Make desserts stand out with the best food coloring

Which food coloring is best?

Few things are as delightful as a freshly-filled pastry case with beautifully decorated cakes, cookies and cupcakes. While the deft hand of the baker is crucial, the other tool that makes this possible is food coloring. The best food coloring makes all of your baked creations just a little bit brighter.

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To get started with one of the most trusted names in baking, try the top choice Wilton Icing Colors 12-Piece Gel Food Coloring Set. This set features a wide range of easy to use gel colors.

In this article; Wilton Icing Colors 12-Piece Gel Food Coloring Set, Nomeca Vibrant Food Color Liquid Dye and Supernatural Store Plant-Based Food Color

What to know before you buy food coloring

Food coloring kits should be in any baker’s pantry. They allow you to create beautiful, brilliant batters, frostings and other decorative elements.

Gel vs. liquid

Many professional bakers prefer gel food coloring. Gel food color provides deep, vibrant colors without diluting your batter or frosting. It is very useful in candy making, but also works well to color temperamental white chocolate and fondant.

On the other hand, liquid food coloring may be more convenient and easy to use—simply add drops until you achieve the color you like. Liquid food coloring is also often available in larger sizes and for less money. If you are on a budget, liquid food coloring is the more affordable choice.

Color combinations

You can start with three primary colors and combine to create a beautiful rainbow of colors, but some bakers prefer the mixing done for them. In this case, a multi-color kit is the best option. This also ensures consistent color results.

Natural dyes

Commercial-grade food coloring is typically made from artificial colors. Most people don’t notice any additional taste, but if you use large amounts—like the deep red of a red velvet cake—you might detect an artificial flavor. Additionally, some people are very sensitive to the artificial ingredients in traditional food coloring.

If you don’t want to alter the taste of your baking, or if you are sensitive to artificial colors, go for natural dyes. These dyes use foods and spices to create a variety of colors. You might notice that the shades are more muted, but you can achieve basically the same effect as artificial food colorings without artificial ingredients. Natural food coloring may be harder to find, and it generally costs more than traditional types of food color.

What to look for in quality food coloring

Vibrant, true color

Even if you are trying to achieve the lightest pastel colors you can, the color itself should be true and vibrant.

Variety of color

Starting with a variety of different colors expands your baking repertoire and opens up the world of cake decorating. One of the most affordable ways to build your food coloring collection is to start with a kit. At a minimum, start with red, yellow, blue and green. You can gradually add to your collection with single bottles or larger kits as you begin to explore.

Easy to mix

One of the best parts about food coloring is that the number of colors you can create is limited only by your imagination. However, the food coloring you use needs to be easy to mix. This is mainly a concern with gel food coloring, which can feel sticky or stiff.

How much you can expect to spend on food coloring

Expect to spend between $10-$15 on high-quality food coloring.

Food coloring FAQ

Are there other types of food coloring?

A. There are four additional types of food coloring: liquid gel; powdered; oil-based; and airbrush. These are used more often by professional bakers and can be difficult to find. Look online or in specialty baking shops for these types of food coloring.

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How do you use food coloring?

A. No matter what you are coloring, have patience. You can always add more color, but it’s difficult to lighten something once the color is too dark.

Start by adding just a drop or two of food coloring to your frosting, batter or fondant. Keep in mind that gel color is concentrated. If you are working with a gel food coloring, use a toothpick to add a small amount of color at a time.

Mix completely, then let it rest for a few minutes and look at the color in natural light. Keep in mind that the color will darken over time in frosting and fondant, but will lighten during baking. Keep adding one drop at a time and mixing completely until you achieve the color you are looking for.

What’s the best food coloring to buy?

Top food coloring

Wilton Icing Colors 12-Piece Gel Food Coloring Set

What you need to know: Wilton is a trusted brand for both amatuer and professional bakers.

What you’ll love: Gel food coloring mixes into different types of batters, doughs and decorating materials like fondant and frosting without watering them down. The colors are bright and concentrated, so you don’t need to use much to get the color you want.

What you should consider: The tiny jars can be difficult to work with.

Top food coloring for the money

Nomeca Vibrant Food Color Liquid Dye

What you need to know: This food color is easy to use and affordable for beginning bakers.

What you’ll love: This food color dispenses one drop at a time to accurately control the color you want. There is no discernible flavor, and it works in many different types of frosting and cake batters.

What you should consider: The color is not as vibrant as some other options.

Worth checking out

Supernatural Store Plant-Based Food Color

What you need to know: If you want to avoid adding artificial ingredients to your baking, this is the set for you.

What you’ll love: This plant-based food coloring is vegan. It uses vegetable and fruit juices and powders to add vibrant color to cakes, frosting and other culinary delights. It’s also gluten-free and kosher.

What you should consider: The colors are inconsistent, and it can be difficult to mix smoothly.

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