of The Mold
- Remove the mold from the bowl and set aside temporarily
- Fill the bowl about half way with hot water.
- Place the mold back into the bowl so that the hot water comes far enough up the sides to heat the areas where the jello is (but does not come over the top of the jello).
- Get the plate ready that you will be using to display the jello.
- Turn the mold over on top of the plate and the jello should come out.
- Add a black light to make the jello glow.
Notes
- Substitute other jello colors for the blue to match your party decor.
- Chilling the tonic water before adding it to the mixture will help the jello set better.
- The jello brains can be stored in the mold in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To keep the shape, don’t remove the jello from the mold until just before serving time.
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Do you have questions or comments about how to make glow in the dark jello brains? Tell us in the section below.
This post was originally published on October 13, 2014 but was updated with new content on February 20, 2023.
If I make this today (Sunday), will it still glow and look good on Tuesday (two days)?
Thank you!
Hi Allison…I have made the glow-in-the-dark jello molds the day before Halloween and it was fine, so I think 2 days ahead should work, too. Happy Halloween!