Food coloring is used to add color to food and drinks. There are many reasons why one might want to use food coloring. It can enhance the visual appeal of dishes, allow you to create fun colors for kids’ parties and snacks, help bring baked goods to life, and more. While premixed liquid and gel food colorings from the grocery store are common, there are also numerous ingredients in your kitchen that can act as natural, DIY food dyes. When exploring what you can use as food coloring, you have tons of nutritious and safe options.
Why Use Food Coloring?
There are several reasons why both professional cooks and home bakers use food coloring. Some of the top reasons to use food dyes include:
– Decoration – Food coloring allows you to create visually stunning foods and drinks. Adding a few drops of color to frostings, sauces, and more can elevate the appearance of your dishes. Vibrant red velvet cakes, bright green mint chocolate chip ice cream, pastel rainbow sprinkle cookies, and other colorful creations are made possible with food dyes.
– Festivities – Fun foods often call for fun colors. Birthday cakes and treats, holiday cookies, drinks for parties, and snacks for other celebrations can all be made extra festive with food coloring. Red, white, and blue foods for the 4th of July or green cupcakes for St. Patrick’s Day are iconic examples.
– Whimsy – Colored foods can add a sense of joy and whimsy, which is especially fun for kids. Green pancakes for St. Patrick’s Day breakfast, pink lemonade, brightly colored candy or snack mixes, and other vibrant foods make mealtimes more playful.
– Signaling Flavor – In some cases, food coloring is used to signal or enhance the flavored color association. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is greener, cherry pie filling is ruby red, and lemon bars are vibrant yellow to visually signal their dominant flavors.
– Covering Up – Some food colors change or fade during cooking and food processing. Food coloring can help counteract this, ensuring your final product has the ideal, appetizing hue.
– Decorated Details – Decorators often use food coloring to hand paint intricate designs on cakes and cookies with edible paint pens or brushes. Colored frosting in pastry bags allows piping decorative details.
Whether you want to brighten up everyday meals or craft special occasion treats, food coloring opens up many possibilities.
Everyday Food Coloring Options
When most people think of food coloring, liquid gel drops, bottles, or tubes come to mind. These are easy to find in the baking aisle of any grocery store. The most common brands include McCormick, Wilton, and AmeriColor. These contain FD&C dyes that are approved by the FDA for food use.
You’ll find food coloring in a rainbow of hues, sometimes sold individually or in value packs with the primary colors – red, blue, and yellow. While convenient to use, some people prefer to avoid synthetic food dyes. Thankfully, nature provides plenty of safer, nutritious alternatives.
Many common fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, teas, and other plant foods contain natural pigments that can tint foods and drinks. Berries, beets, tomatoes, carrot, pandan, matcha green tea, turmeric, purple sweet potato, butterfly pea flower, and many more whole foods have vivid colors.
Extracting or infusing the colors from these real ingredients allows you to create natural, edible dyes. Not only are these options more healthful, but they often provide more nuanced and complex tones. It does take a bit more work than squirting some dye from a bottle though.
We’ll explore the wide world of everyday kitchen ingredients that can act as homemade food coloring substitutes.
Produce Pigments
Many fruits and vegetables contain colorful compounds like anthocyanins, carotenoids, chlorophyll, and betalains that can be harnessed to tint foods. Here are some of the top produce picks for DIY dyes.
Beets – Vibrant pinks, purples, and ruby red hues shine through when using beets as food coloring. Grate raw beets and squeeze the juice, boil chopped beets to extract the colors, or blend and strain to get an intense dye. It works great for turning things red or pink.
Berries – Smash or puree any fresh or frozen berries like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and cherries then strain to yield colorful liquid. Mix and match for custom shades. These work well for reds, pinks, purples, and blues.
Carrots – For a golden shade, grate or blend carrots then simmer or soak in water to extract a transparent, yellowish-orange hue. Cook longer for more potent color. Carrot dye works for things like cakes, cookies, or sauces.
Tomatoes – Puree or simmer fresh, canned, or sundried tomatoes to create a bold red-orange dye. Strain for a smooth liquid. Use tomato coloring for red-hued foods from icing to dressings.
Spinach – Blanch and blend spinach, then strain to get a dark, emerald green coloring perfect for turning icings, baked goods, sauces, and more green. Frozen spinach works too.
