Glow in the Dark Jello

Did you know that with only a couple of small tweaks, you can turn ordinary Jell-O, into a ghoulish, glow in the dark treat? Read on to check out this simple, but awesome trick, and learn a bit about the science behind fluorescence in the process!

How to Make Glow in the Dark Jello

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Materials you'll need

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1
Gather your glow in the dark jello ingredients.

Step 2
Mix 3/4 cup of boiling water with 1 packet of Jell-O powder.

Step 3
Whisk until the Jell-O powder is completely dissolved.

Step 4
Stir in 3/4 cup chilled tonic water.

Step 5
Pour your Jell-O mixture into a tray or bowl and place it in the refrigerator until it sets (about 1 hour).

Final result!
Remove your glow in the dark Jell-O from the refrigerator and place it under a blacklight. You should see a ghoulish blue glow!

How it works:

Tonic water contains a chemical called quinine that causes it to fluoresce under UV light. Your blacklight emits UV radiation, which is not visible to the naked eye but is absorbed by the quinine. The quinine then re-emits the energy it absorbed in the form of visible light. This is the blue glow you see!

Bonus project!
This same recipe can be used to make a glowing glaze for frosting on cupcakes or cake! Simply drizzle the Jell-O mixture on top of white frosting before the mixture has solidified. To get the best glow, you'll want to drizzle or dip your frosting several times. Happy baking!