A few notes: Our blender must not be as powerful as some as the mixtures were a bit chunky. So we ended up straining each. It was easy to do and added maybe another 30 seconds to the overall time. We had fresh beets and fresh turmeric in the house, so we used those, grating each finely. The lemon yellow from the fresh turmeric is especially bright and fresh and satisfying. (Be aware! Turmeric REALLY stains. Make sure everyone is wearing an apron when playing with the colors.) We had a great time with this simple recipe and definitely will make these colors again.
Homemade Organic Food Colouring
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It’s no secret that the standard store-bought food colouring is made with chemicals. It’s said that Red Dye #40 comes from petroleum. Ew! Making your own vibrant, organic, edible dyes is very easy, and all you need are a handful of fruits and vegetables. Have no fear, these homemade tints will not affect the scent or flavour of whatever you’re colouring! If you’d like to make my organic rainbow marble cake pictured here, read further for its ingredients!
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Step 1: Gather Your Materials
- half a head of red cabbage
- water to cover cabbage
- 1/4 tsp natural sodium bicarbonate (I used Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda)
- half a cup of frozen organic spinach, thawed
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup blueberries
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1/4 cup cooked beets
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup water
- medium pot
- medium bowls
- blender or food processor
- fine-mesh sieve
- spatula
- 5 containers to store the colours
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Step 2: Blue: Red Cabbage
Place sliced red cabbage in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Strain out the cabbage (save it for a recipe), then return the purple water to the pot and boil another 10 to 15 minutes until it’s thickened up a bit. Sprinkle in the baking soda, stir, and watch it turn blue.
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Contents
- Natural Food Coloring FAQs
- How To Make Natural Food Coloring Recipe
- CHOOSE YOUR COLOR
Knowing how to make natural food coloring from scratch is something we’ve been wanting to do for literally years and years and years. And after trying countless different approaches, we finally we have the DIY natural food coloring recipe we’ve been wanting, seeking, and needing. No artificial colors. No preservatives. And no monumental price tag. Just vegetables and fruits and water.–David Leite
Natural Food Coloring FAQs
How do natural food dyes compare to store-bought food coloring?
Keep in mind that when mixed into frostings or icing, natural food coloring will create shades of pastels rather than incredibly vibrant and nearly neon hues. But, on the other hand, these all-natural, one-ingredient colors are kinder and gentler to everyone involved. And there’s something to be said for softness, no?
Will I be able to taste the food coloring ingredients in the frosting?
Yes, to some extent, although it should be minimal. The more food coloring you use, the more noticeable the flavor will be. In some cases, this is desirable, such as with blueberries. However, if the food coloring uses an ingredient that may be off-putting to some, start with a small amount and monitor the flavor.
How To Make Natural Food Coloring
4.88 / 8 votes
How to make natural food coloring? The answer’s easy. You can make it from scratch in shades of pink, purple, green, and yellow, with no artificial coloring, no preservatives, and no monumental price tag. Just fruits and vegetables.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 48 teaspoons
Calories 1 kcal
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes minutes
Total Time 10 minutes minutesIngredients
US Metric
For pink food coloring
- ▢ 1/4 cup canned beets , drained
- ▢ 1 teaspoon drained beet juice from the can
For yellow food coloring
- ▢ 1/4 cup water
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
For purple food coloring
- ▢ 1/4 cup blueberries , fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw and drain)
- ▢ 2 teaspoons water
For green food coloring
- ▢ 1 cup spinach , fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw and drain)
- ▢ 3 tablespoons water , plus more as needed
Instructions
Choose your color below and simply follow the instructions below.
Notes
CHOOSE YOUR COLOR
Pink
In a high-speed blender or food processor, mix the beets and juice together until smooth. Strain if desired.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Add 1 teaspoon to icings, frostings, or batter for starters to impart a pink hue. Add more coloring, if necessary.
Yellow
In a small saucepan, boil the water and turmeric for 3 to 5 minutes. Allow to fully cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Turmeric can stain, so use a container you don’t mind turning yellow. Add 1 teaspoon to icings, frostings, or batter for starters to impart a yellow hue. Add more coloring, if necessary. [Editor’s Note: Be careful when working with turmeric as it tends to stain whatever it comes in contact with, including countertops and wee fingers.]
Purple
In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the blueberries and water together until smooth. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the skins from the mix.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Add 1 teaspoon to icings, frostings, or batter for starters to impart a purple hue. Add more coloring, if necessary.
Green
If using fresh spinach, in a small saucepan, boil the spinach in enough water to cover for 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the cooking liquid.
If using frozen and thawed spinach, skip to the next step.
In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the spinach and water together until completely smooth. If the mixture clumps or stubbornly refuses to blend, add more water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. Strain, if desired, and let cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Add 1 teaspoon to icings, frostings or batter for starters to impart a green hue. Add more coloring, if necessary.
Adapted From
Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking
Nutrition
Serving: 1 teaspoon Calories: 1 kcal Carbohydrates: 0.1 g Protein: 0.03 g Fat: 0.01 g Saturated Fat: 0.001 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.003 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.001 g Sodium: 1 mg Potassium: 5 mg Fiber: 0.04 g Sugar: 0.1 g Vitamin A: 59 IU Vitamin C: 0.3 mg Calcium: 1 mg Iron: 0.03 mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe © 2014 Cara Reed. Photo © 2014 Celine Steen. All rights reserved.