Turmeric – Simmer in water or oil to yield a golden yellow spice dye. The longer it steeps, the more vivid the shade. Turmeric adds both color and flavor.
| Produce | Color |
|---|---|
| Beets | Pink, purple, red |
| Berries | Red, pink, purple, blue |
| Carrots | Orange |
| Tomatoes | Red-orange |
| Spinach | Green |
| Turmeric | Yellow |
As you can see, fruits and veggies provide a spectrum of vivid hues for homemade food dyes.
Herbs and Spices for Dyeing
Many dried herbs and spices also contain concentrated color pigments. Here are some to try:
Paprika – This vivid orange red spice makes an excellent natural food dye. Simmer in water for 15-30 minutes then strain to use its rich color. Paprika enhances red shades.
Turmeric – In addition to fresh, turmeric powder has a golden hue that infuses foods with a yellow color. Steep in hot water for an easy dye. It also adds a warm flavor.
Saffron – The coveted saffron threads create a sunny yellow-orange coloring. First bloom the saffron in warm water, then use this water to tint recipes. A little saffron goes a long way for both color and taste.
Cinnamon – This cozy baking spice can be simmered in water for a pale tan dye. Use for neutral browns or enhancing red shades. It also gives a nice flavor.
Curry Powder – Containing turmeric and paprika, curry powder makes a mix of yellows, oranges, and browns when steeped like tea. Strain the solids. Curry also seasons foods.
Gardenia – Used in Southeast Asian cooking, this natural yellow food dye comes from the gardenia plant’s fruits. Infuse the powder in hot water for tinted liquid.
| Herb/Spice | Color |
|---|---|
| Paprika | Red-orange |
| Turmeric | Yellow |
| Saffron | Yellow-orange |
| Cinnamon | Brown |
| Curry powder | Yellow, orange, brown |
| Gardenia | Yellow |
Spices provide an array of options, from sunny yellows to vivid reds and rich browns.
Teas and Flowers for Dyeing
Both dried teas and fresh edible flowers contain natural pigments that can color foods beautifully. Here are some top options:
Matcha Green Tea – This finely powdered green tea dissolves readily in liquids for a pastel green hue. Use for subtler coloring in drinks, cakes, icings, and more.
Black Tea – Brew extra strong black tea and use the liquid to add an amber tone to cakes, cookies, and icings. Black tea gives a nice auburn shade.
Hibiscus – The vibrant magenta tea from hibiscus flowers infuses liquids with its rosy crimson shade. Use it alone or blend with black tea. Hibiscus tea Punch provides both color and flavor.
Butterfly Pea Flower – This magical blue flower changes colors when acid is added. Infuse the dried blossoms for a blue dye. Add lemon juice and it turns purple. Amazing for duos!
Rose Petals – Steep fragrant rose petals in water for a light pink dye. Works nicely for subtle coloring in drinks, frostings, and more. Choose unsprayed petals.
Lavender – The purple buds of culinary lavender lend a light violet-grey tone when infused in hot water or other liquids. Lavender also adds floral flavor.
| Tea/Flower | Color |
|---|---|
| Matcha green tea | Green |
| Black tea | Auburn |
| Hibiscus | Magenta |
| Butterfly pea | Blue/Purple |
| Rose petals | Pink |
| Lavender | Purple-grey |
Make beautiful infused dyes from colorful teas and fragrant edible flowers.
Other Natural Dye Sources
In addition to fruits, veggies, herbs, spices, teas, and flowers, a few other nature-derived sources work well for food dye. These include:
Activated Charcoal – This trendy black powder makes any liquid intensely black. A little goes a long way. Use for dramatic Halloween drinks or desserts.
Purple Sweet Potato – Boil, blend, and strain purple sweet potato flesh for a lovely lavender liquid dye. Vibrant for purple cakes, cookies, and toppings.
Coconut Ash – Burn coconut shells and use the silvery ash to tint foods black or grey. Skewer and char a spent coconut half over a flame then grind the ash.
Sepia Cuttlefish Ink – This safe black ink can color foods like pasta for dramatic effect. Purchase bottled food-grade cuttlefish ink online or at specialty stores. A little makes deep black colors.
Blue Majik – This patented ingredient (spirulina extract) provides an ultra-vibrant blue color from cyanphycocyanin pigments. Purchase the powder online to use for bright blue foods.
