Mexican Candy Shot

April 24, 2022 by Tristin 44 Comments

This Mexican Candy Shot recipe is a drink flavored with watermelon pucker and tequila. Adding in a dash of hot sauce and a chili lime salt coated rim, will surely delight your tastebuds. Make this watermelon paleta shot for a Cinco De Mayo fiesta or any time of the year.

If you are in need of spicy drinks, we have got you covered with this Mexican candy shot recipe. For more shot recipes, try this Grasshopper shot, a half mint, half chocolate shot. Or make our iconic drink, the Baby Yoda Cocktail.

Two shot glasses of Mexican candy shot with a slice of watermelon.

Mexican Lollipop Candy Shot Recipe

The Mexican candy shot, sometimes also called a Mexican lollipop candy shot or paleta shot, is going to become your new favorite shot! It is loaded with a unique flavor profile that just makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

It’s spicy, but also sweet and salty at the same time thanks to the rim of the glass being dipped into tajin, which is a super tasty chili-lime salt.

It’s fun to switch up some of the components on this shot by different flavors of some of the ingredients. Instead of schnapps, fruit juices can be used instead. You will only need 1/2 an ounce of fruit juice. Try out mango juice, strawberry juice, watermelon juice, raspberry juice, or guava juice.

You can even blend up watermelon fruit really fine in a blender to use in this drink.

Whether it’s a bbq, dinner party, fiesta or just to have a good time, these are going to be popular drinks no matter how you make them.

Above view of two shot glasses of Mexican candy shot with a slice of watermelon and pink towel.

What is a Mexican Candy Shot Made of?

This Mexican candy shot with tequila can actually be made a couple different ways. But, the way we make it here is fairly straightforward and has lots of fruity flavors. So, the basic ingredients included are always fruit juices or fruit schnapps, hot sauce, and alcohol (like tequila, rum, or vodka). The total time it takes to make one is only a few minutes.

Where did this Paleta Shot Originate?

This classic cocktail has been around for some time. It originated down in Mexico, where it was probably made with the fruit juices, and around the border towns, like El Paso, Texas.

What does a Mexican Candy Shot Taste Like?

This Mexican candy shot is sure to be a winner, with it’s delicious blend of flavors. It is fruity and sweet with a slight kick of spiciness, kind of a medium heat. The spicy flavors comes from the Tajin and the hot sauce.

Up close of a shot glass of Mexican candy shot with a few slices of watermelon.

Why is it called a Mexican Candy Shot?

The name of this drink is based off of a Mexican hard candy lollipop (or paleta) that you get down in Mexico called a Vero Rebanaditas paletas con chile. Paleta means lollipop, but can also mean popsicle. This lollipop is a Mexican watermelon candy that is coated in chili powder. It does also come in Vero Elotes, which is strawberry flavored and Vero Mango, which is obviously mango.

If you have never tried them, I recommend them, I’ve eaten them my whole life. The chili powder can be a little overwhelming for someone who has not had it on a lollipop before. If you don’t like it you can always wash some of it off. Some people like to lick just one side of the chili powder off first, so that they get the fruit combined with the chili flavors.

You can get them in Mexican grocery stores or order online.

Recipe Ingredients Needed

Here are the basic ingredients for this Mexican paleta shot recipe. The full amounts will be listed in the recipe card below.

Lime: You will need a little juice from a fresh lime or just use water to dip the rim in so that the Tajin will stick.
Tajin seasoning: This is used for the rim of the shot glass.
Schnapps: I opted for watermelon pucker schnapps to mimic that watermelon candy flavor.
Tequila: Use your favorite tequila. You will need 1 oz tequila.
Hot sauce: Use your favorite hot sauce. Just a dash of Tabasco, Tapatio or Cholula hot sauces.

All of the ingredients needed to make Mexican candy shot like lime juice, watermelon schnapps, and hot sauce.

How to Make Mexican Candy Shot

First thing is to dip the rim of the shot glass or shot glasses in a little lime juice.
Next, dip the edge of your shot glass into a plate that is covered in some tajin. Set aside.
In a shaker with ice cubes, combine tequila, watermelon schnapps, and hot sauce. Shake well for at least 10 seconds.
Pour the mixture into a small glass or shot glass.
Add a watermelon wedge or lime wedge as a garnish.

Step by step instructions on how to make paleta shot.

What kind of Hot Sauce to Use?

I say go with your favorite hot sauce, whatever you normally like to eat on your Mexican food or have in your fridge. My go to is Tapatio, I like the subtle chili flavor it has, it’s has a nice balance of spice. Cholula is another one that we really like, just don’t use the chipotle flavored one.

What kind of Tequila to Use?

Again, like the hot sauce, chose your favorite tequila. Silver Tequila, also known as white, platinum, or blanco tequila is only aged for a few weeks and is the budget friendly option. It’s great to use in mixed cocktails because it doesn’t diminish the other flavors in the drink.

If buying gold tequila make sure it is made with 100% agave, otherwise it may have caramel coloring and sugar added to mimic agave tequila. Gold tequila is great in shots, because it is smoother and a little sweeter than white tequila.

Mexican Lollipop Shot Recipe Tips & Variation

Sugared rim. Instead of Tajin for the rim of the shot glass, you could use white sugar.
Use juice. Leave out the schnapps and use juice instead. Use 1/2 oz watermelon juice, strawberry juice, guava juice, or raspberry juice.
Different flavored schnapps. You could use a different flavor of pucker instead of the watermelon. There is strawberry, mango, melon or peach schnapps.
Make it a Mexican candy drink. Double or triple the ingredients and pour this over ice to make it into a drink instead of a shot.
Add a little simple syrup. If the drink is not sweet enough you could add a splash of simple syrup to the rest of the ingredients in the shaker.
Mexican candy shot with rum. Use 1 oz rum in the place of the tequila.
Mexican candy shot with vodka. Use 1 oz vodka instead of tequila.
Mexican candy shot with chamoy. Make your own chamoy or buy some at the store. Put the chamoy on the rim and continue with the rest of the recipe.
Mango Mexican candy shot. For a mango flavored shot, I would add in 1/2 oz mango juice and 1/2 oz strawberry juice instead of the watermelon schnapps.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s in a Mexican Lollipop Drink? This Mexican candy shot is made of tequila, watermelon pucker, and hot sauce.

What are paleta shots made of? Paleta shots can be made with fresh fruit juice like watermelon juice or blended watermelon. This paleta shot is made with tequila, pucker, and hot sauce.

Do I need a cocktail shaker to make this drink? While it is not a requirement to have a cocktail shaker, you will need something to shake the ingredients over ice. I have used various items over the years before getting a shaker. You could use a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Or even a Yeti tumbler with a lid, just use a paper towel to cover the little hole.

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5 from 22 votes