Mica Powder – These edible shimmery pearlescent powders come in many colors. Dust them on to add metallic shimmer and color to foods and drinks. Find them online.
| Source | Color |
|---|---|
| Activated charcoal | Black |
| Purple sweet potato | Purple |
| Coconut ash | Black/grey |
| Cuttlefish ink | Black |
| Blue majik | Blue |
| Mica powder | Shimmery colors |
From dramatic black charcoal to brilliant blues, many unique natural ingredients can provide food coloring.
How to Extract Natural Food Color
While the possibilities for natural dyes are endless, you’ll need to follow some basic methods to get the most vivid colors from your ingredients. Here are some tips:
– Chop, grate, blend, mash, or juice to break down the color source and release the pigments. The smaller the bits, the better.
– Simmer, soak, or steep the color source in water or other clear liquids to extract the hues. Time depends on the ingredient but often 15-60 minutes.
– Straining is key for smooth, liquid dyes. Pass the colored liquid through a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth, coffee filter, or nut milk bag. Discard solids.
– Store dyes covered in the fridge for a week or so. The colors may deepen over time. Some solid particles may settle – strain again before use if needed.
– Dried ingredients make colorful “dye powders” too. Blitz things like dried beets or carrots to a powder in a high-speed blender. Whisk the powders directly into recipes.
– Adjust dye intensity by altering amount used. Start with small amounts of dye liquid then add more to reach desired hue.
DIY food dyes take some trial and error but provide beautiful, safer colors than artificial dyes. Have fun unleashing your inner food scientist!
Application Tips and Tricks
Once you’ve created your spectrum of natural food coloring liquids, how do you get those hues onto foods? Here are some handy application tips:
– Add drops of dye gradually when mixing batters and doughs. This helps evenly distribute the color.
– Whisk in a bit at a time when tinting icings, frostings, glazes, sauces, and liquids for gradual color control.
– Use a toothpick to “paint” liquid dyes onto doughs, batter, and more for swirled tie-dye effects.
– Place a few drops of different colored dyes close together on waxed paper then drag a toothpick through them to marble colors. Brush this onto unbaked goods.
– Dust with dyed powdered sugar using a small sieve for a shimmer of color on baked goods or garnishes.
– Use dye powders in place of some dry ingredients when color is needed. Swap in beet powder for flour, turmeric for cornstarch, etc.
– Mix colored white chocolate or confectioner’s coating for vibrant candy making and cake decorating. Melt chocolate then mix in dye drops.
– Dye milk or cream bases you’ll use for recipes ahead of time, like tinted condensed milk for pastel candy fillings.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with colors until you achieve the perfect shade for every recipe on your menu!
Combining Colors
The primary colors – red, yellow, and blue – can be mixed to create secondary shades like purple, green, and orange. This same principle applies when blending natural dyes. Here are some combinations to try:
– Red + Yellow = Orange
Mix carrot and turmeric dyes
– Red + Blue = Purple
Combine strawberry and butterfly pea dye
– Yellow + Blue = Green
Blend turmeric and matcha tea colors
– Red + Purple = Pink
Use beet and lavender dye together
– Yellow + Purple = Lilac
Turmeric and lavender make pastel lilac
– Red + Green = Brown
Mix the intensity of beet dye with gentle spinach dye for earthy brown
Don’t forget white! Add milk, cream, or white chocolate to dyes to soften and pastelize the tones. Have fun seeing what shades you can create by blending.
Storing Natural Food Coloring
To keep your homemade dyes fresh for use over several days or weeks, proper storage is key. Here are some tips:
– Store dye liquids in airtight glass jars or bottles with lids in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks.
– If not using right away, pour a thin layer of olive oil or melted coconut oil on top to prevent oxidation.
– Powdered dyes can be kept in airtight containers in a cool, dark place for several months. Keep away from moisture, light, and heat.
– Freeze dye liquids in ice cube trays, then store the cubes in bags in the freezer for several months. Thaw as needed.
– Label everything with the name and date! Over time, it can be hard to identify mystery jars of colored liquid in the fridge.
Proper storage keeps homemade food dyes from spoiling so you always have beautiful colors ready to use.
Benefits of Natural Food Coloring
In addition to providing eye-catching colors to recipes, using natural sources for food
